No. 244.] 2^ 



Mr. Williamson — I think with Mr. Skinner that the club is 

 wrong in not taking up the subjects proposed for discussion. 



Dr. Underbill. — I think that the subject advertised for discussion 

 should be taken up, to the exclusion of miscellaneous matter. There 

 are differences of opinion as to the agricultural college and the teach- 

 ing of agriculture in common schools. I want both! Let not mo- 

 tives be questioned. As to the difference of climate, let me observe, 

 that if we planted here our plants, shrubbery and trees as they do 

 in En<rland, our summers and winters would either burn or freeze 

 them to death. It is fatal to follow implicitly, the English rules in 

 our climate. Disgust has been produced in the minds of thousands 

 of our farmers by the failure which they have sustained here in at- 

 tempting to follow some of the English rules of agriculture. 



Mr. Wakeman. — The remarks of Mr. Williamson on the necessity 

 and propriety of excluding miscellaneous communications in favor of 

 the stated subject of discussion are apparently just, but in practice 

 how is it? Those who might most ably speak on the subject are 

 frequently not at the club at the time. We publish the question in 

 hopes to bring out those best qualified to enlighten us, but they do 

 not always come, and again when the miscellaneous collections are 

 presented, the club can, if it pleases, at once lay them on the table, 

 in order to take up the published question, but the club often finds 

 such communications more immediately interesting, and they do defer 

 therefore, the regular question. And we do not want long set lec- 

 tures. We wish for a conversation, a brief exchange of ideas. 

 This course is desultory, but it has hitherto been an acceptable one. 

 As to the library of the institute, we wish it was larger, but as it is, 

 it contains several thousands volumes of as practical and useful 

 books as are to be found in almost any public library. And it is 

 open to all, gratis, from morning until night. Good scholars think 

 it a valuable library. We invite all the farmers to come aud exam- 

 ine it. 



The Chairman. The subject proposed for the day ought always to 

 betaken up, and whenever I have occupied this chair, I have always 

 called the attention of the members of the club to it, after the regu- 

 lar hours for miscellaneous matter has expired. 



Dr. Underbill. — The miscellaneous subjects frequently prove so 

 interesting that perhaps we lose sight of the regular one occasionally. 



