234 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



said jokingly " how is it that after all jour discussions you come 

 to no very definite i3roposition or resolution : " to which Mr. 

 Baker replied — " I can't tell how it is, except that we are too apt 

 to imitate our betters in that respect." But joking aside, he must 

 say that a most imi^ortant era was opening upon the agricultu- 

 ral world. Science had stepped into the field, and promised to 

 do very much for it; chemistry, not appreciated by farmers ten 

 years ago — necessary in all questions of manure, both as to its 

 proper qualities, but also to detect the vile frauds in artificial 

 manures. 



The Secretary, Meigs, said that a fundamental rule of our 

 Farmers' Club was to state facts and never contradict one another, 

 however violently members diflFer in opinions. 



[From Alexander Vattemare to the American Institute; with several valuable works on 



Agriculture.] 



The Almanack of Algeria and Guide for Colonists, contains 

 the following accurate details : 



The climate of Algeria resembles that of Provence in France. 

 The year is divided — instead of into four seasons, into two — the 

 hot and the temperate, and into wet and dry. You may say we 

 have three — summer, winter and spring. Summer begins with 

 July and ends with September. In October begins the wet tem- 

 perate season, which lasts until the end of Februarj^ The dry 

 temperate season or sj)ring opens in March and lasts till the end 

 of June. 



In the wet temperate season, there may always be expected 

 some periods of fine weather, much as we have in France in our 

 spring. 



The dry temperate season, sometimes has rainy days in it. 

 The rainy season, seldom exceeds sixty days, but in that time 

 there falls double the quantity in a whole year. The nights 

 in summer are very cool with ahundant dews. The level country 

 is often covered with fogs which are dissipated by tlie first moving 

 rays of the sun. 



In winter the air and the ground are very wet. The end of 

 summer is strongly marked by the hot wind — sirocco from the 

 desert of an exceeding dryness. During the temperate season 

 vegetation is very rich. It suffers in the dry season but grows 

 again vigorously with the first rains. 



The general aspect of the country presents high chains of 

 mountains cut up by ravines or plains — many of the latter being 

 swampy. 



