1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



175 



to visit the office of the Coast Survey and the ag- 

 ricultural room at the Patent Office were also ac- 

 cepted. 



After some remarks by Mr. Custis, giving his 

 experience in growing wheat in Virginia, the 

 society adjourned until 7 o'clock, when the Hon. 

 G. P. Marsh had been invited to address them on 

 the Rural Economy of Continental Europe. 



The lecture was listened to with great interest, 

 embodying, as it did, a great amount of original 

 information, and its publication will constitute a 

 valuable addition to agricultural literature. 



Dr. Warder followed, with an eloquent lecture 

 on hedges, replete with practical information. 



Friday Morning, March 2. 



The society met at 10 o'clock, and passed an 

 hour in familiar conversation on agricultural sub- 

 jects. 



After a discussion on the appointment of Com- 

 missioners to the Industrial Exhibition at Paris, 

 the matter was referred to the Executive Com- 

 mittee. 



On motion of Mr. Poore, of Massachusetts, it 

 was unanimously 



Resolved, that tlie thanks of the United States 

 Agricultural Society be presented to the Regents 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, for the facilities 

 afforded for liolding this session. The utility of 

 this Institution, in thus serving as a nucleus, 

 around which all useful associations can rally, at 

 the capital of our Republic, shows the wisdom 

 of the course pursued by the present Regents. 



Col. Kimmel, of Maryland, read a curious ex- 

 tract from the Maryland Gazette, of September 8, 

 1748, showing that "cattle shows" were estab- 

 lished at Baltimore in that year. 



On motion of Mr. Waters, of Massachusetts, it 

 was unanimously 



Resolved, that the thanks of this society be 



Eroffered to Hon. Geo. P. Marsh, for the very 

 eautifully written and exceedingly interesting lec- 

 ture he was so good as to present to us last even- 

 ing, and that Professor Henry be requested to 

 wait on him and request a copy for publication. 



On motion of Col. Calvert, of Maryland, it was 

 unanimously 



Resolved, that the thanks of this society be 

 presented to Dr. ^Varder, for his interesting 

 lecture on tlie cultivation of hedges, and that he 

 be requested to present a copy of the same for 

 publication in the transactions of the society. 



At eleven o'clock, in accordance with their ac- 

 ceptance of the invitation, the society adjourned 

 to visit the exhibition of the "Metropolitian Me- 

 chanic's Institute." 

 _ After visiting the Exhiljition yesterday, the so- 

 ciety returned to the "East Room," and, on mo- 

 tion of Mr. King, of New York, it was 



Resolved, that tlie thanks of the society be pre- 

 sented to the officers of the Metropolitian Mechan- 

 ics' Institute, for their polite invitation to attend 

 their exhibition, which they have visited and 

 examined with great pleasure. 



After some debate, in which a strong desire 

 for concerted action on the part of American Ag- 

 riculturists was manifested, it was, on motion of 

 Col. Calvert, of Maryland, 



Rcsolvid, Thiii the first Friday after the next 

 . annual meeting of this society, be fixed for the as- 

 sembling of the Agricultural Convention, and that 



the press bo requested to urge the importance of 

 the subject. 



Resolutions were passed complimenting the ag- 

 ricultural press, and urging its conductors to con- 

 sider political economy, and urge united action on 

 such matters connected with it as their judgment 

 may suggest. 



On motion of Mr. Taylor, it was 



Resolved, That the thanks of the National Ag- 

 ricultural Society be tendered to the Hon. Mr. 

 ^Morton, of the United States Senate, for his able 

 report upon the subject of an Agricultural Depart- 

 ment. 



Resolutions were passed complimentary to Pres- 

 ident Wilder ; to the Regents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution ; to Lieut. Maury, (for an invitation 

 to visit the Observatory;) to Mr. King, the Sec- 

 retary of the society ; and to Mr. Poore, of the 

 executive committee. 



Adjourning, after three days session, in which 

 agriculturalists from twenty-six States partici- 

 pated with great harmony of feeling, the mem- 

 bers of the society felt encouraged by this renewed 

 and increased manifestation of the ffreat interest of 

 the Republic to assert its position. 



In the evening many of the officers and members 

 called upon Mr. Clayton, to tliank him for hia 

 speech of the previous evening. 



For the I^'eiv England Farmer. 



PRUNING TREES, AND SUN-SCALD. 



Mr. Brown : — In your paper of Feb. 24th, I 

 notice a communication over the signature of S. 

 A. Shurtleff, in which he concludes as follows,viz. : 



"All trees should be so trimmed and trained 

 as to allow teams to pass under them, and also to 

 prevent cattle from browsing the limbs." 



I am aware, sir, this was the practice in the 

 early settlement of New England, and the prac- 

 tice was handed down from father to son to the 

 beginning of the present century, and by some to 

 a still later period. 



But I am not aware that this sentiment now 

 prevails, and is acted on, by our best informed 

 cultivators of fruits ; but on the contrary I have 

 been led to suppose that the practice is now con- 

 sidered injudicious, and is abandoned by our best 

 pomologists in the United States. 



It is well known that the rays of the sun in 

 this country are far more powerful and scorch- 

 ing than in Europe, more especially in England. 

 Here the trunks of our fruit trees need protec- 

 tion by the sliade of the l)ranchcs and their foli- 

 age, otherwise they will be seriously injured by 

 the sun-scald. The bad effects may readily be 

 seen in all fruit trees, but more particularly in 

 the pear and cherry, when they liave l)een so se- 

 verely, and I believe I may add, cruelly pruned, 

 that they resemble a long-handled corn broom 

 stuck into the ground. The trunks of trees so 

 treated, are sure to suffer severely, unless they 

 arc shadtKl by wreaths of liay, boards, or some- 

 thing suitable to protect them from the intense 

 heat of the sun. 



Tiiere are other reasons wliicli may bo urged 

 against severe pruning. Trees will not, and they 

 cannot l)e so productive, when the l>ranche8 arc 

 severed from tlieir trunks for S or 10 feet from 

 the grouncL Is not the fruit of the lower bran- 

 dies of the tree of a very chuico variety, of more 



