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‘.i"~!'i§A.hMEhi‘>" colossal... AM IZCMEEEMSIAIL AEVEETESEEX.

Estalillsnee 1823.

Charlottetown, P. E. Island, Saturday, February 17, 1855.

New Series. No. 215.

' JROYLL AGRICULTURAL SGCIETY.

< February 7th, 1855. P It I s I.‘ N -r : Jeremiah Simpson, Esq., Vice President.

Hon. J udge Peters,

James W kinshaw, Esq., Hon. W. W. Lord, G. Wright, Esq., Mr. George Smith, C. Ilaszard, Esq.

A Report from Mr. John M. Stark, School Visitor, on the subject of Lectures delivered by him in various parts of the Island during the past year, in relation to Agricultural Chemistry, was read, and ordered that the same be published with the minutes of this meeting.

To the Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society,

Gentlemen;

The ﬁrst er of my services under the Government of this Colonv aving lately terminated, I have now the h or of laying ore you a statement of my exertions in bat deparstigicnt of my labors whose interests are fostered by

r cie . “The diliiiihlties, which to a stranger attend travellingin this country, and my ignorance of the various localities and the consequent impossibility of forming lans beforehand, irevented me om lecturin in the Country Districts (luring ﬁrst circuit of Schoo Inspection. It was also my wish, the my first Lectures should be delivered in Charlotte- lown, wlrlch desire was carried out in the month of April. 1 then delivered a course of three Lectures on Agricultural Illiemi , the principal points of which were as follows: lecture irst, A iculture, its importance; connection wi the other -natur Sciences, specially Chemistry; Chemical Action, what it is, and how manifested in the structure of eeptables; the points in which Agriculture cxhibitei as a Science, and the aspects under which it is re rded as gnAit:the necessit of strenuous exertions to fort erScien- tlﬁe A icultue. cturc Second. The conditions on which b Is life depends, the soil, its mechanical uses, its ties, clayey, sandy, and calcareous, [with their «distinctive pro rties; deep and surface ploughin and drainin witht e culisr advantages of the ﬁrst: a mix- ture o soils; d’ rence ween or nic and inorganic substances; the organic and inor nic ingredients of the aoil~ ﬁe formation of soil, ohemica and mechanical; con- elmioa, scientiﬁc knowledge in its relation to intellectual developement and moral sentiments. Lecture Third. The plant and the soil in their mutual relations; the structure

lid food of plants: how that food is obtained, and the organs which absorb and assimilate it to the structure of the plant; exhaustion of the soil by continual cropping; history of colonial agriculture; personal observations on thk Island; modes by which the fertility of land can mainbinedor restored when lost, viz : rotation of crops and nianurlng, uses and advantages of several kinds of manure, recapitulation of the whole, concluding with the intimate connection between the animal, vegetable, and mineral creations.

I have lectured at the following places.

New Glasgow, Cascumpcc, Lot 11, Bed ue, Tryon, Head of St. Peter's Bay, East Point, Souris, Bay ortune, Launch- ing, Georgetown, Murra Harbour, White Sands, Vernon River, Mount Mellick 49,) Park Corner, Princetown, Cavendish.

The above central localities re resented u wards of seventy School Districts. In severa other loca ities, such as St. Eleanor’s, Tignish, and Belfast, I announced my intention of Lecturing, but the intimation not being made

ublic enough. or from some other cause, suﬁcient au iences

id not turn out

The reception which I have every where met with, is alike gratifying and satisfactory to me, as it indicates on the part of the people an earnest desire to become a nainted with the principles on which alone Scientiﬁc Agriculture has its basis, a science intimately connected with every department oflife in this fcrtilo colony. But though I linvo found attentive listeners, and many minds eager for infor- mation and improvement, 1 have met with few of the indus- trious pi-action farmers, who possess the knowlcd is neces- sary to lit them for fully appreciating what; is pure y scien- tific, even when siin ililied mid brought home to the concerns of their every day ifo. 'l‘hc chief benctit to bo derived at

resent from such Lectures, is the awakening ofn spirit of interest and inquiry, which will stimulate the fariiicrs by rcadiii and swdy, to fit I.llClllSL‘l\'(‘S for rccciving the full advantage ol the hints and suggestions wliici are thrown out for tlx ir assistance.

