FARxMERS^ llEGISTER-EUCKINGIIAM AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 383 



ment can bo made in the face of the country, 

 without hiU-side ditclies, or trenches, to wliich the 

 cultivators ot' tlie soil have been timely aroused 

 by tlie pen of Mr. Bruce. The precipitate dis- 

 charge of the rain-water may be prevented by 

 these graduated channels, and a system of im- 

 provement now commence under their protection. 

 1 have commenced the improvement of land 

 heretofore cultivated in corn and small grain, rely- 

 ing on clover and herds grass to keep up my to- 

 bacco land. I am satisfied Irom frequent experi- 

 ments, that tobacco does better after herds grass 

 than any other I have tried; certainly better than 

 after clover, for I hav^e observed that tobacco is 

 generally faded and sickly after clover, unless plas- 

 tered. Herds glass has a most happy effect on all 

 lands I have tried, both stifi' and sandy; and 1 

 think, I may say, it restores the land nearer to its 

 virgin state, than any other im]jrovcr. After three 

 or four years in grasp, the land may be cultivated 

 as many in tobacco without manure. Sow it down 

 afterwards in wheat and orass. Tlie improvement 

 from herds grass is derived almost entirely irom 

 the roots giving a strong turf. The top I have 

 never considered important to liill on the land, as 

 it becomes very dry after ripening. Land in orass 

 improves if mowed every year, with the addition 

 of yielding rent in the way of hay. As I before 

 observed, I have commenced the improvement of 

 my grain land, and shall go on pari passu until I 

 can say, there has been a visitation, not in an evil 

 sense, to every nook and corner; when every acre 

 of land sliall have received some aid to resuscitate 

 it, and without which, our lands cannot be restored. 

 Surface manuring I am persuaded is the most 

 expeditious mode of improvement. Of its effects 

 1 have no doubt. Look at the yards of old settle- 

 ments, made rich, inexhaustibly so, from surface 

 manure. The places where grain, hay, &c. are 

 stacked, seem never to lose the influence. Farm- 

 pens and cow-pens are enriched by the juices that 

 operate more immediately on the surface. It is 

 my practice to change my stacking places and 

 farm-pens every year, and by that process have 

 improved much exhausted land, always selecting 

 the poorest places. 



I have observed also a marked difference in the 

 crop when the manure is suffered to remain a short 

 time in piles: the impression or stain gives life to 

 the land that is not imparted by manure ploughed 

 under. 



I am inclined to the opinion, that we should 

 manure our lands one year in advance of the crop 

 to be cultivated, the manure to be applied as a top 

 dressing. It would certainly give a most luxuriant 

 crop of weeds and grass, at\er which, all crop^s do 

 well. The objection to manuring, the same year 

 of cultivation, is that in very dry seasons the ma- 

 nure, although ploughed under, does not incor- 

 porate, and the benefit is lost to the growing crop. 

 In the spring of 18.32, I carted out some stable 

 manure, and put it in heaps on exhausted clay 

 land, from which places the manure in a few days 

 were removed, leaving nothinnj but the impression 

 or stain. In the spring of 1834, I observed that 

 everyplace where the piles lay, a fine turf of herds 

 grass might be seen, and the adjacent places 

 where the manure was not put, remained destitute 

 of any verdure — there was no design of experi- 

 ment — the manure was thrown there for the pur- 

 pose of manuring an enclosed piece of land, to 



which the cart could not conveniently go. If top- 

 dressing should be resorted to, and we would sup- 

 ply our stables with herds grass hay, a sufhciency 

 of seed would be mixed with the manure to im- 

 prove any land. If tiie fields, the barren fields, 

 that ofTeiid the eye of the traveller and tells the 

 poverty of the owners, were sprinkled, afer a deep 

 hillow,' with herds grass manure, 1 have no doubt 

 the scene would be changed, as indicated bj' the 

 [)laces ti-cm whicli the j-iles of manure were re- 

 moved. 



I hope th"se remarks maybe received with that 

 allowance due to one unaccustomed to writing fur 

 the public eye. If any hint or suggestion here 

 should be regarded as useful, in the way of im- 

 proving the worn lands, I shall be amply remu- 

 nerated lor this comniuiiication. 



For tlic Farmers' Register. 



CONSTITl TION OF THE BUCKIKGHABI AGRI- 

 CULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Article 1. This society shall be known and called 

 by the name o\' '■'■The 'Buckingham ^Agricultural 

 Society." 



jirticle 2. — Section 1. There shall be an annual 

 meeting of this society, on the third Thursday in 

 October, at such a i)lace as may be fixed upon by 

 adjournment. 



Section 2. One-fifth of the members of the so- 

 ciety shall constitute a quorum at the annual meet- 

 ings. 



Section 3. If from any cause a quorum should 

 not attend the annual meeting, the next day shall 

 be the day of meeting, and should a quorum still 

 fail to meet, the officers elect shall continue in office 

 until the next annual meeting. 



Article 3. — Section 1. There shall be a presi- 

 dent, three vice presidents, a corresponding and a 

 recording secretary, a treasurer, and a board of 

 directors, to consist of the officers, and six other 

 members all to be chosen anmudly.^ All elections 

 shall be viva voce; and a majority of the members 

 present shall be necessary for a choice. 



Section 2. It shall be the duty of the president, 

 to preside at all meetings of the society and board 

 of directors. In the absence of the president, one 

 of the vice presidents shall preside. 



Section 3. The president and vice presidents 

 shall be ineligible for one year, next after their 

 time of service shall have expired. 



Section 4. It shall be the duty of the recording 

 secretary- to make and keep a fair record of the 

 proceedings of the society and board of directors. 



Section'^5. It shall be the duty of the corres- 

 ponding secretary to conduct all correspondence 

 1 for the society and board of directors. 

 ! Section 6. "it shall be the duty of the treasurer 

 j to receive all dues to the society, and pay all de-_ 

 mands as ordered by the society and board of 

 ! directors, and render and settle his accounts at 

 each annual meeting. 



j Section 7. It sliall also be the duty of the treasu- 

 rer, at each annual meeting, to mnlce report of all 

 1 members that have failed to pay their annual con- 

 { tributions or other dues to the society, and if any 

 member or members shall be reported thus delin- 

 j quent, for two annual meetings successively, such 

 \ member or members shall no longer be regarded 

 ' as belonging to the society, and shall not thereafler 



