New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-16
MEETING OF THE UNITED STATES
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. -~-
Corre,ps ndssee Of The n. T. Tribune

power wealth and position in the country are here
met to do homage 10 the rank OF the husbandman.
The meeting was called 10 order at lO3 a. M, by
the Pre- sident Marshall 2. Wilder, who introduced
the President of the United States and Gov. John
son of Tennessee, which distinguished gentlemen
were seated at either side Of the Chair. The trst
business in order was the reading Of a letter from
the Secretary, W. s. King esq, resgniug his post;
which, on I1o1on, was accepted, and Major b.
Perey POOre,' of wheelbarrOw fame appointed TO
act pro TEN.
Tie President next proceeded to deliver an adj
dress replete with valuable suggestions and inter
estng "reminiscences. He stated tina. the attend
suce at the late Fair he'd at Philadelphia, had on
one day reached as high as 10000 persOns. The
actual cash receipts from all sources amounted TO
little over LOCO, ard the disbursements for
premiums and expenses were about 10000, leay-
ing balance in the hand Of the Tressurer-deduct-
ing sundry matters still unpaid and adding previous
amounts on hand-of 81 or thereabouts. he reco.
mended reduction in amount of premiums and
other expenses to form the commencement OF
fund.
He then passed in review the several important
issues developed during the late Fair, prominent
among which he placed the Report of the Commit
tee on Discretionary Premiums The readers OF
The TRIBUNE will rem ember the novel position
assun ed by this Committee and the analogous sug-
gestions of our reporter, published in New York
simultaneously with the report of the Committee
in Philadelphia 1t assumed that an award oy
Judges (Often incOmpetent) on agricultural nipple
meIts, based upon mere passive exhibition at the
Fair grounds, could scarce ever be considered "A
real iest of merit and that the only proper method
consistent with exact justice to the manufacturer,
the Society AID the farmer, was Ia decide uponu
actual TRIAL IN THE FIELD, at the same time re-
ommendng the institution Of q purely national
trial under the auspices of the Society The just
ness of this position has been evidenced by the
= nhurn Of tnnr
agricultural and other. President Wilder entered
into protracted argument in its support, and
recommended the appointment of Committee,
with liberal powers, To consider 1t.
He next referred 10 the SORGHUM Sacchamm,
and gave a deserved eulogy to the successful
experiments Of Col. Peters of Georgia, and the
labors of Mr.. D. j. Browne of the Patent Office
and Others in its dissemination, showing by de
tailed statistics IFS probable power to add TO our
national wealth and it's bearing upon Northern as
well as Southern husbandry. Then followed "A
somewhat lengthy piece of pleading in favor of the
exhibition of horses at Fairs and an emphatic denial
of premiums having been awarded for racing quail
ties. Our views on the rights and wrongs OF inns
question have been too fully given heretofore 70
need recapitulaton at this time. 1t seems that,
according to the Patent Office Report, the value OF
our horses il $500 600 600, or three-fourths az
much as that of all the hOr ed cattle in the United
States and hence argues Mr.. Wilder the full and
fair exhibition of their good points as well for
speed and action as for strength and beauty, Is
called for at our Fairs.
After reference to the fact of Overtures having
been made by various cities to secure the location
of the next Fair, he CLOSED with the expression OF
a desire TO resign his post President, but prom
isDg a hearty cooperation in the future laoors OF
the SCciety-earnestly urging however, that the
members should, at the earliest possible opportu.
nifty, secure the establishment OF an agricultural
Department at Washington with Secretary OF
equal rank and consequence with the other Cabinet
officers.
Mir. II. A. Dyer of Connecticut moved a vote of
thanks to President Wilder for his valued services
since bis first incumbency; and
Mr. B. B. French moved reference OF the Adj
dress 10 three Committees to carry out It's sug-
gestiOns:
First: As to the time and place of holding the next
Fair.
Discretionary Premium Committee as to the National
Field Trial Of Impement-i and.
Thru: A Committee 10 gather together facts con-
corning the Sorghum or Chinese Sugar Cane both by
personal investigation and correspondence with dis
lin FL cd e1peTimeners III our own country, Europe
snd Africa.
Which motion was seconded and carried
Col Chas b. Calvert of Nd. strongly objected
to the enormous expenditures at the fairs, aud
stigmatized these exhibitions of cattle and horses
As miserable affairs when compared with the real
objects of the Society. He said the National
fairs did not excel the displays of the State
Societies: preferred the accumulation OF
fund for wOrthier objects; urged the power OF
united farmers and hoped the Society would
not adjourn without the election of Perma-
peut Secretary, with suitable salary. He instanced
the protection of the commercial and manufacturing
interests by our Government, and dealt the EXecu-
tive some pretty severe blows, which Mr.. Franklin
Pierce and Secretary Guthrie took with commend
able amiability.
Gen Kimme of Nd, and other gentlemen, took
part in the discussion; AID Mr. Humphrey Mar
Shall Of Ky. thought the popular voice had been
strongly favorable to these exhibitions.
The application Of Lexington, KY, for the next
Fair was withdrawn in favor of Louisville, in the
| same State. Secretary Guthrie intlmated his ap-
| poin,ment as agent in the matter of Louisville,
| and hoped the farmers would consent TO come TO
| Kentucky.
The President appointed Messrs John Jones, of
Del, Kellogg of Mass, Richardson of N. Y, aud
| Geo. Hartshorue Of n. j., Committee on the
| next exhibitions;
| Messrs Clements of Pa, and Fowler of Mass,
| Auditors of Accounts; and
A Committee to nominate officers, comprising
| gentlemen representative OF twenty States.
At this juncture the proceedings were interrupted
by the arrival of three boxes of splendid apples,
present from an Agricultural Society in OREGON,
and amid some mirth they were referred to a tast-
| ing Committee composed of Messrs. Dyer, Pierce
of d. c., and W. K. Prince of n Y.
The Committee on the Trial of Implements were:
Messrs Tench Tilghman of Nd, G. Z. Waring,
jr., Of y. Y, Henry S. OlcOtt of n. Y, j. 1.
Wsrder, Springfield, Ohio, Jno. D. Lang, Maine.
Col. KinImell Of Md, moved the election Of Geo.
Peabody, esq, the American Banker of London,
as Honorary member, and subsequently seconded
by Metsrs. Fowler of Mass, aud Prince of n. T.,
as Representative of this Society to the Royal Ag-
ricultura Society of England, and the Central I'm
perial Society Of France, which were unanimously