282 
EXPERIMENTS AMONG FARMERS, ETC. 
CONVENTION OF FRUIT'GROWERS. 
We are authorized to state that it is proposed to 
hold a Central Convention of Fruit Growers and 
Pomologists, in the city of New York, at the time 
of the Fair of the American Institute, to be held at 
Judson’s Hotel, No. 61 Broadway, commencing 
Tuesday, the 10th of October, at 10 o’clock, A. M. 
Among the objects to be proposed at this conven¬ 
tion are the following :—To compare fruits from 
various sources and localities, with a view of ar¬ 
riving at correct conclusions as to their merits, and 
to settle doubtful points respecting them; to assist 
in determining the synonymes, by which the same 
fruit is known in different parts'of the country; to 
compare opinions respecting the value of the nume¬ 
rous varieties already in cultivation? and to endeavor 
to abridge, by general consent, the long catalogue 
of indifferent or worthless sorts,, at the present time 
propagated by nurserymen and fruit growers; and to 
elicit and disseminate pomological information, and 
to maintain a cordial spirit of intercourse among 
horticulturists. In order to increase as much as 
possible the interests of the convention, the dele¬ 
gates are requested to bring with them (carefully 
packed and labelled, so as to present them in good 
order), specimens of all fruits grown in their vici¬ 
nity that may be worthy of notice, together with a 
small branch and leaves of each variety, if possible. 
In localities where any well-known, old varieties 
flourish particularly well, specimens are desired, 
accompanied with memoranda respecting the soil 
upon which they grew.and their culture. 
Societies will please to transmit, at an early day, 
a list of the delegates they have appointed, to T. 
B. Wakeman, Esq., Corresponding Secretary of the 
American Institute, New York. 
UNNATURAL AND INJURIOUS OVER-FEEDING 
OF BREEDING ANIMALS. 
At very many of the meetings and gatherings of 
the president, vice-presidents, and members of coun¬ 
cil, as well as at the yearly, general, and country 
meetings of the Royal Agricultural Society, and, in 
short, at most agricultural societies, you will find 
this subject discussed, and correct views on it most 
strongly and urgently recommended, and instruc¬ 
tions given to the judges not to take into considera¬ 
tion the fatness of animals in awarding prizes to 
stock intended for the purpose of breeding. 
In the face of these instructions, what is the gen¬ 
eral result? Why, that year after year, and meet¬ 
ing after meeting, the premiums are still given to a 
most unnatural, and (to breeding stock;, very inju¬ 
rious fatness. Fat is sure and certain to carry away 
the palm whenever placed in competition against 
rational and fitly-fed animals of every class and 
description, and that are in a natural and much safer 
condition for breeding, both as regards themselves 
as well as their produce, but that are not made 
almost immovable—most unwieldly, by their joints 
and sinews being, as it were, rendered of no effect 
by useless and injurious fat. Bear in mind that I 
confine my observations wholly and solely to breed¬ 
ing stock, and if the judges would, in awarding the 
premiums, take into consideration the aptness and 
fitness of condition for breeding, combined with 
shape, make, and quality, and give these their pro¬ 
per and right, and all-important place (even to the 
discarding of overfed breeding animals), they 
would be doing greater, truer, and stricter jus¬ 
tice to the intentions and objects of the society, and 
confer a much greater benefit on those engaged in 
the breeding, not the fattening (for they should be 
viewed and considered separately),- of animals, than 
by encouraging, as the awards mostly do, the great 
and injurious evil of feeding breeding stock so over 
and preposterously fat. A Breeder of Stock. 
The views expressed in the above communication, 
from the London Agricultural Gazette, we think 
are strictly correct, and are highly worthy of the* 
consideration of the judges, on breeding animals, of 
the agricultural shows in this country. To bestow 
premiums for the waste of food in “ stuffing a beast 
to repletion,” and wearying it under u a cumbrous 
load of bloated fatness,” whether intended for 
breeding, or the shambles, is an utter absurdity,, as 
there can be no ostensible object in such a course T 
except in gratifying the exhibitor with the vanity 
of knowing that he has the honor of raising the 
fattest calf, and that the calf has the honor of being 
fattened by an ambitious man. See remarks on this 
subject at pp. 117, 118, of the current volume. 
EXPERIMENTS AMONG FARMERS. 
All those who lend their assistance in filling the 
columns of your journal are directing their best 
energies to promote the great experiment now being 
tried among farmers, whether an increased taste for 
reading agricultural works (that is, what ignorance 
denounces as “ book farming”), will produce an im¬ 
proved condition in the cultivation of the soil, and 
as a natural sequence, an improved condition of the 
minds of the cultivators that will promote and in¬ 
crease the refinement, necessary to promote the hap¬ 
piness of the human family. 
For my own part, I am so far satisfied with the 
result, that I fully believe we are doing good. We 
are trying a great “ experiment in feeding.” Feed¬ 
ing the intellect of a much-neglected mass; and we 
ought to be careful that we do not surfeit it with 
indigestible food. On this account, I was much 
taken with Mr. McKinstry’s article in the August, 
1847, number of the Agriculturist, upon the neces¬ 
sity of experimenters being very carefui in making 
experiments, and still more careful when they pub¬ 
lish an account of them. 
Nothing but the clearest and most comprehensi¬ 
ble result and plain benefit to the man himself, will 
ever induce one who has all his life long carried a 
stone in one end of the bag, to balance the bushel 
of corn in the other, to adopt the improved system 
of discarding the stone, and dividing the corn into 
equal parts. Solon. 
Crown Point , la., July. 1848. 
More Facts about Liming Land. —Barren 
sandy soils often admit of profitable cultivation 
after lime has been added ; and clay soils, in which 
little or no lime can be detected, are often entirely 
changed by the addition of lime. So, also, it may 
usually be laid with profit upon soils formed from 
decaying granite, while its action is frequently less 
sensible when applied to soils of decayed trap. 
This is chiefly because the granite contains little 
lime naturally, while the trap rocks, for the most 
part, abound with it.— Professor Johnston. 
