:* 
ditiona to the board, no less than its former members, 
deservedly possess the entire confidence of the commu¬ 
nity. The determination with which they have engaged 
in the work was well illustrated by the remark of their 
President, at the meeting Thursday night—that they 
would “ put a roof wherever they laid a foundation 
in other words, that they would not be tempted into 
expenditures of any kind beyond their means, and that 
they would make no beginning where they could not 
clearly see the accomplishment of the end before 
them. 
-*-»-#-• 
Agricultural Societies. 
Kentucky State Ag. Society. —This society held 
its annual meeting Jan. 9, the President, Col. Brutus 
J. Clay of Bourbon, calling the convention to order. 
After the transaction of some unimportant business, an 
election for officers for the ensuing year was gone into, 
which resulted as follows : 
President— Brutus J. Clay of Bourbon. 
Vice Presidents—A. J. Alexander, J. A. Tomlinson, R. 
Rftwler. 
Directors—Gibson Mallory, J. S. Jackson, G. M. Priest, 
J. M. aharp, Lucius Desha, H. Thompson, J. 8. Bradford, 
C. B. Cook, and E. L. Drane. 
The following is an abstract of the Treasurer’s report: 
Total receipts during the year 1857 from all 
sources,.$8,475 75 
Expenses same period,. 6,391 95 
Leaving a balance of,.$2,083 80 
Silver premiums on hand,. 405 00 
Balance on hand at close of second year,.. $2,488 80 
Mr. R. W. Scott was elected Corresponding Secretary, 
and Mr. James W. Tate Treasurer. Mr. Scott declined 
the office of Secretary. The Society then postponed 
the election of Secretary until their next meeting, 
which is to take place at Frankfort on the 12th of Feb¬ 
ruary, when the place for holding the next State Fair 
will be selected. 
Bucks County Ag. Society and Mechanics’ In¬ 
stitute. —An adjourned meeting of this Society was 
held at the Newtown Hall, on Thursday, the 21st Jan., 
the President, Wm. StAvely, Esq., in the chair. The 
minutes of a former meeting were read and approved. 
The Committee on Rules and By-Laws made a report, 
which being read, considered and somewhat amended, 
were adopted. This completes the organization of the 
Society under the late Charter. 
An election for officers was then held, which resulted 
in the unanimous choice of the following gentlemen :— 
President— William Stavely. 
Vice President—Robert Longshore. 
Recording Secretary—John 8. Brown. 
Corresponding Secretary—Edmund G. Ilarrison. 
Treasurer—Jacob Eastburn. 
Managers—Lewis Bookman, Adrian Cornell, Jno. Black- 
son, Hecter C. Jarvis, Edward IT. WorsUll, Charles W. 
Biles, Captain Joseph Eyre, J. Paul Knight, John Robbins, 
John Barnsley, Silas Carey, J. Watson Case, Moses East- 
burn, Jonathan Knight, Alfred Blaker. 
The last Wednesday of September of each year, at 
the Society’s grounds at Newtown, were fixed upon as 
the time and place of holding exhibitions of the Society, 
until otherwise ordered. 
We have received the new By-Laws of this Society, 
and deem them the best adapted for the purpose of any 
which have fallen under our notice. 
The Bainbiiidge Ag. Society held its annual meet¬ 
ing for the election of officers for the ensuing year, on 
the 17th day of January, 1858. The following officers 
were elected:— 
President— D. A. Carpenter. 
Vice Presidents—Charles Bixby and Ira Bennett. 
Sec’y and Treasurer—Mulin Jackson. 
Directors—Noble Buck, Philip Northrnp, L. C. Pollard 
Ira Hyde, Pliny Kirby and John Banks. 
Rensselaer Co. Ag. Society. —The next Annual Fair 
will be held on the 14th, 15th and 16th of September. The 
following are officers for the ensuing year : 
President— John H. Willard, Troy. 
Vice Presidents—Henry Warren, Geo. Vail, Hugh Ran¬ 
kin, Benj. Starbuck, Troy ; H. W. Knickerbocker, Lan- 
singburgh. 
Treasurer—A. Van Tuyl. Secretary—William Hagen. 
Gheene Co. Ag. Society. —Officers for 1858: 
President— Lewis Sherrill. 
Vice-President—Cyrus Field. 
Treasurer—Addison P. Jones. 
Secretary—Horatio L. Day. 
Directors—Edward Johnson and Luke Roe, for 3 years. 
-o oe- 
Farm Accounts and Statistics. 
We can only generalize from ; particulars , and upon 
the truth of the items, statistical and descriptive, de¬ 
pends the value of all deductions and inferences. This 
is particularly applicable to agricultural generaliza¬ 
tions. They are too often made up from guesses—from 
random estimates—and mislead those who rely upon 
them for practical information. 
What a mass of valuable particulars might be rea¬ 
dily obtained, did farmers generally keep an account 
with their crops—of cost and product—of soil, culture 
and circumstance. Few, very few, know how much 
(with any exactness) a crop of wheat or corn has cost 
them, or the expense attached to rearing animals for 
use and sale. A large class cannot even tell what 
their cash receipts and expenses are for a year, save as 
they remember the different items ; yet they carry on 
a large business. 
In that business, how can they proceed understand¬ 
ing^ 7 How can they tell what branch of fanning is 
most profitable 7 How do they know but they are 
losing money by that to which they give the greatest 
prominence, and making good profits upon that which 
they consider of very little importance 7 A correct 
account of capital, expenses, and receipts with each 
branch of farm products, would settle all these ques¬ 
tions. 
Any farmer who wishes to determine his stand-point 
for the future, should now commence with an inventory 
of lands, stock, grain, implements, &c. With the ojien- 
ing of the spring work, a journal of its labors should 
be kept, and these, posted weekly to the different class¬ 
es of crops, &c. to which they belong, will show him at 
the end of the year what each crop has cost. A little 
care in measuring, weighing, &c., will show its approx¬ 
imate value, and then he has in black and white the 
result of his season’s work. There he would find the 
material for many hours of thoughtful cogitation while 
maturing plans for the future, and thence he could 
draw stores of facts and particulars, useful to his bro¬ 
ther farmers, to be disseminated by the public press. 
Another thought. Who would think of carrying on 
any sort of a manufactory without a book-keeper and 
carefully kept accounts 7 No one, surely. But the 
farm is as much a manufactory as any which can be 
named, and its operations cannot be conducted skill¬ 
fully and intelligently unless the same system is pur¬ 
sued. 
