136 



GENESEE FARMER. 



June, 



Agricultural Meeting in Homer. 



PKESEKTATION UF A SILVKH CUP ID MU. « O0L« OKTH. 



At a meeting of the farmers and citizens of 

 Homer, at the close of Mr. VVooLwor.Tn's course 

 of lectures on Agricultural Chemistry and Geol- 

 ogy, in March, it was resolved that, as a testimo- 

 ny of gratitude and esteem, thev present him 

 with a SILVER Clip. A committee, consisting of 

 Messrs. Paris Barber and George AV'. Cham- 

 berlain, was appointed to select and purchase 

 the cup. A committee was also appointed to 

 prepare resolutions expressive of the sentiments 

 of the meeting, consisting of Dr. E. Munger, 

 Mr. Amos Rice and Dr. C. Green. 



Pursuant to a call of the committees, the farm- 

 ers met in the Academy Hall, on the evening of 

 the 14th inst., Mr. Paris Barijer in the chair. — 

 There was ])resent a large and respectable audi- 

 ence of ladies and gentlemen. Tiie committee 

 on resolutions presented the following report : 



Whereas, S. R. Woolworth has, during tlie past win- 

 ter, given a course of lectures on Agricultural Chemistry 

 and Geology, in tlin lecture room of the Academy, and has 

 politely and g( iicrously given to the farmers and citizens in 

 the vicinity the )irivilcge of attending the course gratuitous- 

 ly ; au'l whereas we recognize in this first effort, in this 

 country, of imparting to the cultivators of the soil a knowl- 

 edge of Chemistry as applied to agriculture, an advance to- 

 wards that eminence to which we believe the farmers of 

 New York will ultimately arrive ; theretbre, 



1. Resolved, That we have been highly gratified in lis- 

 tening to this very able, lucid and practical course of lec- 

 tures . that we tiave felt ourselves instructed in the great 

 "art and mystery" of farming, and l:)elieve we may by 

 adopting the princif)les laid down by the lecturer prosecute 

 our high and noMe calling with a fairer prospect of success. 



2. That this effort of Mr. Wooi worth has not been that 

 of an nilceiiliirer, for knowing the practical bearings of the 

 principles of Agricultural Chimistry, he was willing to be- 

 come a laborious pioneer in the noble enlerprize of impart- 

 ing chemical and geological science to farmers, and that, 

 therefore, our gratitude is doubly due to him for this course 

 of lectures. 



3. That the clear and familiar manner in which these sub- 

 jects have been presented — rendering them readily under- 

 stood by those who had not hitherto attended to Chemistry 

 as a science — fully demonstrates the practicability and use- 

 fulness of such courses of lectures. 



4. Tlierefore that we earnestly recommend the institu- 

 tion of a siniilar course of lectures and instruction as that 

 given by Air. Woolworth in each of the various adademies 

 and high scliools of our State, believing most firmly that the 

 eflVct would be a most marked elevation of tjie condition of 

 farmers, both in |)oint of respectability and wealth. 



.I. Th it the o!)jections to '• book firming" cannot exist in 

 the iniuds of liiose who are nccjiiainted with the principles 

 of (-'hemisiry and Geology and their application to agricul- 

 ture. 



G. That, as !x testimonial of our gratitude and esteem, wo 

 present Mr. Wolworth with asir.vER cup, of which, though 

 it by no means measures the extent of our regard for him, 

 we beg his acceptance. 



provement in the next 25 years? Mr. Rice 

 having been selected by the committee to present 

 the CUP, closed his remarks by a neat and appro- 

 priate address to Mr. Woolworth, presenting 

 him a plain but elegent silver cup, bearing on it 

 an appropriate inscription. This was acknowl- 

 edged by Mr. Woolworth in a few chaste and 

 cogent remarks, stating among other things of 

 interest, that in the course of lectures alluded to, 

 he had presented only some of the leading prin- 

 ciplesof agricultural science, but that he designed, 

 at the next winter session of the Academy, to 

 enter more fully into the subject and present it 

 in a more extended manner. 



We trust that these laudable efforts of Mr. 

 Woolworth will be seconded by a full represent- 

 ation of farmer's sons in the Laboratory, and en- 

 couraged by the presence of the tillers of the soil 

 in the vicinity. 



A committee was appointed to prepare an ac- 

 count of these proceedings and secure its publi- 

 cation in the papers of the county and the agri- 

 cultural journals of the State. 



By order of the Committee, 

 Homer, April, 1846. C. Green, Ch'n. 



Cranberries. — This excellent fruit is very 

 productive, and may be successfully propagated 

 in fields and gardens, and indeed in any place 

 and situation almost, where the soil is moderately 

 humid and secure from the stultifying effects of 

 drought. The most successful methods of trans- 

 {)lanting the vines is to take them from the mead- 

 ow in large tufts, and set them in holes from 3 

 to 4 feet apart. Manure formed from mud or 

 muck from low humid places, and especially 

 from the meadow or bogs where the plants grow 

 sj)ontaneously, is the most salutary of any in its 

 effects, and is generally to be preferred because 

 easily obtained. The fruit of the Cranberry is 

 highly prized. In most markets it commands 

 readily from one to three dollars a bushel. — SeL 



The report was followed by a short but highly 

 interesting address by Mr. A. Rice, on the int- 

 provoments in agricultiiro within the last quarter 

 <'f a century. It was truly gratifying to listen to 

 his account of the rapid progress in every de- 

 partmcntof farmingwithin the last lOor 1.3 years, 

 and contrast it with the comparatively low condi- 

 tion in wliicli it existed thirty years ago. AVhat 

 may we not expect, with the present ratio of im- 



Mahogany Stain for Wood. — 1. Linseed 

 oil, 2 pounds ; alkanet, 3 ounces. Heat them 

 together and macerate for six hours, then add 

 resin, 2 ounces ; bees' w^ax 2 ounces. Boiled 

 oil may be advantageously used instead of the 

 linseed oil. 



2. Brazil wood (ground;) water sufficient; 

 add a little alum and potash. Boil. 



3. Logwood, 1 part ; water, 8 parts. Make 

 a decoction and apply it to the wood ; when dry, 

 give it two or three coats of the following var- 

 nish ; Dragon's-blood, 1 part ; spirits of wine 

 20 parts. Mix. 



Mahogany Varnish. — Dark gum anime, 32 

 parts; dark oil, 100 parts; lithare, 1 part; su- 

 gar of lead, I part. Boil until stringy, then add, 

 when cooled a little, spirits of turpentine, 175 

 parts. Mix, and strain well, j " '• 



