1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



125 



Cook, Esq., in 1835. He labored zealously for the 

 interest of the Society, and aided in placing it in the 

 prominent position it now holds. He was an ex- 

 cellent cultivator, and produced many fine specimens 

 of fruit from his garden. He also contributed to 

 the columns of the old J^ew England Farmer, and 

 our Magazine. His article upon the Strawberry, in 

 our volume for 1836, is one of the best we have ever 

 published on the growth of this fruit. Of late years 

 he lost all interest in horticultural pursuits, and 

 rarely if ever attended the meetings of the Society. 

 Though absent for so long a period from his old 

 associates and friends, his memory will be cherished 

 and his death lamented. — Hovey's Magazine. 



UNITED STATES AGRICULTUEAL SO- 

 CIETY. 



Mr. French's letter in another column closed 

 with a portion of the proceedings of the second 

 day. We continue the account from the report of 

 the Boston Journal, with a list of the officers elec- 

 ted for the ensuing year, as follows : — 



President — Hon. Marshall P, Wilder, of Mass. 



Vice Presidents— Messrs. J. D. Lang. Maine ; Henry P. 

 French, N. H. ; Frederick Holbrook, Vt. ; Simon Brown, 

 Mass. ; Ex-Gov Thurston, R. I. ; Nathaniel B. Smith, Conn. ; 

 H. Wager, N. Y. ; W. P. Robeson, New Jersey ; David Lan- 

 dreth, Penn. ; John Jones, Del. ; Anthony Kimmel, Md. ; G. 

 W. P. Custis, Va. ; Henry K. Burgyron, N. C ; F. W. Alston, 

 S. C. ; Richard Peters, Geo. ; C. C. Clay, Jr., Ala. ; M. W. 

 Phillips, Miss. ; Robert W. Williams, La. ; J. T. Wellington, 

 Ohio; W. L. Underwood, Ky. ; John Bell, Tenn. ; D. P. Hol- 

 loway, Indiana ; J- A. Kinnicott, lUiaoia ; Thomas Allen, 

 Missouri; A. B. Greenwood, Arkansas; Michael Shoemaker, 

 Mich.; D. L. Yulee, Florida; T. J. Rusk, Texas; J. W. 

 Grimes, Iowa; D. Wells, Iowa; A. C.Bradford, California; 

 W. W. Corcoran, D. C; Manuel A. Oters, New Mexico ; H. 

 M. Rice, Minnesota ; J. H. Lane, Oregon ; P. Anderson, Wash- 

 ington Territory; John M. Bernhisel, Utah; Bird B. Chap- 

 man, Nebraska ; Gov. Geary, Kansas. 



Excciiiire Committee — Gov. John A. King, New York ; Hon. 

 Gibson Mallory, Kentucky ; A. L. Elwyn, M. D., Pennsylva- 

 nia ; D. J. Browne, Esq., District of Columbia ; Edward 

 Hobbs, Esq., Kentucky ; Hon. Frederick Smyth, New Hamp- 

 shire ; A. C. Stevenson, M. D., Indiana. 



Treasurer— Son. B. B. French, D. C. 



Secretary — Ben. Perley Poore, Mass. 



This ticket was unanimously elected, and Col. 

 Wilder, on accepting the Chair, made a neat 

 speech, which was received with repeated rounds 

 of applause. 



The report of the committee appointed to select 

 a location for the next exhibition, fixing upon Lou- 

 isville, Ky.jWas unanimously adopted. 



Judge Underwood, M. C, offered resolutions ad- 

 vocating the purchase of Mount Vernon, for the es- 

 tablishment of a National Agricultural College, 

 which were discussed by a large number of gentle- 

 men heartily approving of it. They were some- 

 what amended, and then unanimously passed : — 



Resolved— ThAt, in the opinion of the United States Agricul- 

 tural Society there is an eminent fitness in procuring for, and 

 dedicating to, the cause of Agriculture the home of the Father 

 of his Country. 



llosoh-ed — That a committee of three members be appointed 

 by the President to communicate with the proprietor of Mount 

 Vernon, and to ascertain upon what terms that estate can be 

 procured, in order to be exclusively dedicated to the cause of 

 Agriculture ; and that said committee having so done, be, and 

 they are hereby further instructed, to memorialize Congress on 

 the subject of purchasing it for the object aforesaid, and by 

 suitable rules and regulations to establish there a national in- 

 stitution for the promotion of Agriculture. 



