362 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



President Eenwick.- — The Waterloo wheat, laid on the table, probably 

 owes its goodly growth to the human manure to which Flanders is indebted 

 for filling her granaries. 



Solon Robinson read an inquiry from one of his correspondents, on the 

 notions of the moon affecting planting parks, &c. 



Mr. Meigs. — The influences attributed to the moon are idle, and have 

 vanished before science. Yilraorin, in his last Almanac, declares to France 

 that there is no meteorological knowledge useful generally, but that each 

 district has its own. While fog buries London, Paris is all bright. Mr. 

 Meigs had recorded meteorological observations from 1795 to this day, first 

 as assistant to his father, professor of mathematics and natural philosophy 

 in Yale college, who was also secretary of the Philoshphical Society. On 

 reading Strabo's Geography nearly forty years ago, I remarked his distinct 

 account of the fog of London above 1800 years ago, as being identical with 

 the fog of to-day. Herschell gave rules of observation by phases of the moon, 

 which are unavailing. Weather predictions are vain. The old English alma- 

 nac maker's printer's devil, for sport, printed snow in June^ on a certain day, 

 and it happened ! So that the credit of the old almanac became firmly 

 established. 



President Renwick. — The weather conforms, in a measure, to the phases 

 of the moon, so far as storms are concerned — the great rotary storms 

 reaching the coasts of Ireland, Norway, &c. 



Mr. Pardee. — Millions of money are lost by the absurd regard to old 

 superstitious weather wisdom. 



Solon Rolinson. — One correspondent wants to know whether woolen rags 

 are useful as manure. 



Mr. Mei"'s. — I always valued them, and put them about the roots of 

 valued vines or plants. 



President Renwick. — Red rags are selected to obtain lake color. 



Solon Robinson. — Country farmers hoof at a barometer, and often lose 

 their hay for want of one. 



Mr. Van Houten, of Paterson. — I am a farmer. Let the great papers 

 tell farmers about the barometer ; it will do good. I have a neighbor 

 farmer who always cuts his grass by the moon, and of course is sometimes 

 caught. Science is of no use without practice. The Institute should sup- 

 ply the useful knowledge. 



The Chairman called up the regular subject — Lime. 



Mr. Meies remarked on the error to which we are sometimes putting on 

 lime where there is already enough or too much. That mistake was made 

 by our late distinguished President Talmage, who put lime on some of his 

 land which already held enough, and so spoiled its fertility for some years. 



Mr. Atwatcr stated his experience in lime as manure. Sandy land wants 

 it. I add three bushels of slaked lime and one bushel of salt to a cord of 

 common manure, with good effect. Twenty bushels of lime on an acre of 

 rather heavy land is good. 



Mr. Moody, of New Jersey. — I have been benefited by sixty bushels of 



