44 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
A MOWING MACHINE. 
Can any of our readers inform us where a mow¬ 
ing machine is to be had, which will do first rate 
work ? We have seen them operate, but there was 
this objection—unless the ground was quite smooth 
they would not cut clean. The scythe in a reaping 
machine moves and cuts several inches above the 
ground, which enables it to work well over quite a 
rough surface. The straw being of little value, a long 
stubble left behind is of no particular importance. 
But grass it is important to cut close, or there will 
be great loss in the hay product. Hence the com¬ 
parative difficulty of making a mowing machine 
which will work as economically and effectually as 
the reaper. Still, we hope mechanics will not de¬ 
spair of constructing one which will do its work 
well, for we do not know a greater desideratum 
among farmers. During harvest time, wages are 
not only exorbitantly high, but men enough to do 
the work are difficult to be obtained. The conse¬ 
quence is, that the grass is frequently injured, and 
great loss is often sustained. All this would be 
obviated with a good mowing machine. 
Farmers, send in your Facts. —The old year 
has passed away, and nearly a month of the new 
one has expired, while we have been looking in 
vain for statements from the farmers of their large 
crops raised at a small expense and by improved 
cultivation. Why is this? Have there been no 
improvements the year past in our worn-out lands ? 
or are the farmers and planters of the older settled 
States giving up discouraged and moving off West ? 
This, we trust, is not the case, but the main difficulty 
is owing to modesty, or a want of confidence in 
their ability to write for the press. If they would 
make out plain statements of their farming opera¬ 
tions, in their own way, however homely, much 
would not only be done to stimulate others to follow 
their example, but to go far ahead of them by com¬ 
petition and emulation. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
Introduction of the Alpaca into the United States .— 
Col. Edward Clark, chairman of the committee ap¬ 
pointed by the Association for introducing this 
animal from Peru into this country, stated that there 
is a prospect of $2,000 more being added to the 
funds already raised, and that it is contemplated to 
send an agent to South America the ensuing spring 
for the purpose of carrying the enterprise into 
effect Col. Clark then called upon Mr. J. D. Wil¬ 
liamson, who had resided some time in Peru, and 
requested that he would give some information upon 
the subject. 
Mr. W illiamson, in complying with the request, 
stated that the alpaca is an animal that endures a 
great deal of hardship, and that there is no doubt 
but it can be successfully and profitably propagated 
in the United States. He said that its habits are 
something like those of the Canadian horse—pick¬ 
ing up what no other animal will eat, even while 
the ground is covered with snow. The reason, he 
said, why these animals have not succeeded better 
in Great Britain is that proper regard was not paid 
in their selection in Peru, and that their treatment 
during their voyage and after their arrival was in¬ 
judicious. He thought that choice animals could 
be obtained on the west coast of South America, 
for $8 or $10 each, and that they could readily be 
transported to Panama in whale ships, driven over 
to Chagres, and re-shipped direct for the United 
States. 
The Potatoe Disease.—Vice-Chancellor McCoun 
rose and said, he wished to call the attention of the 
Society to a subject of great interest to this country 
as well as to the world at large—the Potatoe Dis¬ 
ease. Before proceeding to the immediate object in 
view, he begged leave first to make a few remarks 
on the origin of the malady, which' he said first 
broke out in Europe, in 1843. (a) In 1844 it made 
greater progress than in the preceding year, and in 
1845, it had assumed decidedly the appearance of 
an epidemic—its focus being apparently Belgium, 
whence it seems to have spread to all parts of the 
globe. 
The Chancellor then detailed various opinions 
and experiments of scientific men in Europe, among 
which were those recently made by Dr. Smee, of 
London, who has proved, to his own satisfaction at 
least, that the true cause of the disease is a species 
of Aphis, or plant louse. This insignificant insect, 
he said, attacks the leaf of the potatoe by sucking 
out the juice, generally by commencing on the 
under side, and continuing its operations until it 
extracts the whole moisture from the plant, which, 
in due time, dies down to the ground, and the tuber 
perishes or decays. (6) 
The Chancellor concluded by saying that his ob¬ 
ject in introducing this subject was for the purpose 
of offering a resolution for the consideration of the 
Society, which was as follows:— 
Resolved , That a Committee of five be appointed 
on behalf of this Association, to ascertain whether 
any species of Aphis, or other insect, is instrumental 
in causing the potatoe disease in this country. That, 
if such committee shall be unable to ascertain the 
fact, from any observations of the past year, they 
be requested to take the necessary measures to as¬ 
certain it during the ensuing season, by personal 
inspection of growing crops, or by any other means 
in their power. 
This resolution was adopted, and the following 
committee were chosen, viz.—Vice Chancellor W. 
T. McCoun, Dr. A. H. Stevens, R. L. Pell, Dr. R. 
T. Underhill, and Ambrose Stevens. 
Mr. Williamson read the following abstract, trans¬ 
lated from the Transactions of the Viceroy of Santa 
Fe de Bogota, at the time it was under the dominion 
of Spain:—In 1762, the entire potatoe crop of all 
the provinces under the Viceroy, for that year and 
the year previous, rotted in the ground, or died 
while in a growing state. A commission was ap¬ 
pointed to investigate the subject; and after visiting 
a large number of provinces they were unable to 
ascertain from what cause the rot proceeded, other 
than the potatoe had run out, or exhausted its vitali¬ 
ty. From an old Indian slave, by the name of Leo, 
they learned that a tradition had been handed down 
by his tribe for more than a hundred years, that 
“ when the potatoe did not grow good, they must 
plant the seed collected from the healthy vines, and 
