265 
THE CULTIVATOR. • 
1851. 
of a century would present , and confusion and dissatis¬ 
faction would follow. The members should consider that 
there could be no possibility of their receiving less re¬ 
turn from the society than the value of their annual 
subscription, and should wait patiently the judgment of 
their officers in regard to matters of general utility. 
Almost the first measure executed, should be the care¬ 
ful and complete survey of the territory covered by the 
society. This might be carried on before the completion of 
the laboratory, &c., and should be conducted by the chem¬ 
ist to the society. Its results should be mapped, illustrat¬ 
ing the geology of the county, with particular reference to 
the relations between the transported or disintegrated 
surface materials—soils j and those in place, or rocks. 
Care should be taken to bring into notice whatever na¬ 
tural fertilizers might be found; particular inquiries 
should be instituted with regard to the peculiarities of 
soil, climate, produce, culture, stock, &c. &c. Speci¬ 
mens illustrative of points of interest should be collect¬ 
ed for the cabinet, and for laboratory investigation. 
Advice and suggestions for the guidance of the farmer 
should be offered, and the chemist should pass from vil¬ 
lage to village, visiting the farmers at their homes; en¬ 
couraging them in their pursuits ; bringing them to some 
audience room and giving them evening lectures. He 
should visit their schools, and urge the introduction of 
scientific agriculture as an essential branch of study. 
He should seek out the young who are manifesting em¬ 
inent intellectual tastes in natural science, and foster and 
direct their efforts. 
He could thus acquire such a knowledge of the natu¬ 
ral capabilities of the soil of his district as would aid 
him in giving advice, and enable him to adopt the best 
means of benefiting the whole society. He would gain 
favor among the people, procure many new members to 
the society, and command for it a degree of confidence 
and consideration that would prove highly advantageous. 
It is obvious that another person, a competent analyst, 
could be very profitably employed in constant atten¬ 
dance at the laboratory, occupied with analytical investi¬ 
gation. The attention of the professor, (I can think of 
no other word that is of such general and convenient ap¬ 
plication,) would be much required, after the comple¬ 
tion of the preliminary survey, ia.lecturing and visiting 
the various parts of the county, on errands connected 
with his duties, so that the laboratory operations would 
not be so rapidly prosecuted as would be desirable, with¬ 
out assistance. This assistance might be furnished by 
young men of proper ability—such as may everywhere 
be found—who would be glad to work in the laboratory, 
receiving instructions in return for their services. 
The laboratory should at once be occupied with some 
leading investigation of general utility. Such as analy¬ 
ses of soils and rocks from the various geological forma¬ 
tions ; researches for improving the mainly pursued bran¬ 
ches of husbandry, as the dairy, or the staple crops, &c. 
Attention should be directed successively , as fast as pos¬ 
sible, to the elucidation of the more immediately inte¬ 
resting points of practice; the action of fertilizers; the 
best'methods of feeding, &c. Subjects for investigation 
would rapidly multiply. Peculiarities of soil, crop, or 
manure, would speedily be presented for examination, 
and all who clearly understand the principles of philo¬ 
sophical research, need not be told how satisfactory 
and profitable such inquiries must of necessity be. The 
suggestions of laboratory investigation might be practi¬ 
cally exemplified upon the farms of liberal and enter¬ 
prising members. Plans for experimental inquiry might 
be distributed, and their successful prosecution be re¬ 
warded with premiums. 
For the cabinet, collections should be made by the 
Professor or by competent persons, all subject to his ap¬ 
proval. The offer of premiums for special suites of local 
specimens; for example the native grasses, the wood, 
flower and fruit of the forest trees. Insects injurious 
to grains, in all their various stages, &e. &c., would 
both increase the value of the cabinet, and encourage 
scientific studies among the young. 
In course of time it might become expedient to pub¬ 
lish an annual volume of transactions, thus rendering 
the society’s contributions to agriculture permanent and 
generally accessible. 
The annual meeting of such a society would possess 
unusual interest. The cattle show and fair would ne¬ 
cessarily far exceed in attraction those conducted in the 
usual manner. The dissemination of scientific truth, 
and the impulse it must give its recipients would crowd 
these exhibitions with things worthy to be seen. A new 
standard of agricultural excellence must spring up, and 
the advance of farming would carry along the farmers. 
Besides it would be generally understood that in addition 
to seeing more than the usual sights, many things might 
be learned , thus greatly improving upon the present con¬ 
dition of county fairs. Money premiums, I venture to 
suggest, should be very rarely awarded. It does not 
argue very far sighted philanthropy to return to the 
members of a society the identical commodity that has 
been collected from them, and of which there is good 
reason to suppose there is enough left among them. 
The premiums should consist of something valuable 
which the farmer would not ordinarily be liable to pro¬ 
cure. Books, instruments, new varieties of seed, scions 
and cuttings-mf fruit trees, ornamental shrubs, house 
plants, the services of the society’s laboratory, &c. would 
be most proper. Costly medals are better adapted to 
tickle vanity than to subserve any useful purpose. In 
all cases a certificate of award should accompany pre¬ 
miums. 
I have thus sketched roughly the outlines of an ideal 
picture, which I hope, for the sake of American agri¬ 
culture, may soon find many realizations, each wrought 
by some master-hand and finished in all its details. I 
could enlarge upon some points of this plan and intro¬ 
duce others. I might furnish a draft of the building 
&c. but want of space forbids. I conclude by asking the 
opinions of practical and scientific men concerning the 
feasibility of the scheme. Saml. W. Johnson, Dep. of 
Philosophy and the Arts , Yale College, Ct. 
Protection against the Curculio._ We have heard 
of some instances where the fumigation of trees with 
brimstone, seemed to protect plums from this insect. 
Mr. J. R. Howard informs us that Mr. C. H. Hall, of 
Bluerock, Ohio, has for several years pursued the fol¬ 
lowing with advantage: “ He melts sulphur and dips in 
it woolen rags, which are tied to the end of a pole, and 
at twilight he fumigates the trees. This he does twice a 
week, and it is so offensive that the insects leave the or¬ 
chard. The practice has always been successful.” 
