1854 
117 
THE CULTIVATOR 
S - 
United States Ag. Society. 
The annual meeting of this society commenced its 
session at Washington on the 22d of February; but 
owing to the unprecedented storm which had delayed 
the arrival of delegates, no business was transacted on 
the first day. 
Thursday. Feb. 23. 
The Society was called to order at half-past ten 
o’clock—Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, President, in 
the chair— W. S. King, Recording Secretary. About 
100 members were present from 19 states. 
The President delivered his annual address, which 
was referred to the executive committee for publication. 
On motion of Col. C. B. Calvert, of Maryland, busi¬ 
ness committees of three were appointed, to whom 
were referred the various subjects brought before the 
meeting. 
Mr. Dederick, of Albnny, New-York, moved that 
a committee of three members on the subject of Agri¬ 
cultural Machinery be appointed, and to report to the 
Society. He spoke at some length in explanation of 
the great importance to the agricultural interest of be¬ 
ing placed in possession of the best implements for the 
prosecution of their labors. The motion prevailed, and 
Messrs. Dederick, Musgrave, of Ohio, and Mapes were 
appointed. 
Mr. Denton Offutt, of Lexington, Kentucky, mov¬ 
ed the appointment of a. committee on Animal Physi¬ 
ology, and the general improvement in all respects of 
domestic animals. It was a subject of high interest 
and importance. 
Mr. Calvert testified to the influence, to him won¬ 
derful, whatever it was in itself, of Mr. Offutt’s power 
over at least one animal, the horse. He had been an 
eye witness to a scene at the Maryland State Fair, 
which may be mesmerism, or magnetism, or what not; 
but Mr. Offutt reduced almost instantaneously a horse 
noted for vicious propensities, to gentleness and traeta- 
bility. He warmly seconded the motion of Mr. Offutt; 
An invitation from Mr. Glover to the society to 
visit his collection of models of fruits at the Patent 
Office was then read. The invitation was accepted, 
and a committee consisting of Messrs. Worthington, 
Berckman, Warder, Munn and Richards, was appoint¬ 
ed to report upon the same. 
The President then offered for consideration the con¬ 
tents of two communications confidentially committed 
to him. One was from Mr. Joel Hitchcock, of St. 
Lawrence county, New-York, on the subject of a rem¬ 
edy for the potato rot; the other on the subject of a 
remedy for the devastations of the curculio on fruits, 
by some person whose name did not transpire. The 
object of the parties seemed to be to get their remedies 
to be tested by the society through committees of the 
same, and reports made at the meeting of next year. 
The question on the reference of these ^joposals gave 
rise to a very animated debate, in which views of very 
opposite character in respect to the probable value of 
the alleged discoveries were elicited. They were finally, 
after a strenuous opposition, referred to the Executive 
Committee, to test the modes proposed and to report to 
the next annual meeting of this society. 
A committee was appointed to petition Congress to 
make some arrangement with the government of Peru, 
by which Guano might be procured at reduced prices. 
A communication from Mr. James Pederson, on the 
subject of introducing the Alpaca or Peruvian sheep 
nto the United .States, was then read by Mr. Munn, of 
New-York. 1 
At the evening session Professor Mapes, exhibited 
and explained an improved sub-soil plow invented 
by himself. 
Friday, Feb. 24. 
In the absence of the President Hon. John A. King 
of New-York, was called to the chair, when Profes- 
/; sor Fox, of Michigan, delivered an address on the 
pi best means of extending Agricultural Education in the 
rK\\ United States, which excited considerable discussion, 
during which the President of the United States 
rose, and, addressing the chair, thanked him for the in¬ 
telligence that had been furnished him of the session of 
the society ; spoke in terms of compliment and approv¬ 
al of so much of Prof. Fox’s address as he had heard; 
acknowledged the high interest and importance of the 
object of the society, and of the questions before it; 
and said that, while he should be most happy to re¬ 
main during the interesting proceedings yet to be had, 
other duties demanded his retirement, and compelled 
him to bid them good morning. 
The question of petitioning Congress to purchase 
Mount Vernon, for the purpose of making it the site of 
a national Experimental Farm was discussed by 
Merssrs. Tayloe, Calvert, Earll, Brown, King 
and others without coming to any definite conclusion. 
At the evening session, on motion of Mr. Earll, the 
memorial of the Maryland State Agricultural 'Society, 
petitioning Congress to purchase Mount Vernon for an 
agricultural school, was taken up and read. 
Mr. French, of Massachusetts, advocated the adop¬ 
tion of the resolution. It was carried, and Messrs. 
Blair, of Maryland, Earl, Brown, King, of New York, 
and French, of Massachusetts, were appointed a com¬ 
mittee to present it to Congress. 
Mr. Browne, of Pennsylvania, made a report from 
the committee appointed to investigate Mr. Denton Of¬ 
futt’s system of animal physiology. 
Mr. Robbins of Ohio, presented a memorial from 
citizens of Ohio asking the countenance and patronrge 
of the society to a. cattle exhibition to be held in Sep¬ 
tember next, in Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, which 
was referred to the Executive Committee. 
Hon. Mr, Benson presented a resolution, in behalf of 
Mr. Meacham, of Vermont, that a National Exhibi¬ 
tion of sheep be held in the course of the year in the 
State of Vermont, at such time and place as the Agri¬ 
cultural Society of Vermont shall appoint. Carried. 
Mr. Finch, of New-York, proposed that a monument 
should be erected to the memory of John S. Skinner, 
the pioneer of American agricultural editors. 
Mr. Browne, of Pennsylvania, supported the pro¬ 
posed tribute. 
A resolution, which recommended a stone in the Na¬ 
tional Washington Monument, with a suitable inscrip¬ 
tion, was carried. 
Mr. Causin, from the committee to examine and 
audit the accounts of the Treasurer, reported, compli¬ 
mented their accuracy, and stated a balance of $3,005 
in favor of the society. Of this upwards of one thou¬ 
sand dollars have been contributed at the present meet- 
ing. 
Mr. Benson read a bill now before a committee of 
Congress creating an Agricultural Bureau. 
Mr. Calvert recommended the creation of an Agri¬ 
cultural Department, on an equal footing with the other 
Departments, the Secretary to have a seat in the Cabi¬ 
net. 
Mr. King, of New-York, moved that the society 
adhere to the resolution of the last year, asking for a 
full department. 
We do not find it stated whether this, or any other 
resolution on the subject, was adopted. 
Addresses were delivered by Dr. Warder, on the 
Culture of the Grape—by B. P. Poore, on the History 
of Agriculture, and by Dr. Eddy, on Bees and Bee 
Culture. 
officers for the ensuing year. 
The officers of the United States Agricultural Socie¬ 
ty for 1854 are: 
President — Marshall P. Wilder, of Mass. 
Vice-Presidents —19, (one from each State represented.) 
Executive Committee —C. B. Calvert, John A. King, A. L. 
Elwyn, J. D. Weston, B. P. Poore, A. Watts, John Jones, 
W. S. King. 
Cor. and Rec. Secretary —W. S. King, of Boston. 
Treasurer —William Seldon, of Washington. 
