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Proceedings of Societies . 
/ 
Mr. Smith describes the Bean, furnished by him to the Society, as an excellent 
vegetable, and usually eaten in the same manner as Windsor Beans when young, 
and also very good in a dried state, with the skins taken off. He recommends their 
being put into the ground either at the commencement of the rains or the beginning 
of the cold weather ; they grow like a runner ,and require support, as they spread 
very much, (three having covered a space of fifty feet,) giving two crops during th® 
season ; the time for gathering them being when the pods begin to turn white. 
The following is Mr. Brightman’s mode of cultivating Artichokes. 
“The seed ought to be sown in the month of October, in a rich soil. When the 
plant is about a foot high it should be transplanted, say three or four times, every 
fifteen or sixteen days, before it is placed in the spot in which it is inteuded that it 
should bear. When the plant is put into the ground for the last time, the root ought 
to be well covered with old manure, and the earth heaped up in a mound round the 
E lant, of a pretty good circumference, and about a foot high, or in proportion to the 
eight of the plant. A small ditch should be made round the mound to hold water, 
"hick must be given very plentifully every morning and evening. By the above 
means, Mr. Brighfman has had Artichokes in his garden, since the middle of March 
every four or five days, a dozen or sixteen, up to the beginning of May.” 
Dr. Tytler’s letter is in continuation of his last communication, and is accom- 
panied by two beautiful drawings, executed by Ensign Kewney, of the 50th Regiment 
Native Infantry. He states that the disease of Barley and Oats, which those draw- 
ings represent, had not (after a minute search over many miles of ground along the 
- banks of the Ganges,) been detected by him even in a single ear of Wheat — that in 
instances where Wheat and Barley were intermingled in the same field, he found the 
disease affecting the Barley but not the Wheat; and that in his opinion the distemper 
does not owe its origin to moisture, because in a Jeel, in the neighbourhood of 
Patharghata, he found sound Barley growing in the water, and diseased Barley on 
> T gound above the Jlfil, from which he infers that, in this particular, the disease 
differs from that called Smut. 
There were submitted to the Society statements embracing the whole operations 
at Akra, since Mr. DeVerine became Superintendent of the Farm. The Committee 
of Management had, at first, difficulties to overcome, both in the condition of the 
land and unwillingness of the natives to work for the Society; patience and 
peisev eiance had however overcome all these, and in the short space of six months, 
the Farm exhibits a most interesting appearance, ninety-seven bigahs being 
ah eady covered with Cotton plants, partly in bearing ; six bigahs being under 
Tobacco ; three bigahs under Sugar Cane ; two and a half bigahs under Indigo, 
raised from the Seed of Bengal, Hindoostan and the Caracas ; and four bigahs 
under the West India Arrow-Root plant; while two hundred and two more 
bigahs were cleared of jungle, ploughed, harrowed, and ready to receive Cotton 
anc tobacco Seed, so soon as a fresh supply shall arrive from America, of which 
the Society is in daily expectation ; the greater part of the Seed sent out by the 
Court of Directors, if not the whole, having failed. 
The specimens of Tobacco produced from the Farm, appear to be of a quality 
much supenor to any hitherto raised in this country ; and the Cotton appears to 
offer the same promise of success. 
One specimen of Cotton raised at Akra, from Sea Island Seed, presented by 
Mr. Palmer and planted in November last, was carefully compared with some 
Sea Island Cotton sent to Mr. Henley, a Member of the Society 1 ; (Cotton of the 
same description as this sample, in July 1830, was selling' in the Liverpool 
market at the rate of 14Jd. per lb.) The Gentlemen who compared these speci- 
mens, having themselves much experience in the value of Cotton of different 
descriptions m the markets of Europe, were of opinion, notwithstanding 
the strong prejudice which exists against all Cotton grown in this country, that 
the Cotton grown at Akra would, at the very lowest, fetch from 9d. to 10d. per 
markrtfrom Americre * >nce »est Cotton sent to the Liverpool 
The Meeting adjourned. 
