292 I Assembly 



The club passed a resolution thanking the Hon. Nathan Burchard 

 far his exertions in behalf of the proposed agricultural college. 



Charles Henry Hall. — 1 was at Albany last week and I proposed 

 that instead of an agricultural college and farm here, there should be 

 four. One for each grand divison of our State. 



Mr. Wakeman. — Mr. Skinner now sajs appeal to Congress for 

 aid to your agriculture ! why, sir, must I repeat if, we have done so 

 for four years past and we have w'ritten and printed and distributed 

 appeals to Congress on this matter in quantity equal to volumes. 

 We have called up the spirit of Washington on these occasions. 

 Sir, what we have done, has its effect to some degree, and will ulti- 

 mately prevail On this subject of draining I must say, that we 

 cannot except in very peculiar localities, go to the expense of drain- 

 ing after the modes recommended by Von Thaer, Stephens or any 

 other foreign writers. Nor, (such is the difference of climate, 

 of circumstances,) v.-ould these modes be at all suitable to us, 

 ask farmers? Mr. Skinner has said, that our rule not to decide agri- 

 cultural questions in this club, but to collect facts for the people to 

 decide, was not observed when we lately passed an unanimous vote 

 of thanks to the Hon. Mr. Burchard. Pray, sir, let me ask, how is 

 2l vote of thanks to any man, to be considered as deciding a disputed 

 point in the art of agriculture ? Mr. Skinner wants to know whether 

 there were six — yes, sir, or even three farmers present at the adop- 

 tion of that resolution. 



Yes, sir, four-fifths of all the members, who attend our clubs, are 

 gardeners, farmers, or citizens having a direct interest in agriculture, 

 and many of them of far greater practical knowledgeof farming than 

 Mr. Skinner supposes. The chairman Mr. Van Winkle of Bergen 

 has been a farmer and an excellent one, from youth to age. I 

 counted here to day over sixty persons in attendance and I repeat it^ 

 four-fifths of them are gardeners, farmers or deeply concerned in ag- 

 riculture probably about the same number when the resolution referr- 

 ed to passed. 



Judge Van Wyck moved an adjournment for one week to pursue 

 the subject, and distribute seeds and grafts. 



Mr. Wakeraan seconds that motion. Carried unanimously. 



