Proceedings of tee Farmers' Club. 273 



the Brooklyn Club, if not here, that the ichneumon fly had been seen 

 and that in three years there would not be a span-worm left ; but 

 when the sparrows were introduced the span-worm disappeared, and 

 they got all the credit, while, in truth, they had nothing at all to do 

 with the disappearance of the worm, that being effected by the ich- 

 neumon fly. 



Rev. Joshua "Weaver — This is a very important subject just now, 

 because the question is being discussed as to whether these birds 

 shall be carried into the country in greater numbers than they have 

 already been. Now, as I said before, it is a fact that in England they 

 have proved a very serious evil, and I think it would be well to warn 

 farmers against them. 



The Chairman — The sparrows are bound to extend themselves ; 

 they will be everywhere in a short time ; they do not want to be 

 imported; they will be in Calfornia in twenty years, and already 

 they have been seen thirty miles from the city. 



Irrigation on the Atlantic Slope. 



Mr. H. L. Reade — Speaking of dry weather, there has probably 

 been but two years in this country when it has been so dry in the 

 New England States in the month of May and June, and it may be 

 calculated that in Eastern Connecticut farmers are losing from $2,000 

 to $5,000 a day in their hay crops. If a proper system of irrigation 

 was carried into effect, they could, in the future, laugh the drouth in 

 the face ; and I propose that this Club raise a committee of three, 

 and invite correspondence on the subject of irrigation, and that these 

 letters be referred to the same committee, to be raised by this Club, 

 and that some time in the fall there be a paper prepared by this com- 

 mittee embodying all that is known of irrigation, and, perhaps, 

 something maybe done this year to counteract this drouth, and, at any 

 rate, in five years from this time things would be materially different. 

 There are plenty of running streams now useless which might be 

 utilized for this purpose. 



Mr. J. B. Lyman — The country east of the Alleghany Mountains 

 is so situated, with respect to the slopes of its hills, as to render it 

 perfectly feasible to irrigate it at a moderate expense, but, as yet, it 

 has never been thought of sufficient importance. One year nature 

 gives them water enough, and they go on, having faith that every. 

 other year will be the same, but it is well known that drouth is the 

 great drawback of American agriculture. We have more suffering 

 here than in the old country ; and all the calculations based on Eng- 

 [Inst.] 18 



