330 THE GROUNDSWELL. 



That is the idea. We want nothing but a fair line, and we should 

 proceed in such a cautious way as not to do any thing imprudent. 

 I thank you, gentlemen, for the call that has been made upon me 

 of responding ; and I thank you, gentlemen, for this Convention, for 

 the very kind welcome extended.&quot; 



FINANCIAL, HORTICULTURAL, AND ENTOMOLOGICAL. 



Secretary Greene, in his annual report, alluded to the dif 

 ficulty under which he labored in consequence of the neglect 

 of the societies whom the Congress represented, (three thou 

 sand in number,) to send their quota of the expenses, and 

 spoke highly of the manner in which the agricultural press 

 had seconded his exertions. He estimated that there were 

 then in existence at least ten thousand societies under differ 

 ent names. Of these, two-thirds had been organized during 

 the six months last preceding. Commodore Maury s system 

 of weather signals, as explained to the last Congress, had 

 been established, and it was important that it should be 

 extended, but the appropriations from Congress were small 

 compared with the value of the undertaking. The financial 

 report showed an excess of expenditures over income of 

 $350. 



Professor Riley, of Missouri, read a paper on the &quot; cotton 

 worm and its destruction,&quot; which he appropriately prefaced 

 with the remark that he offered it as &quot; a proposition whereby 

 millions of dollars may be saved to the people of the South.&quot; 

 He proposed an inexpensive remedy for the destruction of 

 this pestiferous insect, whose appearance in the cotton-field 

 strikes dismay to the heart of the planter. 



The Committee on Horticulture and Entomology made a 

 report wherein they recommended that Congress be asked 

 to provide that railroad companies and homesteaders, re- 



