PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS* CLUB. 89 



some kind of food, and he believes that food is derived from the roots of 

 trees. They eat nothing above ground, but w^hen very abundant, they 

 sting the twigs to such an extent that they sometimes die, and thus dis- 

 figure trees. The subject will be further considered at the next meeting. 



Adjourned. 



John W. Chambers, Secretary. 



May 19, 1863. 



Mr. Adrian Bergen, of Long Island, in the chair. 



The secretary read a communication from Mr. Wm. Marsh, United States 

 Consul at Altona, Duchy of Holstein: 



U. S. Consulate, Altona, April 22, 1863. 

 To Gentlemen of the American Institute Farmers^ Club : 



Gentlemen — I am just returned from a trip through the Duchy of Hol- 

 stein, and being somewhat interested in the debates and valuable informa- 

 tion gathered from your Club, hasten to inform you of the favorable 

 appearance of vegetation in this fat old province. We have had here a 

 remarkably mild and open winter. And now after a spell of six weeks of 

 fine sunshine the trees and hedgerows are in full leaf nearly, and the home- 

 stead of the Holstein peasant is a paradise of blossoming fruit trees, promis- 

 ing a bountiful bearing as a recompense for his industry. The farmers 

 have taken advantage of the fine weather, and the breadth of their spring 

 crops (I am informed), is larger than last year. Barley sown three 

 weeks ago is up, and looks very beautiful, with dark rich healthy green. 

 The tillage used for this crop is generally pulverized bones, which is 

 usually drilled, or sown broadcast with the seed and plowed in. Barley is 

 one of the safest and most profitable crops in this section of Germany. 



Winter wheats look well, and the late prevailing easterly winds and 

 occasional showers promise a heavy crop. Taking the whole face of 

 Holstein, as viewed at this time, everything seems very promising. There 

 is, however, fully three months and a half of casualties to encounter before 

 harvest, and what may happen in that time none can know but the Divine 

 Creator. As I am occasionally visiting the country and passing through 

 the most fertile part of the Duchy, I shall have much pleasure in dotting 

 down any useful information gathered from these tours, and communicate 

 them to your very useful Institute Club. I receive the Weekly Tribune at 

 my Consulate regularly, and there I read of the experiments in horticulture 

 and agriculture spoken of and discussed at the American Institute 

 Farmers' Institute. 



I have the honor to remain, gentlemen, 



Yours very truly, 



W. Marsh. 



Theory of the Climate. 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — This letter reminds me of the theory of the 

 weather that I have long observed — that a late, cold, backward spring 

 upon this side of the Atlantic is always the reverse on the other side. I 

 notice that in England farmers never had a better season, and that all 



