46 [Senate 



CORRESPONDING SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



The Corresponding Secretary of the New-York State Agricultural 

 Society, who has recently fulfilled his engagement with its Execu- 

 tive Committee to give public lectures on the science and the prac- 

 tice of agriculture for two months, in various parts of the State, 

 respectfully submits the following Report : 



The undersigned has faithfully devoted between thirteen and four- 

 teen weeks to the discharge of the duties assigned him by the Execu- 

 tive Board. Agreeably to previous notice, public lectures have been 

 delivered in the counties of Oneida, Jefferson, Chenango, Cortland, 

 Onondaga, Tompkins, Yates, Tioga, Washington, Monroe, Living- 

 ston, Genesee, Wyoming and Erie. Several other counties have 

 been visited, and no reasonable pains have been spared to collect and 

 scatter broad-cast all useful information pertaining to rural pursuits ^ 

 It is proper however to remark, that his field was too large for his 

 limited time, to allow the lecturer to do full justice to himself, or to 

 the great farming interests of the State. His services, although 

 quite limited in each county, were, nevertheless, everywhere re- 

 ceived wdth expressions of warm approbation by practical farmers. 

 It is an auspicious omen to see this class of men taking a deeper 

 interest in every measure calculated to improve the farming lands 

 of New-York, and elevate Rural Labor to that high reward and 

 honor, which its importance ought to command. The wonder of the 

 age will soon be, how civilized, thinking, speaking and writing 

 farmers should have so long persisted in refusing to study the uni- 

 form and unerring laws of Nature, which change crude earth, air and 

 water, into bread, milk, meat, wool and flax, for the supply of our 

 daily food and clothing. 



If plowing, planting and hoeing potatoes would produce 200 bush- 

 els on a half acre that had just enough of the ingredients that form 

 this plant to make 50 bushels, and no more, it might be a waste o 

 time to learn what are the precise things which the germs of potatoes 

 must have, to form the additional 150 bushels. A moment's reflec- 

 tion will satisfy every mind that not a single tuber can be formed by 

 any amount of hard work, out of nothing. Hence, when the farmer 

 has used up the small quantity of the mineral elements of this crop 

 in his soil, and knows not what these elements are, how can he apply 



