water from standing about them, and have them ripe if possible before the blight comes.

Mr. Chandler's views of the cause of the potato disease, partially coincide with those already expressed, further adding that keeping potatoes out of the ground seven months in the year is absolutely injurious to successful cultivation.

The committee feel somewhat delicate, but are obliged to say that Mr. Chandler's theory lacks two essential particulars:

First originality; second, evidence to substantiate.

This committee would report that the same views in regard to the cause of the potato rot, has been brought before the society several pre'vious years by Mr. Roberts, and the originality of the discovery, as claimed, must be awarded to him.

Mr. Chandler furnishes no satisfactory evidence of the success of his theory, and we would recommend to him to pursue farther investigations, as this subject is of great importance.

Mr. Roberts fails in proving the cause of the potato disease, but offers many valuable suggestions in regard to prevention. That he has succeeded in improving the potato, and preventing the rot, so far as he is concerned, is abundantly proved. But it must be recollected that the rot has not been bad for the last year or two, and that his experiments have been conducted under the most favorable circumstances.

In view of the favorable results of Mr. Roberts' system of culture, we would recommend that a discretionary premium of twenty dollars be awarded to him, to assist him in further prosecuting his inquiries.

And the committee would recommend that the premium of $100 00 as offered by this society, for satisfactory evidence of a discovery of the cause and a permanent cure of the potato rot, be continued.

J. W. DICKINSON,

SAML. M. BARTLETT,
JUSTUS GAGE,

Committee.

FIELD CROPS.

The committee on field crops report that but one entry has been made in that class, viz: a crop of carrots, by S. M. Bartlett of Lasalle,

Monroe Co., and that having examined the statements of Mr. Bartlett in reference thereto, we think him entitled to, and therefore we award him the first premium for a crop of carrots, $5 00.

CARROTS.-STATEMENT OF S. M. BARTLETT.

Statement of Carrot Crop entered for premium at the Michigan State Fair, for the year 1854.

The lot contains 42 rods of ground, has had carrots on it four successive crops; was plowed twice this spring, one foot deep; was sown in drills 18 inches apart, on the 18th day of May; the quantity of seed † lb.

Cost of plowing and planting, with seed,

1854, June 1. To 1 day's hoeing,.

30. To 14 days' hoeing and thinning,. "July 2d. 1 day's hoeing and thinning,

$2 00

1 00

1 50

100

1 00 1.00

1 00

$8 50

This crop was gathered on the 2d and 3d days of November; the yield of 40 rods or of an acre was 236 bushels. The cost of gathering was one dollar per hundred, making the cost of raising and storing 4 cents and 6-10 per bushel. They are worth according to my experience nearly or quite as much per bushel as oats for feeding purposes.

S. M. BARTLETT.

LASALLE, MONRE Co., MICH., Nov. 12th 1854.

AWARDS TO COUNTIES.

The commitee on awards to county Agricultural Societies, would respectfully report that the amount of cash premiums taken at the State Fair, by the counties herein named, with the respective population of each as taken from the census of 1850, is as follows:

Your committee would report in favor of awarding to Hillsdale county, twenty copies of the Transactions as offered in the premium list, for taking the greatest amount of premiums in proportion to population and facilities for getting to the Fair.

Your committee would also report that sufficient evidence of the best organized county society, has not been presented, and recommend that no premium be awarded, but that the same premium be offered for the ensuing year.

J. W. DICKINSON,

H. METZ,

JOHN STARKWEATHER,

Committee.

MANAGEMENT OF FARMS.

Committee to examine farms and report to the executive committee

at its annual meeting in December:

S. M. BARTLETT, Lasalle, Monroe county,

A. Y. MOORE, Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo county,

C. W. GREEN, Farmington, Oakland county.

Premiums will be awarded by the executive committee, at its annual meeting, in December, 1854.

For the best cultivated farm, reference being had to the cultivation,

stock, improvements, expenses and products, &c., $50 00

For the 2d best do., -

For the 3d best do.,..

For the 4th best do.,....

30 00

20 00

10 00

Any person making application for the premiums must answer the following questions.

The object in requiring answers to these questions being to elicit information, it is expected the answers will be written out as much in detail as possible.

All who furnish full answers to the questions will receive premiums in addition to the premiums offered above, consisting of the Society's Diploma, and one or two volumes of the Society's Transactions, according to the value of such reports:

SOILS, &C.

1. Of how much land does your farm consist? and how much wood, waste, and improved land respectively?

2. What is the nature of your soil and sub-soil? Is there limestone in it?

3. What do you consider as the best mode of improving the different kinds of soil on your farm? of clay, if you have it? of sandy soil, and of gravelly soil? Answer respectively.

4. What depth do you plow? What effect has deep plowing had on your various soils?

5. Have you made any experiments to test the difference in the succeeding crop, between shallow, common, or deep plowing?

6. Have you used the double, or sub-soil plow? and what have been its effects on different soils and crops? Have you drained any of your lands? if so, what soils, and with what results ?

7. What trees and plants are indigenous to your soil? Give the name of each.

MANURES.

8. How many loads of manure (30 bushels per load) do you usually apply per acre? How do you manage your manure? Is it kept under cover, or are there cellars under your barns or stables for receiving it?

9. How is your manure applied; whether in its long or green state,

or in compost? For what crops, or under what circumstances do you prefer using it, either in a fresh or rotten state?

10. Have you used lime, plaster, guano, salt, or any other substance not in common use as manure? In what manner were they used, and with what results?

TILLAGE CROPS.

11. How many acres of land do you till; and with what crops are they occupied, and how much of each crop?

12. What is the amount of seed planted or sown for each crop, the time of sowing, the mode of cultivating, and of harvesting, and the product per acre? Have any insects been found injurious to your crops? If so, describe them, and the remedies adopted.

13. How deep do you have manure covered in the earth for different crops and different soils?

14. Have your potatoes been affected with any peculiar defect or disease, and have you been able to discover any clearly proved cause for it, or found any remedy?

GRASS LANDS, &C.

15. What kind of grasses do you use? How much seed of clover or the various kinds of grass do you sow to the acre? At what season of the year do you sow! and what is the manner of seeding? What kinds of grass are best adapted to lands used for dairy purposes?

16. How many acres do you mow for hay, and what is the average product? At what stage do you cut grass, and what is your mode of making hay?

17. Is any of your mowing land unsuitable for the plow, and what is your mode of managing such land?

18. Have you reclaimed any low, bog or peat lands? What was the mode pursued, the crops raised, and what success?

19. Have you succeeded in eradicating the weeds from your farm? If so, by what methods, and what weeds are most troublesome?

DOMESTIC ANIMALS.

20. How many oxen, cows, young cattle and horses do you keep, and of what breeds are they?

21. Have you made any experiments to show the relative value of