512 WRITINGS OF JOSEPH HENRY. [1875 



to provide a series of short communications on various sub- 

 jects, on which remarks should be invited after they have 

 been read. Clergymen, lawyers, physicians, farmers, mechan- 

 ics, and others should all be pressed into the service, and 

 each solicited to contribute something, the object being to 

 make the special knowledge of each the knowledge of all. I 

 once belonged to a society conducted on this plan, which is 

 still in existence, and a meeting of which I had the pleasure 

 of attending about ten years ago; and by way of illustrat- 

 ing what I have said, permit mc to mention the proceedings 

 on the occasion in question. First a number of mineralog- 

 ical specimens were presented and described, next a short 

 paper was given on the local geology of the vicinity, and 

 then a brief lecture on astrology, in -which the process of 

 casting nativities was described. This last subject — which 

 on first thought might appear beyond the capacity of the 

 majority of an ordinary audience, proved to be a source of 

 interesting remarks, in which nearly all participated. This 

 arose from the fact that astrological ideas and usages survive 

 in modern civilization, and each one was enabled to give an 

 example of beliefs and practices still existing in different 

 parts of the country, as to the influence of the moon in 

 various processes of agriculture, on disease, and even in rela- 

 tion to the survival of astrology in our language and general 

 superstitions. 



The farmer should be encouraged to bring to the meeting 

 specimens of the various botanical productions which he 

 meets with in agricultural operations, as well as specimens 

 of the different soils of which his farm is composed. These 

 should be referred to a committee, and their names and 

 peculiarities given at a subsequent meeting. If a plant or 

 a mineral or an animal is unknown to any member of the 

 association, a specimen of it may be sent to this Institution, 

 where it will be examined and after being properly labelled — 

 returned. 



The mechanic should be encouraged to give accounts of 

 the processes which he employs, or of any facts of special 

 interest which he may have observed in the course of his 

 operations. 



