taken, and if they can not be persuaded to take a part with us in the labor to be performed, induce them, at least, to become contributing members. Neither the labor of the performance of such an undertaking, nor the glory that must ensue from its valuable results, should be allowed to continue the exclusive privilege of a few devoted men. Science and Art, as well as their excellent results, are the heritage of every son of our glorious republic, and each one of them should feel in duty bound to lend his hand to forward some good work for the common good. STRANGERS AND GUESTS. Rejoice with me, my fellow laborers, in this vineyard; you, now too few, alas! who have continued these many years, sometimes with little help, and almost without hope of success. Rejoice with me at the prospect before us. Here, in a new arena for our society, we find that our friends and co-laborers have stirred up a noble spirit of love and welcome among their neighbors to greet our approach. Such a manifestation is cheering to our hearts, and may be taken as an earnest of the valuable accessions to our ranks which we may expect among them. over the With me too, extend the hand of a warm welcome to our friends from " border," who had been induced to come to our annual love-feast, with their offerings to Pomona, who is to them so gracious in her gifts as almost to make us jealous of her favored proteges. Not only has Michigan sent her sons, but here we are rejoiced to see delegates from the rich plateaus of Indiana, and we had hoped also to have seen some from the broad savannahs of the glorious Prairie State, on the one hand, and from the billowy swells that flank the Alleghenies on the other side of us, progressive cultivators to aid us with their accumulated stores of observation in our favorite department. In conclusion, allow me to thank you all for your patience. In the name of the Ohio Pomological Society, I thank you all for the beautiful welcome you have given us, for the interest you have manifested in our welfare. The chill of your boreal atmosphere, now even hyperborean, yields, as melts the hoar frost 'neath a vernal sun, when it is warmed by such demonstrations of fraternal sympathy as those which greet and cheer us here on every side. Our young sister, the Horticultural Society of Toledo, has become at once matronly and majestic, when she donned the robe and assumed the office of hostess to her senior visitant, the Ohio Pomological Society. May an honorable and loving rivalry in good works long continue to commemorate this event. NOTE.-During the sessions we had visitors from Illinois, from Pennsylvania, and from New York. OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE OHIO POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 1864. President-DR. J. A. WARDER, Cincinnati. Sec'y and Treasurer-M. B. BATEHAM, Painesville. G. W. CAMPBELL, Delaware, Jos. Perkins, Cleveland. Dr. E. Taylor, 8. D. Harris, 66 66 Capt. Danl. Stewart, West Cleveland. A. B. Buttles, Columbus. A. G. Hanford, Members of the Committee ad interim with the above Officers. F. Pentland, Cincinnati. Thos. W. Johnson, 66 Dr. Jos. Taylor, 66 Wm. Heaver, D. Kenyon, T. V. Petticolas, Mt. Carmel. J. M. Millikin, Hamilton. John Laughry, Rockville, Adams Co. 66 Edgar Westervelt, Galena. Members of the Society who have not paid their annual fee ($1) for 1863, are requested to remit the same by mail to the Treasurer; and if they do not expect to be present at the annual meeting, they can at same time remit for the year 1864. It is proposed to revise the Constitution of the Society, at the next annual meeting; and provide for indexing the last three or four Reports, so that they may be bound in one volume, for convenient reference. Observe that the Secretary and Treasurer has changed his residence from Columbus to Painesville, O. Address, April, 1864. М. В. ВАТЕНАМ, LAWS OF OHIO FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE. AN ACT For the encouragement of Agriculture. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That whenever thirty or more persons, residents of any county or district embracing two counties of this State, shall organize themselves into a society for the improvement of agriculture within said county or district, and shall have adopted a constitution and by-laws, agreeably to the rules and regulations to be furnished by the Ohio State Board of Agriculture, hereinafter created, and shall have ap. pointed the usual and proper officers; and when the said society shall have raised and paid to their treasurer, by voluntary subscription, or by fees imposed upon its members, any sum of money in each year, not less than fifty dollars; and whenever the president of said society shall certify to the respective county auditors, the amount thus paid, attested by the oath of the treasurer before a magistrate, it shall be the duty of the said county auditors, embraced within the district in which such society shall be organized, to draw an order on the treasurer of the respective county, in favor of the president and treasurer of said society, for a sum equal to the amount thus raised; provided it does not exceed half a cent to each inhabitant to the said county, upon the basis of the last previous national census, but not to exceed in any county the sum of two hundred dollars, and it shall be the duty of the treasurer of the said county to pay the same. SEC. 2. That it shall be the duty of the several county or district societies which may be formed under the provisions of the preceding section, during the continuance of this act, annually to offer and award premiums for the improvement of soils, tillage, crops, manures, imple. ments, stock, articles of domestic industry, and such other articles, productions and improvements, as they may deem proper, and may perform all such acts as they may deem best calculated to promote the agricultural and the household manufacturing interests of the district and of the State; and it shall also be their duty, so to regulate the amount of premiums and the different grades of the same, as that it shall be competent for small as well as large farmers to have an opportunity to compete therefor; and in making their awards, special reference shall be had to the profits which may accrue, or be likely to accrue, from the improved mode of raising the crop, or of improving the soil or stock, or of the fabrication of the articles thus offered, with the intention that the premium shall be given for the most economical mode of improvement; and that all persons offering to compete for premiums, on improved modes of tillage, or the produotion of any crops, or other articles, shall be required, before such premiums are adjusted, to de liver to the awarding committee a full and correct statement of the process of such mode of tillage or production, and the expense and value of the same, with a view of showing accurately the profits derived or expected to be derived therefrom. |