NEW-YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 457 



the field be very bad farmers. Such was Mr. Jefferson — such Judge Peters — the 

 worst of all farmers, and yet they did more for the Cause than a thousand mere 

 ■winners of prizes for fat hogs and big crops. Moreover, though the office should 

 warrant the presumption of excellence, it yet more certainly should warrant an 

 absence of all care about petty prizes, at least, for that particular occasion. 



On the point of selecting Judges, for practical knowledge, impartiality and 

 zeal, too much care cannot be exercised if we would maintain public confidence 

 unimpaired. The following, which seems to us to be a judicious regulation, was 

 lately adopted unanimously by a distinguished Agricultural Society in England — 

 if it be not evidence of bad judgment as well as taste, to refer any longer to any- 

 thing English ; but this, at least, is a case not liable to the influence of Govern- 

 ment- or climate. On the score of politics, there is this to be said against it : it 

 was moved, as we now see, by a Lord! But some of the most zealous and pow- 

 erful friends of agricultural advancement, within our observation of thirty years, 

 have been great Lords, and great scholars, and great statesmen, and officers of 

 the Navy. Some of these days we will give a list of them. 



Appointment of Judges. — On tlie motion of Lord Portman, seconded by Mr. Shelley, 

 the following Resolution was carried unanimously : " That any member of the Society 

 who nominates a Judge be requested to certify that of his own personal knowledge he 

 knows him to be qualified and willing to act as a Judge for whatever classes he may be 

 proposed to be appointed ; and who is unconnected with any exhibitor of stock or maker 

 of implements, and has no direct personal interest in the stock exhibited as the breeder of 

 any particular animals on which he might be called upon to adjudicate : That the list of 

 names so proposed (stating by whom proposed) be, as heretofore, referred to the Committee 

 of the Council, whereof the Stewards of the Yard of the year preceding be ex-officio mem- 

 bers : That in case a sufficient number of competent persons is not proposed, the Commit- 

 tee are ordered to add the names of such other persons as they may know to be competent 

 and willing to act." 



To proceed with the Annual Meeting at Albany : 



Four o'' clock P. M. — Mr. Angel, from the Committee appointed for the purpose, reported 

 the following list of Officers for the ensuing year : 



For Presid(mt—LY.\V\9 F. ALLEN, of Erie. 



Vice-Presidents — 1st District, Ambrose Stevens ; 2d, John A. King, of Queens; 3d, E. P. Pkentice, of 

 Albany ; 4lh, Samuel Cheever, of Saratoga ; 5th, George Geddes, of Onondaga ; 6th, George W. 

 BiTCK, of Chemung ; 7th, Au-en Ayrault, of Livingston ; 8th, James C. Ferris of Wyoming. 



Recording Secretary — Benjamin P. Johnson, of Albany. 



Corresponding Secretary — Ebenezer Emmons, of Albany. 



Treasurer — John McD. McIntyre, of Albany. 



Executive Committee — Luther Tucker, of Albany ; John J. Viele, of Rensselaer ; Joel Rathbone, of 

 Albany ; John T. Bush, of Erie ; Theodore C. Peters, of Genesee. 



The Committee also recommended, unanimously, that Buffalo be the place for holding 

 the next Annual Fair. 



The Report was accepted, and the persons named elected. — Adjourned to 7 o'clock P. M. 



At 7 o'clock P. M. the Society convened at the Assembly Chamber to hear an Address 

 by Prof J. P. Norton, of Yale College. Mr. N. gave an admirable exposition of the con- 

 nection of Science with practical Agriculture. His illusrrations were numerous, and of so 

 plain and simple a character as to be at once understood. He was listened to for upward 

 cf an hour by a very large audience, whose satisfaction was evinced by the most profound 

 attention. 



On motion of Mr. J. A. King, it was Resolved, That the thanks of this Society be pre- 

 sented to Prof. Norton for his able and scientific Address, and that he be requested to fur- 

 nish a copy of it for publication. 



The preceding, as well as what follows, we take from that excellent old friend 

 of the farmer, the Albany Cultivator — reserving for our next, some addition to 

 these hasty remarks. In the mean time, we cannot but wish we could command 

 the potential voices of this State Society, and that of our worthy colleague above 

 mentioned, to demand from Government, for agricultural instruction throughout 

 the Union, even one out of the many millions which the landed interest now 

 pays for instruction and preparation for War. If, say men in authority, their own 

 organs are dumb, are we not bound to infer indifference? If, say the farmers 



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