Ql\)t lixxmtxs iHontl)li3 Visitor. 



135 



<len, orcliiird. or oilier improved land of nnotlier, 

 wiilioiit |»eriMi.-ir<ioii of tiie owner thereotj mid 

 with intent to cnt, take, carry away, destroy or 

 injin-e tin- trees, grain, prass, liay, frnit or vefiela- 

 l>le.s there ■.'rowins or heiii".', pliall be |iui)irtlied 

 liy iin|iri-ioinnent in liie roiiiity j lil, not iriore 

 than thirty days, or liy fine not exi-eeilinv' iwenl'j 

 dollars ; and if any of the offeiK'es mentioned '.n 

 lliiti, or ill the inecedinjt section, shall he ro',,|,|i[, 

 ted on the Lord's day, or in disffiiise, or necretly 

 in the iiit'ht time, between snii-sett'';,,j, „,|,l g,,,,. 

 risiiifi, llie iiiilirisimiiieiit shall nii'^ In. |,.^^ ,|,a„ 

 five days, nor the fine less thai'_ fjvB dollars. 



The law of New llaiii|)sl.,n.e is iiiore general, 

 but not less 8evt:re : Ri »ri.sK,| Statutes |iaye 48. 



" If any [lerson sliMl rtilfuily and maliciously 

 commit any act wli erehy any tree |ilaced or ttrow- 

 ins for ornaniei'.t or use in any (fardeii, yard, 

 street, square, or other |»lace, whereby the rent or 

 personal tilrjte of another shall he injured, such per- 

 son shal'. be punished by imprisonment in the 

 comii'.on jail for a term not less than thirty days 

 no": more than one year, or by fine not exceeding 

 •jlie hundred dollars, or by both of tsaid pniiish- 

 iiients, on the discretion of the comi." 



Call of the American Institute of the City of 

 Mew Vork. 



Thia Convention is proposed at the policiiation 

 of agricultural gentlemen of high coiisideralioii, 

 who sincerely desire the prosperity of this great 

 interest an<l understand its condition. The liiiii 

 appointed tor meetiiiit \s Frida;/. illh of October, 

 1844, 10 o'clock, A. M., at the Repository of the 

 American Institute, city of New York, the first 

 week of the 17th Annual Fair of the Institute.— 

 It has been urged by those who solicited the call, 

 that it .should come from, this Institute, because 

 by its act of incorporation it is constituted a na- 

 tional institution, and reqmred to extend its foj- 

 teriiig care to Hgricullure in particular, over all 

 the States of the Union ; and further, that a call 

 from such an iiistiliition so centrally situated, 

 devoted to encouragement of industry, would be 

 free from all partisan infliicnces which Ii;;ve so 

 often obstructed the progress of the best design- 

 ed ui-iociations formed for other purposes, and at 

 the lime of the great New York Fair, is deemed 

 altogether desirable, us it will ensure a full con- 

 vention. The proposers of this convention fur- 

 ther repre.sent that four-filths of the popiilaiion 

 of the Union are embraced in the agricultural 

 class; that while other occupations comparative- 

 ly few in nniiiher, have held such conventions, 

 no national agriciillmal convention had ever been 

 beard of, allhoiigli the scattered condition of the 

 farmers, &.C., and the obstacles to their meeting 

 Olid iiilerchangiiig knowledge with the fuciliiy 

 and effect of other ociuipations, strengthened the 

 necessity of their coming together, conversing, 

 and concerting ineHSures for the general good. 



Is it proper that the essential means i'or pro- 

 tnotiiig this paramount department of industry, 

 the basis of all others, should remain neglected ? 

 The Representatives of the tillers of the soil have 

 legislated bountifully tor other interests, and to- 

 tally disregarded the interests of those who made 

 them legislators, as if agriculture needed no fos- 

 tering ! 



Who can reasonably object to a Home De- 

 partment for Agriculture, planned on a scale coin- 

 niensiirate with the millions it is intended to pro- 

 tect and tbster? The vavy is provided with its 

 department; another has been createil for your 

 money; one for your diplomacy, another for your 

 postage ; yon have an immen.'ie edifice with coni- 

 inissioiier, examiner, clerks, &c., to take care of 

 youi patents ; but for the vast interest of Agri- 

 CPLTURE, you have not a ()lace where the farmer 

 has legitimately a right to put his foot to ask for in 

 formation relating to his pursuits, or to deposit that 

 information for the use of others, which his ex- 

 perience may have actpiired. No national means 

 for concentrating a knowledge of the immeasu- 

 rable labors of four-fifths ol the population of a 

 mighty empire, multiplying in a ratio that de- 

 fies 111! precedent in the history of the liuinan 

 race. 



