NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



135 



Horticulturist and Genesee Fanner, and change its 

 beautiful proportions into one broad column, which 

 is neither easy to read nor pleasant to the eye. 

 Well, how can one help making a good book in 

 such a charming city as that Queen of the West ! 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ANNUAL MEETING OF N. Y. STATE AG- 

 RICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The annual meeting of the society was held at 

 the capitol, the Assembly Chamber having been 

 proffered for the use of the society. A very large 

 number were in attendance, and the very best 

 spirit prevailed, showing that the farmers of this 

 noble State, in some measure, at least, appreciate 

 the importance of their noble calling. The society 

 being called to order, the report from the secretary 

 was read giving a condensed account of the socie- 

 ty's operations during the year — followed by the 

 Treasurer — showing the receipts during the year 

 $17,218 85 ; expenditures in Premiums, expenses, 

 salaries, &c, $12,318 14. The officers for the en- 

 suing year were selected. In the evening, at the 

 same place, a most interesting address from the 

 President, Mr. Delafield, to the members of the so- 

 ciety who received prizes at the World's Fair, was 

 made. This was an interesting event in the soci- 

 ety's history. Previous to the opening of the Ex- 

 hibition in London the society appropriated a sum 

 of mi >ney to be awarded to such of the members as 

 should receive prizes — about 15 were so honored — 

 and they, I doubt not, will with great interest re- 

 vert to the scene of this evening. 



After the President's address, Prof. Norton, of 

 the Albany University, who is delivering a course of 

 lectures on Scientific Agriculture to a class of 

 about 50 students, delivered one of the best ad- 

 dresses it has been my pleasure to hear, on the 

 importance of science to the practical farmer. On 

 Thursday evening the President delivered his fare- 

 well address, which was every way worthy of his 

 distinguished reputation. 



The society for the first time held an exhibition 

 of Fat Stock, dressed meats, &c, and the display 

 of fine cattle and sheep was such as to do great 

 credit to the State. I understand that this is to 

 be continued as an annual show, and from the en- 

 ergy and enterprise of those connected with the 

 society, and of the farmers of New York, it will at 

 no distant time equal the famous Christmas Smith- 

 field Show in England. 



A very fair exhibition of winter fruits was shown 

 — in which the famed apples of western New York 

 were distinguished. But among the most useful of 

 all the articles shown in the fruit department, for 

 the pomologist, the nurseryman, and the farmer, 

 was the splendid exhibition of modelled fruits pre- 

 pared by Mr. Townsend Glover, Fishkill — apples, 

 pears, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, grapes, 

 cranberries, See., that again and again deceived the 

 people, though mingled with the real fruit. The 

 insects which are common and injurious to plants 

 and vegetation, exhibited, were so true to nature, 

 that the Prof, of Entomology in the university, on 

 examining them, without having been informed of 

 the preparation pronounced them genuine speci- 

 mens of the insects, a tribute to Mr. Glover which 

 was most creditable. The society, I understand, 

 have secured the insects, and a large collection of 



the models. Their wisdom in doing this will be 

 appreciated by all who know the importance of 

 the fruit culture in the State. The society award- 

 ed Mr. Glover a gold medal for his truly splendid 

 exhibition. 



At the close of the proceedings of the society, 

 the premium on farms, dairies, butter, cheese, 

 grains, &c, were announced, and splendid pitchers, 

 cups, medals, &c., awarded to the successful com- 

 petitors, who hailed from Niagara to Long Island, 

 showing the universality of interest which this 

 great society secures— an honor to the State and 

 to the country. 



I have thus given you a rapid sketch of the pro- 

 ceedings, which I trust may not prove uninterest- 

 ing to your readers. 



The next Fair is to be held in Utica in Sept. 

 next, (the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th.) 



Yours, &c. 



ADVANTAGES OF THE FARMER OF 

 THIS AGE. 



Within the course of a century, what vast dis- 

 coveries have been made in relation to the struc- 

 ture of plants and to the vegetable economy in the 

 functions, especially of absorption and perspira- 

 tion. Science has shown the mode in which plants 

 take up their aliment, the particular kind of ali- 

 ment required for them, and the circulation of the 

 food in the juices of the plant, its changes by res- 

 piration and its evacuations by perspiration. These 

 accessions to our knowledge of the vegetable king- 

 dom have been made by degrees, the results of long 

 studies and exact experiments by many different 

 persons. In relation to perspiration, Dr. Hales 

 found that a sunflower lost 1 lb. 14 oz. weight in 

 twelve hours of a hot day. In a dry night it lost 

 about 3 oz. In a moist night bttle alteration was 

 perceptible. 



Haymakers know the rapidity with which grass 

 is dried, which is owing to this perspiration, the 

 juices not being again supplied by absorption, as 

 when the grass was living. It would be inter- 

 esting to trace the history of these discoveries in 

 vegetable physiology, but would require more 

 time and space than we can now devote to the 

 subject. 



A century ago, nothing, it may be said, was 

 known of the vegetable anatomy. Now the struc- 

 ture of plants has become nearly as well known 

 as the anatomy of the human body, though the 

 knowledge of the former is probably confined to a 

 fewer number of persons than the latter. 



It is only little more than fifty years since the 

 first suggestion of what were the true sap vessels 

 of plants, was given by Dr. Darwin, and their 

 operation and functions ascertained by experi- 

 ments of himself and others, followed to more cer- 

 tain results by Mr. Knight. It was discovered 

 from these experiments that the sap ascends 

 through the spiral vessels of the plant, forming in 

 its ascent the alburnum, and descending in the 

 outer bark. This knowledge is valuable to the 



