HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 121 



PHILADELPHIA SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 



Stated Meeting at Room Masonic Hall, South Third Street, Wednesday 

 April 5, 1854. 



President Elwyn in the chair. 



Minutes of preceding meeting read and approved. 



The following gentlemen proposed at previous meeting, were elected 

 resident members : Job. R. Tyson, Yearman Gillingham, John Clark, An- 

 drew Coates, Chas. F. Hupfeldt, Redman Abbott, and David S. Brown of 

 Philadelphia; Harndon Corson of Germantown; George Oldmixon, of West 

 Cain Township, Chester Co., Pa. 



Five propositions for membership were received. 



Mr. C. D. Harrison, from the Executive Committee, presented an elabo- 

 rate report on the finances of the society, from December 3j, 1850, to the 

 present time, including the following items : 



At the last exhibition the society offered premiums 



amounting to - - - - $1101 00 



Premiums awarded * - $739 00 



Of the expenses of exhibition - - 364 00 



Rent, periodicals, and other expenses for the year 368 00 



$1471 00 



Receipts from all sources for last year - - 1681 00 



Excess of receipts for last year * $210 00 



On motion the report was accepted. 



The Committee appointed at preceding meeting to inquire as to what 

 Agricultural Society the late Elliot Cresson, Esq., had left the legacy of 

 $5000, reported through their chairman, Harry Ingersoll Esq., that they 

 had attended to that duty and asked to be discharged, which request, on mo- 

 tion, was granted. 



Sidney G. Fisher, Esq., Cor. Secretary, to whom was referred the motion 

 of the late Elliot Cresson, Esq., — that a memorial on the importance of the 

 flax culture be prepared and sent to the federal and the State executives and 

 Legislators, and to agriculturists generally— -reported that all apprehensions 

 lest government should lower the duty on linen fabrics were groundless; to 

 do so had at fiast been seriously intended, and hence the motion for a memo- 

 rial, but those interested in the growth of flax had made such strong repre- 

 sentations to the proper authorities at Washington, that the disposition there 

 now wa3 to raise rather than to reduce the duty. There being no existing 

 necessity for the preparation of a memorial, the Cor. Secretary was, on mo- 

 tion, excused from the further consideration of the subject. 



The President presented a number of blanks, from the Smithsonian In- 

 stitute, to be filled with notes of observations on the occurrence of certain 

 natural phoenomena, the budding and flowering of plants, the return of 

 birds, &c. The blanks were distributed among the members with a request 

 that notes should be made throughout the season and sent to the Institution 

 at Washington. 

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