36 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



TO FARMERS' CLUBS. 



A WORD FUOM THE EDITOR OF THE FARMERS' LIBRARY. 



We respectfully recommend that with your monthly meetings for oral discussions you 

 connect the establishment of small libraries of choice books, of which, if requested, we shall 

 be happy to furnish a catalogue according to our best judgment. Of course we should 

 recommend subscription to all the agricultural jouraals, as they would amount to almost 

 nothing. But as most of them ti'eat almost altogether only of practical Agriculture, we 

 would suggest works that are not embraced in them, and that treat of the Natural History 

 and Physiolog)' of trees, plants, birds, animals, fishes — in short, of the various forms of 

 animal and vegetable life with wliich the famier is in contact or sun-ounded, and of which 

 it is almost disgracefial for coimtry gentlemen to be entirely ignorant. Now as we know 

 the inertness which belongs to people of certain habits of life, and how much they require, 

 not only to have the food provided for them, but almost to be fed, we will annex a rough 

 draft of Rules for the government of such a Book Society. What a fine example it would 

 be for fathers to set to their sons .' Take these Rules, for instance ; they may be modified at 

 pleasm-e : 



FARMERS' BOOK SOCIETY, WILMINGTON. 



RULES. j all books shall be returned to the Librarian on 



L Doctor J. W. Thomso.v to be Chairman ; | or before 7 o'clock in the evening of each 



, Treasurer ; , Secretary ; , Libra- | monthly meeting ; and any member keeping a 



rian. j book over the time shall pay a fine of sixpence 



II. The annual subscription of each member per day for every day the book shall be so kept, 

 shall be $1, together with an admi.ssion fee of | And if the book shall be lost, torn, or materially 

 50 cents, the first subscription to be paid imme- I injured, the member shall make good the same, 

 diately on the commencement of the Society, i VI. Any member may be allowed to transfer 

 and that of each succeeding year, together with a book to another member at any time between 



all fines, at the annual meeting in ; and if i the monthly meetings, and the member to whom 



the same be not paid before the monthly meet- j such book may have been transferred shall alone 



ing in , the defaulting member shall be con- I be responsible for the due return of tlie same in 



sidered as having withdrawn from the Society, I proper condition, and shall be liable to all fines 

 and shall forfeit all farther right and interest in which may accrue should the book be kept be- 



the books 



III. The members shall meet at , on the 



first in every month, (excepting the month 



of , when the annual meeting will be held,) 



at the hour of seven in the evening ; and busi- 

 ness shall be commenced at a quarter past V, by 

 whoever members there are present. 



IV. Each member shall be entitled to pro- 

 pose a book ; but no book shall be purchased un- 

 less it be approved of by two-thirds of the mem- 



yond tlie prescribed time — bitt no book may on 

 any account be lent to a non-subscriber. 



VII. An annual meeting shall be held in , 



when the members present shall vote such of 

 their books as they may see fit into their stand- 

 ing library, and the remainder shall be sold for 

 the benefit of the Society ; and on this day the 

 business shall commence with reading the rules 

 of the Society ; and on this day the business 

 shall commence with reading the Rules of the 



bers present. No member to propose a book Society, so that any alterauons deemed neces- 

 of a price exceeding his annual subscription ; sary may be made therein ; but no alterations 

 but two or more members may join in proposing may be made at any other meeting, 

 a book of a price equal to the amount of their VIII. Any person wishing to become a mem- 

 united sub.scripdons. The proposer or propo- j ber must be nominated by a member at one 

 sers of a book shall be entided to the first pe- | monthly meeting, and be balloted for at the next, 

 rusal of die same, and as soon as returned it ! The approbation of two-ddrds to consdtute an 

 shall be circulated in an order settled by lot. If election. Each new member to pay the ad- 

 any member neglects to name a book within mission fee of 50 cents besides the annual sub- 

 three months from the annual day of meeting, scription. 



hie right of naming one shall merge into that of I IX. A book shall be kept by the Secretary 

 tlie members at large. with die accounts of the Society, which shall 



V. No member shall be allowed more than be open to the inspection of the members at 

 one volume at a time during the first year ; and 1 their meeungs. 



Let the above, with such modifications as may be thought best, be printed and posted, or 

 written in a small book that will cost 25 cents or less. ^Mien a dozen have signed, let them 

 have a meeting and organize at once. Above all, don't talk and talk about it, and say it 

 would be a good thing— but do it ! What would I)e the state of societj' and the world, were 

 they made up of only that numerous class of men who ever have a great mind to do so and so ? 

 (64) 



