638 TllANSACTIOXS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



are destined to control the agricultural press of our country. Farm- 

 ers want facts. They have been treated to a liberal supply of rheto- 

 ric. The million want and will have agricultural and horticultural 

 matter to read. The man who does not read one or more first class 

 agricultural papers, and aim to make his system of management coin- 

 cide with the teachings of agricultural science, is now looked upon as 

 an old fogy fit for treason, stratagem, and spoils ; and the pulilisher 

 of a periodical who aims to succeed among the rural population 

 understands very well that agriculture, horticulture, pomology, flori- 

 culture, and other arts intimately connected with these, must occupy 

 a prominent place in his publication, or the million will feel indifler- 

 ent about subscribing for it. Publishers are beginning to appreciate 

 this fact and to employ waiters of the first talent to supervise their 

 agricultural departments, as they have learned, after more than a 

 score of years, that people in the rural districts vnW. usually read first 

 that which concerns them most, or which is likely to be of most 

 •advantage to them in their secular affairs. 



The paper was concluded with a list of the newspapers in the 

 United States which make the discussion of agricultural topics a 

 special feature. 



Manure. 



Mr, Seward Mitchell (Maine), being present, asked if manure lost 

 its strength by being spread upon the ground and remaining there 

 for a number of months. He said he always spread manure from 

 the wagon on the land at once, not leaving it in heaps. 



Mr. Horace Greeley. — In reference to the manure, I think it 

 depends on the time of the year. If our friend had put his out in a 

 hot, dry month he would have lost half of his manure. I should say 

 the 1st of jS'ovember was the best time to get it out ; but earlier than 

 that in this latitude there would be danger of wasting it ; but in 

 Maine September would be the same as JSTovember here. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller thought it would make a difference as regards the 

 character of the manure. If it was old, decomposed barn-yard 

 manure there would be no danger of its deteriorating. 



Black Spanish Fowls. 



Mr. C. G. Boardman, Yermilion, Os^vego county, N. Y., writes as 

 to the doings of Lis hens. He says : 



My fowls are of the Black Spanish variety. I usually feed screen- 



