284 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Aug. 
United States Ag. Society. 
The National Ag. Convention; the call for which was 
noticed in our last no., met at the Smithsonian Institu¬ 
tion, Washington city, on the 24th June. 
There were present at the organization 151 delegates, 
viz: From New Hampshire, 8; Vermont, 3; Massachu¬ 
setts, 25; Rhode Island, 3; Connecticut, 4; New-York, 
20; New-Jersey, 2; Pennsylvania, 5; Delaware, 6; Ma- 
land, 23; Virginia, 10; North Carolina, 1; Louisiana, 2; 
Ohio, 12; Kentucky, 2; Tennessee, 3; Indiana, 1; Illi¬ 
nois, 2; Arkansas, 1; Michigan, 4; Texas, 1; Wiscon¬ 
sin, 2; District of Columbia, 11. 
Judge Frederick Watts, of Pennsylvania, was appoint¬ 
ed temporary chairman, and the Convention was perma¬ 
nently organized by the choice of the following officers-. 
President —Marshall P. Wilder, of Massachusetts. 
Vice-Presidents —Henry Wager, of New-York; 
Frederick Watts, of Penn.; Wm. F. Hunter, Ohio; Chas. 
B. Calvert, of Md.; Geo. W. Nesmith, of N. H.; Jno. 
A. Throckmorton, of Va.; H. K. Burgwyn, of N. C.; 
T. J. Rusk, of Texas; J. D. Doty, of Wisconsin. 
Secretaries— B. P. Johnson, New-York; William 
S. King, of R. I.; J. B. De Bow, La.; J. A. Warder, 
Ohio. 
A business committee, consisting of one from each 
State and Territory, was appointed, who subsequently 
reported a constitution for a National Association, which, 
after discussion and amendment, was adopted, as fol¬ 
lows: 
CONSTITUTION. 
Sec. 1—The name of this association shall be “ The United States 
Agricultural Society.” 
MEMBERS—DUES. 
Sec. 2—The society shall consist of all such persons as shall signify 
to any officer of the society a wish to become a member, and who 
shall pay two dollars to the treasurer of the society, and a like sum 
annually hereafter, of delegates from the State agricultural societies 
in the States and Territories and District of Columbia, who may be 
appointed to attend the annual and other meetings of the society, and 
who shall pay the like sum, and also of such honorary members as 
the society may see fit to elect. Each member shall be entitled to 
receive a journal or publication of said society, containing an ac¬ 
count of its proceedings and such additional matter as shall be deem¬ 
ed worthy of publication, free from any expense except postage. 
Twent y-five dollars shall entitle any one to the privileges of life mem¬ 
bership and exempt him from any annual taxation. 
OFFICERS. 
Sec. 3—The officers of this society shall be a President, a Vice- 
President from each State and Territory in the Union, and from the 
District of Columbia, a Treasurer, a Corresponding Secretary, a 
Recording Secretary, and a Board of Agriculture, to consist of three 
members from each State, Territory, and the district of Columbia, 
to be appointed by the Executive Committee of the societies of such 
States, Territories, &c., and where there be no such State societies, 
to be appointed by the Executive Committee of this society. The 
President of the society shall be, ex officio , a member and President 
of this board and of the Executive Committee. 
DUTIES OF OFFICERS. 
The President shall have a general superintendence of all the af¬ 
fairs of the society. In case of his death or inability to discharge the 
functions of this office, the Board of Agriculture shall select a Vice- 
President to act in his stead, and clothed with the same power, and 
shall perform the same duties as the President until the next annual 
election. 
Vice-Presidents —It shall be their duty to advance all the objects of 
the association, in their several districts; to explain to agriculturists 
the character and objects of this association, and endeavor to obtain 
their co-operation and support; to watch the advance of practical 
agriculture, and to make known the results of the same, by report or 
otherwise, from year to year. 
Board of Agriculture —It shall be the duty of this Board to watch 
the interests of agriculture, as they are or may be affected by the 
legislation of the country, and to make such reports, memorials and 
recommendations as may advance ihe cause of agriculture, and to 
promote and diffuse agricultural knowledge; to examine, and when 
necessary, report upon the practicability of establishing agricultural 
schools, colleges, and model farms; to set forth the advantages of 
agricultural and geological surveys, and to show the importance of 
the application of science to agriculture; to represent through their 
reports the relation of our agriculture to that of foreign countries, 
and to endeavor to obtain information from such countries; to point 
out the advantage of introducing any new staples, seeds, and plants; 
to obtain, so far as practicable, annual statistical returns of the con¬ 
dition of agriculture throughout the different States—all which infor¬ 
mation shall be published by said society, and form part of its trans¬ 
actions. 