Judge UnderAvood, George Washington Parke 

 Custis, Hon. S. P. Benson, of Maine, were appoint- 

 ed to carry out the above resolutions. 



Mr. Calvert endeavored to carry a resolution 

 pledging the members not to vote for any Con- 



tgressional candidate not in favor of the purchase of 

 I Mount Vernon, but Judge French, of N. H., and 

 Ex-Governor Lawrence, of Rhode Island, protested 

 eloquently against such a measure, as calculated to 

 mingle agriculture with politics. The resolution 

 was lost. 



Prof. Fowler, of ^Mass., offered the following 

 resolution, with some appropriate remarks : — 



i?Mo/red— That the Hon. H. F. French, Vice President of 

 this society from New Hampshire, be furnished with a circu- 

 lar letter, commending him to the kind attention of agricul- 

 turists in other lands, as a gentleman whose position at home 

 entitles him to the esteem of all who promote the great cause 

 of agriculture — a cause which has well been raid to ''know no 

 limit of bi-otherhood narrower than those of civilization." — 

 (Adopted.) 



W. G. Lewis, from the committee appointed to 

 take into consideration the recommendation of the 

 Commissioner of Patents, in relation to obtaining 

 correct statistics throughout the country, stated 

 that they have attended to the duty assigned them, 

 and beg leave to make the following report : — 



"The want of accurate statistics and reliable information 

 as to the true resources of our immense country has always 

 been felt, and will be so until some definite plan is devised 

 whereby such information can be obtained. An actually cor 

 rect return is not expected at first, but if an approximate on. 

 can be obtained from year to year, the average ascertained 

 would prove of much value to all, particularly to the agricul ■ 

 turist. 



"The merchant or dealer in any article of trafiic, whether, 

 pork, cotton, wheat, wool or tobacco, may have an object to 

 disguise the real quantity of the merchandise he deals in, 

 whether raised, exported or consumed, and often the unprin- 

 cipled speculator will cause such quantities and prices to ap- 

 pear in the market as will mislead the public and suit his pur 

 pose, the ill effects of which no class in the community expei'i- 

 ences more than the producer. 



"Not so with the Agriculturist. Any one can tell pretty 

 nearly what he raises, or stock he has on hand at a given 

 time ; and if the schedule proposed by the Commissioner is 

 presented annually by the assessors in each town throughout 

 the country, (as it is already done in several of the States) 

 more reliable information will be obtained annually than from 

 any other source. 



"We trust that the Governors of the several States and Ter- 

 ritories, (where it is not already done) will recommend the ta- 

 ble hereto annexed, to be adopted by their several Legisla- 

 tures, and co-operate with the General Government in carry- 

 ing out this noble object, by annually forwarding copies of 

 their returns to the Patent office where the whole may be pro- 

 perly arranged and presented to the public in an annual Re- 

 port." 



Mr. Lewis submitted the following resolutions, 



which were passed : — 



Hesolred — That the United States Agricultural Society cor- 

 dially approve of the recommendation of the Commissioner on 

 Patents in relation to obtaining accurate statistics of the sta- 

 ple productions of the United States. 



Mesohed — That we recommend the Governors of the several 

 States and Territories to adopt the plan proposed, or take 

 such action in the premises as they may deem expedient in re- 

 lation thereto. 



Hesolred — That this society transmit a copy of these resolu- 

 tions to the Governors of the several States and Territories. 



The culture of the Chinese sugar-cane was then 

 ably discussed by D. J. Browne, Esq., (of the Pa- 

 tent Office,) Dr. Clemson, (son-in-law of J. C. Cal- 

 houn, a distinguished chemist,) Professor Nash, (of 

 the Ploio, Loom and Anvil,) Mr. Prince, (the Long 

 Island Horticulturist,) H. S. Olcott, (N. Y. Farm 

 School,) Farmer Jones, of Maryland, Dr. Higgins, 

 of Maryland, George E. Waring, Jr., of New York, 

 and other eminent agriculturists. It would require 

 columns of the Journal to give even a synopsis of 

 this discussion, which was continued during three 

 hours, and in which much scl'^ntific and practical 

 knowledge was displayed. The conclusions ar- 

 rived at wei'e generally favored to the introduction 

 of this newly acquired plant — valauble for fodder 

 or for syrup, altliough the practicability of making 

 sugar from it in Northern latitudes may be ques- 

 tioned. 



