YALE AGRICULTURAL LECTURES. 169 



TWENTY-FIRST DAY. FEB. 24, 1860. 



According to the pre-arranged schedule, we should have had 

 a lecture from Mr. DONALD G. MITCHELL (Ik Marvel), on 

 Rural Economy, and two from AMBROSE STEVENS, on Horses ; 

 but Mr. Mitchell excused himself on the ground that his sub 

 ject had, in great degree, been anticipated in preceding lec 

 tures, and owing to some fault in the mails, or otherwise, Prof. 

 Porter's letters and telegraphic dispatches failed to reach Mr. 

 Stevens. We have been in both cases disappointed ; for there 

 is no such graceful pen as Ik Marvel's enlisted in the cause of 

 agriculture, and Mr. Stevens is regarded as one of the best- 

 informed and scholarly of our horse and cattle breeders. 



Mr. MASON C. WELD, a pupil of Liebig's, and now one of the 

 editors of The Homestead, gave us last evening a sensible lec 

 ture on Agricultural Associations. 



After remarking upon the general benefits of association 

 among formers the proposition being maintained that in pro 

 portion to the degree of enlightenment attained, is the readi 

 ness of individuals to communicate their knowledge and expe 

 rience for the benefit of others Mr. Weld took up, separately, 

 the various kinds of organizations sustained for mutual benefit 

 among farmers. Cattle insurance companies, on the mutual 

 plan, were passed with simply calling attention to them as 

 having a very beneficial effect in necessitating accurate veteri 

 nary knowledge and practice, and the humane treatment of 

 poor, ailing beasts, instead of the barbarities now too often 

 practised. Agricultural associations were treated under the 

 following titles: Temporary Farmers' Clubs, Permanent Far 

 mers' Clubs, Town Clubs; County, State, and National Agri 

 cultural Societies. 



The Temporary Farmers' Clubs are simply meetings of far 

 mers e. g., those attending a fair, or members of a State Leg 

 islature who assemble, appoint a chairman, and talk agricul- 

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