The Executive Committee shall transact the general business of 
the society; it shall consist of five persons, who shall designate the 
time and place for exhibitions, regulate the expenditures, and take 
such supervisory charge of the business of the society as may best 
promote its interests. This body shall elect its own chairman. Three 
members shall constitute a quorum. 
Treasurer —The Treasurer shall keep an account of all moneys, 
and shall pay bills only after they have been audited by the Corres¬ 
ponding and Recording Secretaries, and a member of the Executive 
Committee, and countersigned by the President ol the Society or the 
Chairman of the Executive Committee. 
Cor. Secretary —The duty of this officer shall be to correspond with 
persons interested in agriculture; at each stated meeting he shall read 
such portions of his correspondence as may be of general interest; 
and it shall be his duty to carry out and advocate the views of the 
Board of Agriculture in obtaining, arranging, and publishing any in¬ 
formation they may desire to have laid before the agricultural com¬ 
munity. 
The Rec. Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of the society, 
and of its Executive Committee. 
Sec. 4.—The annual meetings of the society shall be held at the 
city of Washington, on the first Wednesday of February, in each 
year, when all the officers of the society for the ensuing year shall be 
elected by ballot. The Executive Committee shall be competent, 
with the approbation of the society, to appoint occasional meetings, 
to be held at other points. Fifteen members shall constitute a quorum 
for business. 
Sec. 5.—This constitution may be altered at any annual meeting, 
by a vote of rwo-thirds of the members in attendance, provided not 
less than fifty be present. 
The following officers were then elected -.— 
President —Marshall P. Wilder, of Massachusetts. 
Vice-Presidents —Ezekiel Holmes, Maine; George W. Nesmith, 
New-Hampshire; Henry Stevens, Barnet, Vt.; B. V. French,Mass; 
Josiah Chapin, R. I.; S. D. Hubbard, Conn.; Henry Wager, N. Y.; 
Thomas Hancock, N. J.; Frederick Watts, Penn.; Peter W. Cau. 
sey, Del.; W. D. Bowie, Md.; George W. P. Custis, Va.; H. K. 
Burgwyn, N. C.; John Witherspoon, S. C.; Thomas Stocks, Ga.; 
R. Jones, Ala.; Alex. H. Bequees, Miss.; A. B. Roman, La.; F. 
Kinsman, Ohio; R. Mallory,Kentucky; Dr. John Shelby,Tennessee; 
John L. Robinson, la.; S. A. Douglass, Ill.; David R. Atehinson, 
Missouri: T. B. Flurnoy, Ark.; James L. Congar, Mich.; Dr. Sim¬ 
mons Baker, Florida; T. A. Rusk, Texas; W. F. Coolbaugh, Iowa; 
James D. Doty, Wis.; Kilburn W. Boggs, Cal.; J. F. Callan, Dist. 
of Columbia; S. M. Baird, New-Mexico; Alex. Ramsay, Minneso¬ 
ta; Joseph Lane, Oregon; Joseph L. Hayes, Utah. 
Executive Committee —C. B. Calvert, Md.; J. A. King, N. Y.; 
Dr. A. L. Elwyn, Pa.; W. B. Newton, Va.; J. D. Weston, Wis. 
Corresponding Secretary —Daniel Lee. 
Recording Secretary— Robert C. Walker. 
Treasurer —W T illiam Selden. 
The business committee reported a resolution asking 
of Congress the establishment of a Bureau of Agricul¬ 
ture, which was discussed at great length by Messrs. Gen¬ 
try, of Tenn; Douglass, of Illinois; Henry, of 'Washing¬ 
ton; Holcomb, of Delaware, and others—some of the 
speakers preferring that the subject of Agriculture should 
be made a branch of the Smithsonian Institution, instead 
of an independent department of government. The re¬ 
solution was finally so modified as to ask Congress to do 
what in its wisdom it should deem most expedient for the 
interests of Agriculture, and thus modified, was adopted. 
Previous to adjournment, after a three days session, 
the delegates in a body, visited the President of the U. 
States. The President was addressed on the part of the 
delegates, by Col. Wilder, to w r hich he made a brief and 
pertinent reply. 
Application of Guano. —C. M. Hovey, a skilful cul¬ 
tivator at Boston, who u finds a vast difference in favor 
of this manure over stable dung, costing twice the amount 
of the guano,” has found much to depend on the season 
of its application. Most of the failures in our compara¬ 
tively dry and hot climate, are the result of applying too 
late. He spreads it on the ground very early in the spring, 
so as to become thoroughly dissolved by the rains. A 
wet time should be chosen, and the surface of the earth 
disturbed, [by raking or harrowing,] so as to bury and 
mix it. 
