Proceedings of tee Farmers' Club. 545 



on comparatively poor lands, and rapidly enrich them. Timothy will 

 not thrive on poor land ; it needs a rich clay soil for its best develop- 

 ment. 



Prof. II. E. Colton — Mr. Chairman, I suppose I am somewhat to 

 be charged with stirring up the excitement about Japan clover. I 

 found it at the south doing a good service in rooting out the old broom 

 sedge, and I wrote from Macon, Ga., stating that fact. It is not to 

 be compared with red clover as a forage crop or to plow under, yet 

 it grows spontaneously on the old fields of the south, and is much 

 liked by cattle. Whence it came no one knows positively, but it will 

 be of great value to the south, for it may be plowed under on the old 

 fields, thus enriching them to some extent. But even at the south I 

 would not advise, in fact would speak against, its cultivation, for in 

 many parts of the south, red clover, orchard grass and timothy will 

 grow, and they are far better for all purposes. This Japan clover 

 matter is an instance of the wide-spread influence of this Club. I 

 have received numbers of letters about it, some from foreign countries. 

 I heard the Gambia grass spoken of in Florida as likely to be of some 

 value. In writing of these things our correspondents should remember 

 that there are many things which will grow or are of value at the 

 south, which are useless in the north or west. 



Prof. J. A. Whitney — I think a crop of buckwheat would be an 

 excellent crop to turn under. It loosens the top soil and prepares 

 well for other crops. I would top-dress with nitrate of soda. A 

 crop of rye would also have much value. 



Mr. Henry Stewart — The buckwheat cannot have the value as a 

 green crop to turn under as the red clover, and if the people of the 

 south are commencing to use it, we should say nothing to turn them 

 from it. They do not need to try any experiments — the great value 

 of red clover has long ago been demonstrated by practice. 



Report on Me. D. Magner's System of Training Horses. 



The committee appointed by the New York Farmers' Club to report 

 upon the merits of Prof. Magner's system of training and educating 

 wild and vicious horses, respectively report : 



That we attended Prof. Magner's exhibition on Tuesdaj', April 9, 

 in connection with a large number of gentlemen, including a commitee 

 appointed by the horsemen of New York. 



The better to test the merits of this treatment, four of the most 

 vicious and unmanageable horses that could be found were selected 

 for him to experiment upon, comprising : 

 [Inst.] 35 