Agriculture, if it had met its deserts, would 

 long since have shone conspicuous among the 

 other depariiiients of the goveriiiiieiit. Who is 

 there that will question the foresight, the wis- 

 dom, or patriotism of tf'ashington ? At the open- 

 ing of the session of Congress, 1796, the last lU 

 which he presideil, he s|>oke to the nation's re|>- 



reseiitatives as (bllows : — ''It will not be doubt- 

 ed, that, with reference either to hidividual or 

 naiionui welliire. Agriculture is of primary im- 

 portance. In propoi'.ioii as nations advance in 

 population aii''_ olbirr circumstances of maturity, 

 ''"^ V.'u'i'n becomes more apparent, and renders 

 the cultivation of the soil more and more an ob- 

 ject of public patronage. Institulious for pro- 

 moting it grow up, supported by tlie public purse ; 

 and to what object can it be dedicated with great- 

 er propriety ? Among the means which have 

 been emplojed to this eiid^ none Ii9,ve been at- 

 teniled with greater success than the establish- 

 ment of Boards, composed of proper characters, 

 charged with collecting and ditfusing informa- 

 tion, and enabled by premliiiiis, ami small pecn- 

 iiiarv aid, to encomage and assist a spirit ol dis- 

 covery and imp.riiveiiTent, by stimulating to en- 

 terprise and experiment, and by dravving to a 

 common centre, the results evt:ry where of indi- 

 vidual skill and observation, and spreatling them 

 thence over ihe whole nalion. Kxperieiice ac- 

 cordingly has shown that they are very cheap in- 

 struments of immense national benefits." 



Thai session passed ami noihing was done. — 

 Gen. Washington, in his letter to Sir John Sin- 

 clair, ascribed its lail'ire to the short session anij 

 multiplicity ol business. Under ilate of March 

 tlih, 1797, he wrote to the great benefaclor of 

 British Agriculture, «^ follows i—" I am sorry to 

 ad.l,thal nothing/na/ in Congress has been de- 

 cided respecting tlia institution of a National 

 Board of Agriculture,' recoinliiended by meat the 

 opening of the session. But this did not, I be- 

 lieve, proceed fiom any ilisinclinaliim to the mea- 

 sure, but from their limited sitting, and a | ress- 

 uie of what they conceived, more important bu- 

 siness. I think it highly probable that next ses- 

 sion will bring this matter to maturity." This 

 lec-otnmendatio!!, conceived in wisdom and the 

 purest patriotism, eniorced l,iy tiiianswerable 

 arguments, has been passed unheeded ibriy-eight 

 years. 



Ill view of these and other cogent considera- 

 tions, the American Institule has been induced 

 i(; ('all a Cunvenlion, and the farmers, gardners, 

 and friends of agriculture ihrougiiout our coun- 

 try are most respecllully invited to attend ; Ag- 

 ricultural Societies, Clubs, &c., are specially dc: 

 sired to meet and elect »uitable delegates to al- 

 lend ; men of liberal and enlarged views, and 

 comprehensive minds — men who do not " [lut 

 their hands to the plough and look back'' (lor 

 such there are,) and Mich never can benefit any 

 convention. 'I'his august meeting of the owners 

 of the soil, the men on whom our bojies, and the 

 hopes of our posterity must depend, caniiot but 

 ensure respect. 



In order to render the re.'^nlls of this conven- 

 tion immediately available, a series of questions 

 have been prepared, calculated to elicit answers 

 from practical (iirmers, and geiitiemen of accu- 

 rate observation. This is in accordance with the 

 plan of the Silk Convention held diii'nig the Fair 

 of 184U, on the call of the Institute, which yvas 

 atlentled with the happiest results. We assert, 

 without the fear of contradiction, that the report 

 of the proceedings of that convention contains 

 m<Me iisetiil practical information on that subject, 

 adapted to our country, than has ever before been 

 published. We [iropose to extend Ihe means 

 which have jnoved so successful in eliciting in- 

 formation on the subject of silk to the great (iirm- 

 ing iiilerest of the nation, and in order effectual- 

 ly to concentrate various minds to the same point, 

 and in conformity to the above plan, questions 

 are annexed, to which answers are desired ; and 

 those who receive this invitation are requested to 

 add any other iis^eful information that is not em- 

 braced in the questions proposed, and if not able 

 to attend, (which will be much regretted,) they 

 are desired to forward written answers, that they 

 may be inserted in the Report of the Convention, 

 which will be |>uhlished ; a copy of which will 

 be forwarded to those wIhi commiini<'ale, and to 

 editors who send us a publisheil copy of this call. 

