THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



3SI 



used in that way, except upon a snow. Mr. i 

 Sutton related two experiments of friends in 

 Hanover and Chesterfield, from which it ap- 

 peared that guano had been applied by them 

 respectively as a top dressing, with very satis- 

 factory results, without snow. 



Mr. Bassett of Hanover, stated that he had 

 used guano as late as April as a top dressing 

 for wheat, with favorable results. He also 

 related numerous experiments with guano un- 

 der varied circumstances, all of which resulted 

 in a great increase in crops. 



Adjourned to meet in this Hall to-morrow 

 evening at half past 7 o'clock. 



Thursday Evening, Nov. 3, 1853. 

 The Society met pursuant to adjournment. 

 The President introduced Dr. S. Maupin, 

 Professor of Chemistry in the University of 

 Virginia, who had been invited by the Execu- 

 tive Committee to deliver an address on the 

 Relations of Chemistry to Agriculture. He 

 proceeded to deliver a very able address, which 

 was received with great applause. 



Mr. Edmund Ruffin, Sr. introduced to the 

 Society Dr. Wm. C. Daniel, another Delegate 

 from the Southern Central Agricultural So- 

 ciety of Georgia. 

 On motion of Thos. L. Preston, Esq. it was 

 Resolved, That the Constitution be so amend- 

 ed in section 3d as to admit of the addition of 

 five members to the Executive Committee. 



The Society then proceeded to the election 

 of officers for the ensuing year, when the fol- 

 lowing gentlemen were nominated and unani- 

 mously elected: 

 Philip St. George Cocke, Esq., President. 



VICE PRESIDENTS. 



1. Edmund Ruffin, Sr. of Hanover. 



2. Lewis E. Harvie of Amelia. 



3. Willoughby Newton of Westmoreland. 



4. Thomas L. Preston of Washington. 



5. John R. Edmunds of Halifax. 

 G. Samuel F. Christian of Augusta. . 

 W. G. Crenshaw of Richmond, Treasurer. 



EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 



William Boulware of King & Glueen. 

 Edwin G. Booth of Nottoway. 

 William G. Overton of Hanover. 

 William H. Richardson of Henrico. 

 Charles B. Williams of Henrico. 

 Frank: G. Ruffin of Albemarle. 

 Bernard Peyton of Albemarle. 

 Richard Irby of Nottoway. 

 J. Ravenscroft Jones of Brunswick. 

 B, Johnson Barbour of Orange. 

 On motion of Mr. Wallace of Petersburg, 

 the Constitution was farther amended, so as to 

 admit "of the election of an additional Vice 

 President. 



Mr. Wallace then nominated George W. 

 Summers, Esq., of Kanawha, who was unani- 

 mously elected the 7th Vice President. 



Mr. J. Ravenscroft Jones, from the Commit- 

 tee to whom was referred the subject of the 



election of a permanent Secretary, made a 

 report, which was approved and adopted, as 

 follows: 



The committee, to whom was referred so 

 much of the Report of the Executive Commit- 

 tee of the State Agricultural Society of Virgi- 

 nia as relates to the propriety and necessity of 

 establishing a permanent Secretaryship to said 

 Society, have had the same under considera- 

 tion, and beg leave to state, that after due re- 

 flection, they enlirely concur in opinion with 

 the said committee, as to the importance and 

 necessity of immediately establishing such an 

 office; that the various duties which will de- 

 volve upon that office in conducting the exten- 

 sive correspondence which may be necessary 

 to elicit agricultural information, to prepare 

 statistics, and diffuse knowledge throughout 

 the State, will require that a well qualified per- 

 son should be selected to fill the office, with a 

 salary that will enable him to give his whole 

 time and attention to the subject. We, there- 

 fore, recommend that the said Executive Com- 

 mittee be instructed to appoint some suitable 

 person to perform these duties, and affix such 

 compensation, as will, in their opinion, com- 

 mand the talents necessary for the proper dis- 

 charge of these duties, and to procure suitable 

 rooms for his accommodation. 



Mr. Harvie, of Amelia, read a letter from 

 William Townes, Esq., of Mecklenburg, mak- 

 ing a donation to the Society, of five hundred 

 dollars, payable in annual instalments of one 

 hundred dollars per annum. 



Mr. E. Ruffin, after a few prefatory remarks, 

 offered the following resolutions, which were 

 unanimously adopted: 



Resolved, On the motion, and the unanimous 

 recommendation of the Executive Committee, 

 thai the thanks of the Virginia State Agricul- 

 tural Society are due, and hereby are tendered 

 to Charles B. Williams, Recording Secretary 

 of this Society, for his long continued, labori- 

 ous, untiring, and also, most effective ser- 

 vices, freely and gratuitously rendered in his 

 official capacity and otherwise. 



Resolved, As a testimonial of the sense of 

 gratitude of this Society for these fruits of 

 public spirit which no pecuniary reward can 

 repay, that the Executive Committee be hereby 

 directed to bestow on Charles B. Williams, 

 out of the funds of the Society, the value of 

 three hundred dollars, of which, a portion, or 

 all, shall be in silver plate, with inscriptions 

 suitable to the object. 



On motion of H. M. Nelson, Esq., of Clarke, 

 Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be 

 presented to Gen'l Wm. H. Richardson for the 

 zealous and effective manner in which he has 

 discharged his duties as General Agent. 

 On motion of Edmund Ruffin, Jr., Esq. 

 Resolved, That the cordial thanks of the So- 

 ciety be tendered to the Executive Committee, 

 collectively ?nd individually, for the zeal, fide- 

 lity and ability with which each and all of 

 them have, for the past year, discharged the 

 i duties devolving upon them. 



