354 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



the great object of the Improved system of agriculture, is not mere- 

 ly to enable the farmer to produce more, for that he may learn 

 from the fancy cultivator, with his expenses, appliances, and care- 

 lessness of economy— but to enable him to produce, and by that 

 production to make money. That system of agriculture, there* 

 fore, is best, which enables the farmer, on a given amount of capi- 

 tal, to produce the greatest amount of profit. Profit, then, in 

 agriculture, is the grand test of perfection ; and these objects the i 

 American Agricultural Society propose, not only most fully, but 

 only to obtain by the union of scientific knowledge with good pro- 

 ductive husbandry. To ensure this union, and its legitimate re- 

 sults, is the great object of this association. But I may here be 

 asked, perhaps, where is the necessity of a new agricultural Asso- 

 ciation ? Have we not already sufficient number of institutions 

 for the proinotion of this object? Have we not, even in our 

 midst, the American Institute with its agricultural department 1 

 In answer to this I would remark here, in the first place, that, as 

 regards the American Institute, I never can, here or elsewherCj 

 speak of that noble and patriotic institution but in terms of the 

 warmest respect and regard ; and as a citizen of the United States, 

 I am happy to avail myself of this occasion to express my acknow- 

 ledgments for the great good they have already accomplished, 

 and, I trust, the greater good they are yet destined to achieve. 

 But with objects so numerous and extended, the American Insti-J 

 tute cannot give agriculture that attention it demands. Mr. Bra- 

 dish concluded in a few words, illustrative of the wide field there 

 was for the co-operation of their new association to promote the< 

 end proposed. 



Mr. Meigs returned thanks for the complimentary allusion oi 

 the President, to the American Institute, and expressed himseli 

 delighted to see the formation of the new Association in a cause 

 dear to him and all true friends of the country ; after which. 



The Secretary read the minutes of the last meeting, held on 

 January 22d, which were adopted. 



A report from the Visiting Committee having been read, ano- 

 ther of a more important character, from the Executive Committee, 

 was introduced by the Secretary. Accompanying the report, was 

 a draft of the constitution and by-laws of the Association, which 

 the Executive Committee submitted for the approval of the meet- 

 ing. They were unanimously adopted, after a few alterations 

 suggested by Professor Mason and Dr. Stevens, one of which made 

 the President and Secretaries ex-oflficio members of the Executive 

 Committee, to which the constitution assigned the power of dis- 

 posing of the unappropriated funds of the Society. 



W. A. Seeley, Esq. read an admirable and elaborate paper to 

 the Society upon Organic and Agricultural Chemistry, in which 



