ura msfiurt winter* 
7 
of the Repository for the lectures be referred to a 
committee. 
Commodore De Kay offered grafts from trees 
Which bore the premium pears at the last Fair. 
Mr. Sewell presented some cuttings of grape¬ 
vines, 
It was then ordered that the articles presented 
be mentioned, with the names of the donors, in a 
record of thanks to be kept by the Club. 
A communication on marl-manures and salt, 
from F, Mortimer Butler,, was read. Mr. Ste¬ 
vens said that on Long Island salt as a manure 
Was inefficient—attributable to the presence of 
sea-air. Colonel Clark remarked on the chemi¬ 
cal influence of salt and lime. 
Mr. Boswell presented several kinds of apples, 
nearly all the growth of Western New York. He 
then gate a few particulars on the cultivation of 
the cranberry and other fruits, which, as he has 
obligingly offered to furnish Us more at length 
hereafter, we omit what was said at the Club. 
Dr. Gardner, General Tallmadge, and Mr. Ste¬ 
vens, entered into some discussion on the use of 
lime, the gist of which was, that when the ashes 
of vegetables and plants show lime in their analy¬ 
ses, it is good manure for them ; that it is partic¬ 
ularly valuable in destroying insects where used ; 
and that it proves much more beneficial on clay 
than sandy soils. Dr. Gardner then spoke of the 
value of certain kinds of marl, especially for 
wheat-crops, when it contained a large proportion 
of potass. As one instance of its value, he stated 
that a gentleman in New Jersey not long since 
purchased a farm there for a trifling sum, and by 
Using marl on it has now made it worth $100 an 
acre. He also discussed, with Mr. Stevens, the 
Value of ashes—the latter stating that the far¬ 
mers on Long Island found very little difference 
between the effects of those leaclped and un¬ 
leached. 
Dr. Field made a report from the Committee 
on the Long Island Farms, which was read, ac¬ 
cepted, and referred to the same committee, to 
prepare a memorial to the corporation of the city 
on that subject, viz., employment of the children, 
&c., in horticulture, agriculture, and growing and 
manufacturing of silk, &c„, in connexion with 
their education. 
General Tallmadge read from the Burlington 
Silk Record Family Magazine a statement that 
Great Britain, without producing one pound of 
the raw material, imports the silk and manufac¬ 
tures it to the amount of $716,000,000 per annum, 
and employs in this business more than 400,000 
■operatives—and pays to the silk-weavers alone 
little short of $14,000,000 pet annum. 
A letter from Dr. Stebbins, of Northampton, on 
Pongee silk, was read and referred to a commit¬ 
tee on silk from mulberry-bark. 
Mr. Baker, of Rahway, N. J., exhibited a map 
of his farm, and stated "that on the drained land 
he obtained, without any manure, 32 bushels of 
Wheat per acre, and the heaviest crop of grass. 
He drained twenty acres. Mr. Baker exhibited 
his draining-tools, and explained their use. They 
are simple, an$ well adapted to ^their purpose. 
Mr. Wakeman then moved that six subjects be 
proposed for discussion, from which the Club 
shall select for the next meeting. 
The second monthly meeting of the Farmers’ 
Club took place on Tuesday, December 19. Forty 
members were present. Colonel E. Clark was 
called to the chair. 
A letter, from J. Torman, Esq., of Cecilton, Md., 
to the president of the Club, was read. Mr. Tor- 
man is eighty-six years of age, and expresses 
a high degree of interest in agricultural improve¬ 
ment. 
A letter from James De Peyster, Esq., was 
read. He states that he has raised the Egyptian 
corn for eight years past; it gives 80 to 100 bush¬ 
els per acre—makes as good cakes as Indian meal 
or buckwheat, and is as good for poultry and cat¬ 
tle ) culture of it strongly recommended by Mr. 
De Peyster. 
A general conversation now took place on birds 
and their Usefulness in destroying insects—insects 
in general—the disease of the potato—blight of 
the barberry-bush, &c., &c., which we regret to 
say we have not space to report at full length. 
Mr. Chapman exhibited some Dorking fowls 
recently imported by him from England. 
Guano Manure .—Commodore De Kay stated 
that he had seen mounds of it on the Florida 
islands. Colonel Clark thought that the islands 
on our eastern coast should be examined for it. 
Dr. Gardner said that fossil guano existed in 
three localities in the state of New York. 
Reports were made by Commodore De Kay on 
timber, Dr, Gardner on the communication of 
Mr. Butler, on the influence of sea-water on 
marshes containing shells, &c. 
The Club then adjourned, to meet on Tuesday, 
the 2d of January. 
THE PRESENT WINTER. 
We observe that our respected cotemporary, 
the Prairie Farmer, prophesies the present winter 
will be more severe than the past was, therein 
differing from the opinion expressed by us page 
267 of our last volume. The forepart of Decem¬ 
ber, 1843, was not near as cold and snowy as the 
same month for 1842, while the latter part has 
been the complete antipodes in this latitude of that 
of last year; being warm, sunny, foggy, and rainy, 
with a snow-shower or two which melted nearly 
as fast as it fell; indeed, the month has been of 
more than average mildness; v/e are, therefc e, 
correct in our prognostication for at least one third 
of the time. Our opinions are based upon what 
we think philosophical principles, although we 
can not be certain that we are right till we have 
more experience and observation. These princi¬ 
ples will be found explained page, 177 of Vol. I. 
In return, we should be obliged if the Prairie 
Farmer would state its reasons why it thinks the 
present winter will be colder than the last. The 
