600 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



from turning under clover. The Germans in Seneca county, ttse 

 clover with great advantage. I do not think any county in the 

 State furnishes as much clover seed as Seneca county. Crops 

 are not improved for manure by passing through animals. 



Solon Robinson — The great question is not whether manure or 

 crops turned under will produce the best result, but which is the 

 most economical. And, in my opinion, that is a question that 

 very few farmers can answer. After all, adaptation must be 

 looked to, because what is adapted to one place is not to another. 

 My only object is to throw out suggestions. I wish those inter- 

 ested to think, not only how to keep their cultivated lands in 

 good heart, but how to renovate the old, worn out fields, and 

 make them fertile. 



Wm. Lawton — Most men cannot restore their worn out soils 

 by barn-yard manure, because they have not the barn-yard. 

 And if such soils are ever restored, it will be by growing some- 

 thing upon the ground to turn under, to fertilize the next crop. 

 There is no doubt about the economy of plowing in green crops 

 over that of feeding them. 



Horace Greeley — I do not feel satisfied at the reasons given. 

 I don't believe a man can turn under a clover crop near his barn 

 so profitably as to feed it to his cattle. I do not mean that 

 farmer who has not a proper barn-yard. If the manure is to be 

 scorched up and become leached, and the rich juices wasted, 

 such a fiirmer had better turn it under green. The question is, 

 whether you cannot feed a hundred dollars' worth of clover to 

 cattle, and get half the value of it back in manure. 



John G. Bergen — I have always found that plowing in clover 

 that had been fed off close, made the crops richer than by turning 

 in any other grass crop. The roots keep the soil light and rich. 

 Our best melon crops used always to be raised from such land, 

 that is, clover fields that had been pastured or mowed, or both. I 

 believe it is the roots more than the tops that add fertility to the soil. 



A large distribution of grafts and seeds received from the Pa- 

 tent office, was then made. 



Subject for the next meeting : " Cultivation of the strawberry and 

 other small fruits, and "The most economical manner of renovating 



worn out soils." Adjourned. 



JOHN W. CHAMBERS, Secretary. 



