58 



GENESEE FARMER. 



April, 1845 



recommended that a premium of $15 be awarded to 

 M'-. E. J. Ayres of Tompkins, provided he furnish- 

 ed certain farther particular.-, which, Mr. Ayres hav- 

 ing furnished, a premium of $'\5 dollars was voted 

 him on his wheat crop, amounting to 114 busi'iels 

 and 58 lbs. on two acres. 



Mr. Beekman presented the Annual Report of 

 the American Institute, which was referred to the 

 committee of publication. 



Messrs. Walsh, Lenox and Prentice, were ap- 

 pointed a committee on the Library. 



The discussion and arrangement of the List of 

 Premiums occupied most of the afternoon, and not 

 being completed, the Board adjourned" to meet again 

 on tho 15th. 



Feb. 15th. — The President in the chair. Present 

 — Messrs. Vail, Hillhouse, M'Intyre, Lee, Enos, 

 and Tucker. 



The premium List was taken up, and after a few 

 trifling additions, was ordered to be published. 



The Board then proceeded to the appointment of 

 County Corresponding Committees in each County. 

 (We are obliged to defer the publication of this list 

 of committoes till our next.) 



A resolution was adopted, directing the Corres- 

 ponding Secretary to open a correspondence with 

 the County Committees, Superintendents of Com- 

 mon Schools, and others, for the purpose of further- 

 ing the objects of the Society, and especially the in- 

 troduction of the study of the principles of Agricul- 

 ture into our Schools and Academies. 



Messrs. Tucker, Beekman and Lee, were ap- 

 pointed a committee of publication. 



After the transaction of a variety of other busi- 

 ness, the Executive Committee adjourned to meet 

 again on the Second Thursday of March. 



A room has been fitted up in the old State Hall, 

 rxcl'isivcly for the use of the State Society, where 

 t'v meetings will hereafter be held. Entrance on 

 Lodge, corner of State-street. 



Payment of Premiums. 



All money premiums awarded by the Society, may 

 be obtained on application to Thomas Hillhouse, 

 Treasurer, or to Luther Tucb:er, Rec. Secretary, 

 Albany. 



fl;;^ All premiums not demanded within four 

 months after the award, will be considered as dona- 

 tions to the Society. 



(\j^ The List of Premium.s offered by the State 

 Society, will be published in our next. 



CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS. 



Mr. Editor, — The benefits derived from congre- 

 gation, organization, and combination, to all sects, 

 trades, and professions, are no where more palpably 

 evident than in the association of farmers into town 

 or district clubs, and county and state societies for 

 mutual instruction and information, and the exhibi- 

 tion of excellent specimens of the animal and vege- 

 table kingdoms. 



No one of our species is so learned, so all-wise, 

 and experienced, that he cannot learn something 

 from the commonest and most weak capacity. By 

 association, wc compare opinions — give and take in- 

 formation on the subjects most important to our av- 

 ocations, and observe the productions of nature and 

 art spread out before us like the grouping of a pic- 

 ture ; where an opportunity is presented to observe, 

 compare, and treasure up facts, that no amount of 

 expense and personal exertions, consistent with our 

 ability, could procure for us. 



There could be no greater benefit conferred upon 

 a farming community, for the improvement of their 

 minds and profes^^ions, than the institution of town 

 or district societies or clubs. If they even did not 

 have a town fair or public show, yet to have regular 

 evening conversations properly organized, and sub- 

 jects for discussion and elucidation propounded pre- 

 vious to each meeting, so that all could prepare 

 themselves to participate in the subjects brought be- 

 fore the society, would be the means whereby mutu- 

 al benefits would be derived, by condensing and col- 

 lecting all the knowledge possessed by the 

 members. 



The same advantages are derived from county so- 

 cieties, though not in as familiar and direct a man- 

 ner, as all cannot participate in that free and friendly 

 manner that smaller associations render available ; 

 yet the agricultural press, with its thousand wings, 

 sends forth all the facts and circumstances attending 

 the exhibition and the description of articles and 

 crops brought together for the view of the society, 

 and every process attending the operation of produ- 

 cing them. The Danish proverb says, " No one body 

 knows every thing, bnt every bodi/ does know every 

 ihing.^^ Then if evrry body is willing to communi- 

 cate their knowledge through the medium of the 

 press, any body may, with the most trifling expense, 

 and application, become almost as wise as every 

 body. 



The prejudice existing ar^ainst acquiring agricul- 

 tural information in the same manner that we acquire 

 the knowledge of history, geography, or even the 

 proofs and evidence of that faith that is within us — 

 is most preposterous. It is too late in the day to 

 undervalue the great lights that shine through the 

 medium of the agricultural press, in which are en- 

 gaged inany of the greatest geniuses of the age, elu- 

 cidating that great and noble art, and dispersing their 

 knowledge and discoveries so freely and plainly, 

 that he that runs can read, and he that reads can un- 

 derstand. 



None but the selfish and overwise can undervalue 

 the information that may be obtained by the study of 

 well-written essays from the pens of well-informed 

 and practical men ; especiallj^ as every one has the 

 liberty of retaining or rejecting any views not coin- 

 ciding wit/i his own reason and experience. L. A. 



LIQUID MANURES. 



Mr. Editor, — Having for years past — so far as 

 your paper, the " Genesee Farmer," is concerned, at 

 least — acted upon the principle of receiving, conclu- 

 ded to change the modvs operandi ; that is to say, 

 give a little, as well as receive a good deal : for that 

 charity which begins at home, and ends there, does 

 not deserve the name. But lest your anticipations 

 should be raised too high by this overwhelming burst 

 of benevolence on my part, to enlighten my brother 

 farmers, I would say — be moderate in your expecta- 

 tions ; for I promise you not to let the whole of my 

 experience, as a practical plow-jogger, run through 

 the hole of one small sheet. But lest your patience 

 be tried by a long introduction, will therefore come 

 to the point which first prompted me to make this 

 effort ; for I am no speech-maker, nor writer of 

 essays. 



I have long been aware of the importance of ma- 

 nure, as a fertilizer : and the farmer who hopes to 

 succeed witliout it, has made a sad mistake at the 

 threshold of his operations. And farther, the farm- 

 er who does not make it a rule to increase this indis- 



