36 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



a silo, and who is feeding his cattle on ensilage. We trust 

 that this paper will draw out a discussion with regard to the 

 merits of this method of preserving food for our cattle. It is 

 one that is creating a great deal of interest among farmers, 

 and certainly indicates a "new departure in agriculture." 



"Commercial Fertilizers — A Farmer's View of the Sub- 

 ject " — by J. M. Hubbard. Those of you who know Mr. 

 Hubbard, and most of you do, will feel assured that we shall 

 get some good sound practical ideas upon the subject of 

 applying fertilizers, with a caution not to trust too much to 

 them. 



" Fungi Injurious to Vegetation, with Remedies," by Byron 

 D. Halsted. This subject is one of very great importance, 

 for the farmer is continually meeting injurious growths which 

 thwart his best efforts, and we anticipate that the subject will 

 be so elucidated before us at this time that we may be able to 

 cope successfully with some of the difficulties that we have 

 so often experienced in this direction. Our fruits, our grain, 

 and all our vegetable products have suffered from time to 

 time from the visitation of fungi in various forms. 



" Home Manufactures," by J. B. Olcott. I have only to 

 say, that although we may not see how a lecture with that 

 title can be made to bear on the general subject, we have 

 such perfect confidence in Mr. Olcott that we know he will 

 develope a good thing in that direction. 



" The Farmer's Home," by Sec. B. G. Northrop, a gentle- 

 man too well known for his efforts to improve the educa- 

 tional and social interests of the State to need any introduc- 

 tion from me. That the farmer's home is the central point 

 around which all our efforts to improve our agriculture should 

 gather, is an idea which we hope will be established by 

 Secretary Northrop. This is our ideal of the farmer's 

 home: — the birthplace of sons trained in self-reliance, in- 

 dustry, and economy, masters in science, arts, and arms ; 

 daughters the light of other homes, our loving and earnest 

 mothers, — the defence and foundation of the State. That the 

 farmer is peculiarly privileged, and has an opportunity, in the 

 direction of making himself a home, that no other class 