 The observations, tiicls, ind experiments of ma- 

 ny hundred intelligent farmers from different 

 sections of different States, will be of great value 

 to agricullure, while a Home Department, con- 

 tinually collecting and sending forth information, 

 will multiply (u-oduction, and give a richer face 

 to our whole counlrv. 



JAMES TALLMADGE, Presd't. 



(Questions. 



1. Where the system of improvement has not 

 been adopted, what diminution of crops per acre 

 has taken place in your district, or within your 

 knowledge ? 



2. Whiit is the average size of farms in your 

 county? what proportion is in wood, what arable, 

 what meadow, what exhausted, what at present 

 incapable of tillage, from want of drainage, &c ? 



3. What crops are raised by you, and in your 

 neigliborhood .' wliat average yield is obtained? 



4. What is your method of cullivation ? 



5. What is the average qiinntity of manure oh- 

 tained from your stock ? in what quantities and 

 to what crops do you ap|ily it' 



6. Do yon use peat, muck, lime, plaster of Par- 

 is, marl, refuse fish? to what extent, and wiih 

 what success? Please inlorin the convention 

 how far the system adopted by yourself, is 

 carried out by your neighbors, and their suc- 

 cess. 



7. Do you or your neighbors purchase ma- 

 nures ? 



8. Are any of ilie new farming Implemeots 

 used in your district ? with what success? 



9. Is drainage resorted to ? 



10. What is the nature of your soil, and th« 

 best crops that giow upon it naturally? 



11. Have you or your neighbors perceived any 

 very great advantage always to follow the us* of 

 any particular manure ? 



Vi. Is fallowing green crops comtnou ? what 

 crops? what is the improvement? 



13. When do you cut grass, or reap oats, rye, 

 wheat, &c., in the milk or when dry? 



14. Have you or your neighbors seenany great 

 difference ill the weight, quality, and sweetness 

 of grail! or fodder collected at these different 

 limes? 



15. Does grain cnt in the milk yield whiter and 

 sweeter flour ? Has it as much substance an grain 

 cut later? 



16. What new crops are raised in your dis- 

 trict ? Is iiiddder, hemp, garden vegetables for 

 the market, corn lor sugar, or any other (leculiar 

 crop cuhivated by you, or within your observa- 

 tion ? By what means? What are the profits 

 and prospects ? 



17. Have experiments been made on tlie intro- 

 duction of any new substances ? 



18. What orchards iiave you, or are there any 

 in your district? How are tliey cultivated? With 

 what profits? 



19. Are any of the new and improved fruits 

 raised with you ? What means do you adopt to 

 destroy insects and caterpillars ? 



20. What natural manures are to be found near 

 you? Is peat, swam|i-mnck, green sand or shell- 

 marl, limestone, plaster of Paris, salt, &.C. ? At 

 what cost are lliey to be obtltined ? What is the 

 supply ? 



21. Are improved cattle, sheep and swine, 

 found in your neighborhood ? 



2°j. Is soiling praetice(i ? With what advant- 

 age and comparative cost ? 



23. What supply of milk do your cows, or 

 those ot improved breeds in your district yield ? 

 How much butter ? Wliat fodder is used ? 



24. Is cheese made in your county ? What 

 food is found best for such produce ? What is 

 the net profit on a given stock ? 



25. Have you read the recent books on farm- 

 ing ? 



26. IJow far, in your opinion, may accm-ate sci- 

 entific knov\'ledge form a basis for tanning? 



27. As far as your experience reaches, is there 

 not some change for the better wanted ? 



28. Do not those among you who read books, 

 and adopt the new plans, improve in their crops 

 and farm liianageiiient ? 



29. Are your neighbors and yourselves dis- 

 posed to leach your sons the new facts of fann- 

 ing? 



30. Are you willing to sustain agricultural 

 schools? 



P. S. — Please turn your attention especially to 

 questions 5, 10, II, 12, 13, 20. We are particu- 

 larly anxious 10 learn how far your neighbors ar« 

 alive to iuiproveinents, and ready to counteuanc* 

 them. 



Trial or Ploughs. — In a late number of the 

 Cultivator, we mentioned ih^it Mr. Column had 

 preaenteil to the Council Cif the Royal Ag. Socie- 

 ty, two American i^.ougha — on* of which was the 



