interests of the AgricnltTiral commdnity where 

 such premiums are giveu. As for oue example ' 

 oat of many : where is tlie benefit to be derived i 

 from offering a bounty to those who will send 

 the largest sum of money, ver3' often out of the 

 County and State, for the most splendid match 

 geldings or mules to be had in the Union? 

 \Vhat sort of policy is it tliat offers a premium 

 for the largest crop of corn or turnips, or the 

 fattest hog or bullock, when tlie process adopt- 

 ed and the expenditure made to obtain the pre- 

 mium may make the crop or animal, as in his 

 mother wit the Indian says, '■ cost more than it 

 comes to ;" and would prove a losing concern to 

 all who should be lured into tlie adoption of the 

 course pursued by the ^vinner of the premium 1 

 The old Societj- of Massachusetts, which exist- 

 ed and had scattered tlie seeds of improvement 

 broadcast, long before most of our Institutes 

 and Societies came into being, could never be 

 prevailed on to offer a premium for a horse of 

 any kind, saying, that of all machines, the horse 

 was the most expensive for practical Farmers. 

 Without meaning to intimate that the same 

 policy would suit all localities, it may yet be 

 insisted that premiums should oulj^e offered 

 for the best elucidation of systems, and the pro- 

 duction of the best specimens, that it would he 

 to the interest of Farmers in the Cgunty, or 

 the State, as the case may be, generalli/ to 

 follow and to cultivate. Paiticularly should 

 it be the care of those who dispose of a So- 

 ciety's funds, to stimulate the mind to the dis- 

 covery of nev/ processes and new implements, 

 and to the introduction of ne\v and profitable 

 objects of culture ! They should ratlier dis- 

 courage a mawkish taste for gew-ga^vs and fat 

 things, and lead it to be entertained •n-ith what 

 is new in its kind, ingenious and solid in its 

 structure, labor-saving and useful in its princi- 

 ple, and economical and profitable in the means 

 used to produce it, and in tlie uses to be made 

 of it. Let that vulgar taste be discouraged 

 which at an Agricultural exhibition we often 

 see leads the whole mass of people away fi-om 

 the most interesting disconr.se on the principles 

 of Agriculture, and from the rarest collection of 

 the most ingenious and perfect machinery-, to 

 gaze at a sleek, heefy, long-tailed, prancing 

 stallion ! If the object be merely to gather an 

 immense crowd, that may as ^vell be done by 

 a militia mustermg, or an exhibition of Jacko 

 riding on a pony. 



In the last number we engaged to speak 

 again in reference to the list of premiums tlien 

 published, as offered by the Highland Agricul- 

 tural Soriety, saying " the reader can then 

 judge for himself, as to the exercise of the mind, 

 the degree of intelligence, and the class of 

 men required to battle for these prizes, and 

 the usefulness, permanent usefuhiess, of the in- 

 (61:? 



formation which such prize essays must con- 

 tain." We proceed to redeem tliat engage- 

 ment, but imperfectly, in the fear that many 

 may think we give too much space to the sub- 

 ject. But our aim is, let us onca more explain, 

 to invoke more thought, more calm investiga- 

 tion, on the part of executive officers and com- 

 mittees, who disti-ibute the funds of zealous, 

 well meaning, and hopeful contributors, in a 

 manner to produce the greatest amount of indi- 

 vidual property and national wealth, ratlier tlian 

 in a way to ensure dazzling spectacles and glit- 

 tering arrays of things made and polished up for 

 the occasion. W^e are persuaded that from this 

 list of premiums and explanation of tlie reasons 

 for proffering them, and the points to be consider- 

 ed and set forth by those who contend for them, 

 American Societies may derive valuable infor- 

 mation and take some hints that may be useful. 

 We need hardly add that but for this strong 

 persuasion we should not have yielded so much 

 space to the subject. These extracts might be 

 extended if we had room. 



ESSAYS AXD REPORTS ON SUBJECTS CON- 

 NECTED WITH THE SCIENCE AND PRAC- 

 TICE OF AGRICULTURE. 

 Feeding of Stock. — It is required to be as- 

 certained, by direct experiment, the actual ad- 

 cition of weight to groicing and to fattening 

 stock respectively, by the use of different kinds 

 of food, as well as the exact effect of weighed 

 quantities of food of different kinds, upon the 

 quantity and quality of milk, in full-gro\\-n milk 

 cows in calf and not in calf, and the Society 

 offers a premium of twenty sovereigns, or plate 

 of that value, for tlie best Series of Experiments 

 having this object in view, either in regard to 

 growing, fullgro\\-n, and fattening Stock, or to 

 Dairy Cows. 



The attention of the experimenter will be drawn 

 to the effects of turnips, canot. beet, potato, or 

 other TOOts, as well as to that of beans, oat?, barley, 

 and oil cake, and to the opinion that warmth is 

 equal to a certain amoimt, or causes a ce rtaia saving 

 of food. 



Before commencing the comparative experiments, 

 the animals must be fed on equal quantities of the 

 I same kinds of food for some weeks previously. 



The animals tried against each other should be. as 



nearly as possible, of the same age, weight, condition, 



maturity, and purity of breed. Diliereiit breeds 



may be compared, and this will fonn an interesting 



expeiimont of itself 



1 The animals are to be treated, in every respect, 



I alike. The food and drink to be regularly weighed 



I :md measured, and samples of the food (when this 



I can be done) carefully analyzed. The Uve and, if 



1 if killed, the dead weishts of the animals, at the close 



I of the experiment, should be ascertained, and the 



1 quantity of tallow which tliey yield. 



I Radical Excretion of Plan'ts. — Twenty 

 ! sovereigns, or plate of tliat value, will be given 

 I for the best and approved Essay on the Radical 

 I Excretion of different Plants, or die various sub- 

 ! stances discharged from their roots. It is de- 

 i sirable to examine the subject physiologically as 

 I well as chemically, and to asceinain the exist- 

 ! ence, or otherwise, of a power of excreting va- 

 rious noxious substances previously- absorbed, 

 as well as of the supposed natural excretions. 

 It will also be desirable to contrast, and endea- 

 vor to explain, the well-known fact of certain 