I have distributed upwards of two hundred copies of Professor Johnston's admirable Chatechism of Agricultural Chemistry and Goolo , with a larger number of Judge Peters’ usoful “ Ilints, which have been supplied to me by your Secretary. The Catechism, I have for the most part,

T. Petbick Esq., Hon. J. Warburton,

put into the hands of the Teachers, as the disseminators of nowledge in their res ctive Districts, with the earnest recommendation to stu y its contents, preparatory to its introduction as a class book for the advanced pupils. When any intellectual reform or improvement is projected, it is always the best policy to direct the most strenuous clforts to the young, and I trust that ere long in ever School that enjoys the advantage of having an intelligent eacher, the School Inspector wil be able to examine a class of older boys on the elements of Agricultural Chemistry. When that time does arrive. we may iudul e the hope that the youthful farmers will enter on their abors with such an amount of scientiﬁc knowledge as will prove highly valuable to them. Before Agricultural Chimistry can be made a branch of instruction in the Schools, it will be nccessar that some provision should be made for supplying the Sclioo s with Johnston's Catechism at a cheap rate; nor could we expect that such a branch could be taught with success, till it is rendered im rative that the Teachers should capable of undergoing an examination on the subject, before entering on their duties. I have the honor to be. _ - Gentlemen, your obedient servant, JOIIN if Sraax, Inspector of Schools.

Ordered, That the Secretary do write to Messrs. Black- wood and Son, the publishers of Professor Johnston's Agri- °'|1¢|I1’3l V0350. requesting them to forward by the that op- portunity, ﬁw Copies of -the “Agricultural Catechism," and 50 Copied‘ of the " Element! of Agricultural Chemistry and Geology."

Ordered, That a few Dushels of Black Oats be imported from England for Seed. Also, that the Durham Bull ordered from England by last Mail, be insured against all accidents of whatever nature or description on his passage out.

Ordered, That 0. Haaxard Esq., be paid for the keep of the Durham Bull, (Island bred) for the space of 3} months, at the rate of 30s. per month.

The following memorial to the Legislature praying for a Grant in aid of the importation of Horses, was read and ordered to be engrossed and presented on the meeting of the Legislature. [See House of Assembly Report.]

A communication from his Honour Judge Peters, on the introduction of an improved system in the cultivation of certain lands on this Island was laid before the Board, read and ordered to be printed with the minutes of this meeting.

Sidmount, 5th February, 1855.

Charles Stewart, Esq., Secretary R. A. Society.

Sir,—ln a shooting excursion last September at the East Point, I passed over many hundreds of acres of Cape lands on the North side, the system of cultivating which, might, I thinkbe much improved. The course generally pursued on them at resent appears to be, to take one or two crops of Oats or rley and then leave them without rass seed to recover themselves by rest and pasture, (if t e scanty- herbage thrown up for some years deserves the name).

The saline manures brought on totheselands by the a re from the sea, undoubtedly tends greatly to keep up 1'. eir fertility, and it is certainly astonishing to see the grain crops which, notwithstanding a long continued exhausting system, they still yield, but if a mode of culture practicable to every fariuer can be suggested which will probably in- crease their productiveness, I think all will admit it, at least, worth a trial, the system of recn inanuring applied to these lands, would, I think, have t is clfect. That system is brietl this: The land is sown with Buckwheat from the 15th unc to 1st July, about the end of August or the ﬁrst of September, when the crop is in blossom and just before the seed is formed, it is ploughed in; before ploughing. a roller should bo passed over it to lay the crop lint, taking care that the roller goes up one side of the intended ridge and down the other, so that, at the crown of the ridge the crop lics both \\‘.‘l_\'.‘i, by this nicniis the ploiigli always runs as the liulcwlioat llllrl and the whole is perfectly covered by tho furrow. 'l‘li.- land is then ready for u grain crop in the spring, and Illi‘. land on the Capes living iilrcady -.ihuiid- antly Sl.|]lplI(‘ll by the spray with saline llIilll|ll‘C, and thus rcfrcslicd with \'cg«-l.-ibli-. iiiiittcr (in which. tliruii-,;li ii long coiitiiiucd sifsiciii of cxliiiiistioii) it is now (l\'lli3lL‘ilI, iiuulil possess the two iigri-llionts usually C0ll.~ll4lL‘l‘Ctl cssciitiul in rendering soils pi'uniilcll\'0. An American iigricultiirist, speaking on this mil-jcct, says: “Tho systc-in of green iiianuriiig has, within it few years, been extensively adopted in some of the older settled portions of tho United States. Its results have been cniirolv successful when sicudily pur-

sued , and i~r:t'i a dim consideration of the object sougli tend

the means by which they are to be accoinplislied, lands in many parts of our Eastern States which have been wdrn out by iinprovident cultivation, and unsaleable at ten dollars per_acre, have by this means, while steadily romuneratin their proprietors by the returning crops for the outla o labour and expense, been brought up in value to fiftydolfarl per acre.”

