2.24 THE FLORIST AND 
Mr. Roberts thought that the moral of the year naight be found in the 
failure of the grass. The clover had been thrown up by the severe frosts 
and subsequent thaws. Low grounds had suffered most, both in timothy 
and clover, and this despite the drought of last year. Deep cultivation 
and good drainage would remedy this. 
Mr. Harrison thought the failure in grass fully twenty-five per cent. He 
believed that last winter was more severe on crops than any within the 
memory of the oldest member present. There had been little or no snow. 
The Delaware near his farm (Torresdale) had been frozen over at three 
different times. Clover was a tap-rooted plant, and the low.er portion being- 
hard frozen while the upper was thawed, had caused its destruction. From 
this even the best cultivation could not save it. 
Mr. Newton had recently seen most marked benefit result from the 
spring harrowing of winter wheat, on lands on the Potomac river, below 
Washington. The entire field had been manured with guano, at the rate of 
two hundred pounds to the acre. A portion of the field had been har- 
rowed, and on this the crop was so much more luxuriant than on the other, 
that he would have supposed it alone had received manure. The soil was a 
stiff loam. 
Mr. Willets had seen similar benefits from harrowing wheat lands on the 
light soil of Burlington county, New Jersey. 
Mr. Dennis Kelly had observed in Ireland the good effects of harrowing 
oat lands when rain shortly followed, but a repetition of the operation next 
year, not succeeded by rain, had signally failed. 
Dr. Emerson said that a well cultivated and manured soil protected 
plants from the effects of both frost and drought. The improved yield 
from wheat lands on which sheep had been allowed to graze, was partly 
attributable to the stirring of the soil by their feet. Instruments intended 
to imitate this action had been invented. His neighbor's stock had tres- 
passed on his young grain. Redress had been asked and promised, but the 
harvest proved that, instead of damage having been committed, benefit 
had arisen from the trespass, and the question of redress was waived. 
Adjourned. 
