Proceedings of tee Farmers' Club. 3(31 



skillful, cautious and accurate agricultural experimenters in the 

 world. Whenever you see any report from their farm you may 

 know it is bullion. Their experiments extend over a space of 

 twenty-five years ; and they are so careful and conscientious. Mr. 

 Lawes showed me the park where he has tried different top- 

 dressings for grass on a sod that has not been broken for a century. 

 One manure and only one is applied to each half acre. The effect ot 

 nitrate of soda, for instance, has been to root out the weeds more 

 effectually than any other dressing. But the clovers do not come in. 

 On the plot dressed with phosphate of lime, all the leguminous plants 

 show a tendency to increase. Another strip he has dressed with 

 sulphate of soda, with carefully noted results. When he scatters these 

 fertilizers he hangs up a curtain, so not a pinch will go over the line, 

 and he cuts and weighs the grass with the same nice fidelity. But I 

 should consume another of your hours were I to describe all the 

 painstaking of these admirable men, that has been kept up now for a 

 quarter of a century. I have said enough to show how the noble art 

 of agriculture in England rests on two strong pillars, a. settled farm 

 system, approved by centuries of experience and pushed to the highest 

 thrift by the high price of lands, and precise knowledge, made strong 

 by accurate science, and made trustworthy by the most conscientious 

 care. 



On motion of Mr. F. D. Curtis, the unanimous thanks of the Club 

 were given to Prof. Cook, and the chairman said : Little that we can 

 say will add to the consciousness that he must have of such stores of 

 valuable knowledge as he has given us a taste of. At any and all 

 times we shall be most happy to welcome him to our meetings. 



Osage Hedges. 



Mr. W. C. Hurst, Laytons, Sussex county, N. J. — I send to you for 

 information regarding the osage thorn hedge. We planted nearly 

 3,000 plants early last spring around our burying-ground. They are 

 planted in light sandy soil, with clay under, and have not grown well 

 at all. I presume there are members of your Club who are acquainted 

 with this plant. Will you be so kind as to inform us what we should 

 do to save it and make it grow, as we know nothing about its care or 

 treatment. 



Mr. J. B. Lyman — That soil is not rich enough to make a thrifty 



osage hedge ; it demands a strong, dark soil, like a prairie loam. The 



successful osage fences are on land that will make eighty shelled 



bushels of corn without manure. 



Adjourned. 