I have seen this system extensively ractised in New Brunswick with immense advantage, and have tried it in this Island with inlly satisfactory results, but beside an increase in crop, think the cultivators of these Cape lands would find another advantage from this syhtem. I have generally observed that cats sown on land on which a green crop has been ploughed in, like cats on potato or turnip land. ripen earlier than when sown on ley—a circumstance of great iiuportanco in exposed situations such as the Capes on the North side, where grain is so apt to be bli hted by the gallon usually occurring about the first of Septenﬁier.

may be wrong in sup osin this system of green manuring to be peculiarly ii apte to these Cape lands, but I feel great conﬁdence in its results and am very anxious to see it fairly tried. I therefore enclose two pounds to be oﬂered as a premium to the person who shall, in the summer of 1855, manure in the way pointed out, the largest uantity of land. not less than one bushel of buckwheat to sown

r acre, to be competed for b persons residin on the

orth side of Townships No. 4 , 43, 44, 45, an 46, not less than one acre to entitle a rscn to coin etc, and the prize not to be awarded unless t ere shall be t rec competi-

tors; com etitors to make an affidavit stating the qu_anti3'

of hind p oughcd. the quantity of seed sown, the time sowing, and t c time of ploughing in the green crop, such aﬁidavit to be transmitted to the Secretary of Be al Agricultural Society, on or before the first da of

next when the person appearing to have 0 the largest quantity of green crop willbedecl]: to the Prize. I am Sir, .

Tour obedient servant

Jeans 11. Pxrlse.

Public Meeting ofthe Orwell North School District In - aid of the Patriotic Fund-

This Meeting was held in the School House on Wednesday evening the 10th inst., John McDougsll I"uq., in the Chair.

lst. On motion, it was resolved, that a Committee be formed to co-operate with the Central Committee in Char- lottetown, in furtherance of the objects of the Meeting.

2d. On motion, it was resolved, that the Committee be composed of the following persons, vix :

Committee-—John McDou ll, ., Orwell, Chairman; Messrs. An us McQueen, rvvell, bert S. Findley, do. Alexander A cLeod, do. Alexander McDougall, do. Alexander Curry, do. Thomas Furness, Vernon River, James Sherran, do., Henry Iluntl , do., Archibald McDonald, do., John Brooks, Teacher, &cretary and Treasurer.

3d. On motion, it was resolved, that the District be divided into four divisions, and that Messrs. William Fin- ley, Allan McDougall, John Furness, and John McLeod, be appointed to solicit subscriptions therein.

At the close of the Public Meeting the following subscrip- tion list was opened.

We, the undersigned, do hereby agree to pay the sums annexed to our respective names, in aid of the Patriotic Fund, to be appropriated to the relief of such widows, and orphans, who, by the loss of their husbands, and parents in battle, or by active service in the present war, are unable to maintain or support themselves.

Robert S. Finle , £1 I0 0 John Furness, scnr. 0 I0 0 John illcllougall, 0 3 9 Thomas Furncss, O 5 0 William Finley, 0 10 0 John Furness, jun 0 S 8 John .\lcQueeri, 0 8 0 John Brooks, 0 5 0 Allan .'tlcl)oug:ill, 0 I0 0 James Slicrren, son. 0 2 0 Angus '.\lcl~l,ueeii, 0 4 0 James Shorren, jun. 0 3 0 Iliiiicriii .\l«:l)ougnn, 0 3 0 Donald Murchison, 0 3 0 llliilcolni Gilli-i, 0 0 6 \'V'illiam Carr, 0 3 0 I)i>n;i|.l .\lcI)niiiild, 0 1 6 \Vil|iiim Cloncy, 0 I 6 Peter Nicliavlsinn 0 6 3 James Kicglily, 0 I 6 .-\l:-x. .\lcl.i.-od. 0 9 3 Ioliu clmod. 0 3 6 Allan llcllongall, 0 5 0 J.iiiins Currie, 0 2 6 ;\lo (‘.urry, 0 l 6 Aiiiuuiit Jiiveiiile List, 0 5 10 Aim. fill-.l)ougiill, 0 3 9 Alexander Nicholson, 0 1 G Ililllllil Curry, 0 2 0 ————- Iloiiry llunily, 0 6 0 7 I0 4

The uudi.-rsigiieil begs to acknowledge the receipt of the above sums frpm \lr. .l(‘lIll llrooks, Teacher, Orwell, North District, Treasurer of Local I‘.itriclic Coiiiiiiiilcc.

'I'iiicoi-iiinus Drsllnisar, 'l‘reasiircr of Patriotic Fund.