Other fine specimens of preserved fruit were exhibited, which the committee demed meritorious, but could not award a premium. 1. MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES-LOAF OF BREAD. First premium to G. A. Neland. ........ $ 50 FANCY NEEDLE-WORK. Mrs. Zenith Vankirk exhibited silk mittens, and stockings, and sewing silk, and ruled silk of her own growth and manufacture, for which the committee award her a special premium of...... ONE PICTURE. Premium to Miss Mary Rodgers... HORSE SHOES. One pair for riding horse, one pair for draught horse-Special premium to J. Crop.... WOODEN SUGAR BOWL. We, the undersigned, report, that we have examined the Telescope constructed by Richard B. Gance, of this county. It is eight inches clear aperture, ten feet focus, constructed on the Herschelian order, and which, for illuminating and space penetrating power, when the due charge of magnifying power is proportioned, shows celestial objects with great splendor and definition; and that the great difficulty of constructing speculums for telescopes of such size, when rightly ground and polished to a parabolic figure, that we earnestly suggest to your honorable board an honorable conferment to him for his perseverance and mechanism, and would award to him a special premium of..... 5 00 The Secretary would say, that as many of the reports were so far short of what they should be, it was with a great deal of difficulty and labor that he could render them intelligible. The Secretary would recommend to the Society the propriety of buying and fencing a lot for the exhibitions of the Society. After having had the experience of three years, and having attended other fairs, I am confidently of the opinion that it would be true policy so to do. WM. J. STEWART, Recording Secretary. JUNIATA COUNTY. OPERATIONS OF THE JUNIATA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE YEAR 1853. The annual meeting of the Society was held at the Court House in Mifflinown, on Tuesday, the 8th day of February, 1853, when the following officers were elected for the year, namely: EVERARD OLES, President. JOHN WOODSIDE, JAMES ANDERSON, Dr. JOSEPH KELLY, JOHN WATSON, JOHN P. SHITZ, WILLIAM BANKS, Col. C. A. THOMPSON, SAMUEL GAYMAN, WM. G. THOMPSON, and Hon. JOHN DIMM, Vice Presidents; J. A. CHRISTY, Secretary and Treasurer; LEWIS BURCHFIELD, Corresponding Secretary; and JOSEPH PUMROY, Esq., JOHN JACOBS, GEORGE M'CULLOCH, Jr., Dr. JOHN IRWIN, JOHN KEPNER, DANIEL SEIBER, and Gen. WILLIAM BELL, Managers. The second annual county fair was held at Perrysville, on the 12th, 13th and 14th days of October, 1853. The attendance was large, and the competition for the several premiums offered, animating and spirited. The display of stock, agricultural implemements, &c., was altogether creditable to the county of Juniata. Premiums amounting to about three hundred dollars, were awarded to the successful competitors for the same, by the officers of the Society. The acquisition of members to the Society, on that occasion, was one hundred and thirteen, the Society now numbering, in all, about two hundred members. No correct account of the statistics of the Society can be given at this time, owing to the fact that the returns of the same are only required to be made to our Society in the month of February in each year, and our Society being then but in its infancy, none were made in Febuary last. Very Respectfully Your's &c., E. OLES, President of the Juniata County A. S. Hon. F. WATTS, President of the Penn'a. State A. S. LANCASTER COUNTY. NEAR NEW PROVIDENCE, LANCASTER COUNTY, HON. FREDERICK WATTS-Sir: Your circular dated October 26th, requiring information in regard to the Lancaster County Agricultural Society, has been received, and in reply, I have the honor to inform you, that the officers of the said Society at present are President JOHN STROHM, New Providence P. O. Vice Presidents-JACOB B. GARBER, Columbia, JOHN MILLER, Oregon." Recording Secretary-DAVID G. ESHLEMAN, Lancaster. Corresponding Secretary -Hon. ALEXANDER HAYES, Lancaster. Librarian-JACOB MYERS, Lancaster. Managers-BENJAMIN HERR, Esq., MAIS HOOPES, BENJAMIN ESHLEMAN, DAVID COCKLEY, Lancaster, ABRAHAM PETERS, Millersville, HENRY MUSELMAN, Strasburg, J. HARTMAN HERSHEY, East Hempfield. During the present year, the Lancaster County Agricultural Society have had three regular meetings, at none of which were there any proceedings had, or any business transacted that would be worthy of notice by the State Society. No exhibition has been held, and no written reports upon Agricultural subjects have been made. At the meetings alluded to, but few of the members of the Society attended, and though some discursive discussion on Agricultural subjects took place, nothing was elicited that would merit a notice in the proceedings of the State Society. A Fruit Committee was appointed, which held several meetings, and at which some fine fruits of various kinds were exhibited. By that committee several reports were published in the newspapers, but those reports have not, as yet, been entered upon the books, or enrolled in the proceedings of the Lancaster County Agricultural Society. I regret that in this communication I am not able to give you a more interesting report of the proceedings of our Society; but the fact is, our farmers manifest very little interest in the transactions of the Agricultural Society, and are so negligent in attending our meetings, that were it not for a few lawyers in the city, and some members from the county, who may happen to be in town on those days, we should hardly be able to raise a quorum, which, according to our constitution consists of nine members. I would not have you infer from this, that our farmers are indifferent to the subject of Agriculture, for this is by no means the case, as the highly improved condition of their farms, and the enormous prices they pay for land, sufficiently indicates; but they do not as yet appreciate the benefits arising from an association of farmers, meeting together to interchange opinions, discuss topics connected with their pursuits, and communicate the results of experiments, carefully and accurately made. We trust, however, that time and reflection will arouse them to a proper sense of what may conduce to their own interest and promote the improvement of the science of agriculture. Very respectfully, your obed't serv't, JOHN STROHM. LAWRENCE COUNTY. To the President of the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society: In accordance with the act of Assembly of March 29, 1851, sections four and five, and your request of October 26, 1853, I submit to you the following report of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of Lawrence county, for Names of officers for the ensuing year: the past year. R. W. STEWART, President. THOS. CUNNINGHAM, WM. P. HAMILTON, Vice Presidents; D. CRAIG, Secretary; WEBSTER JUSTICE, Treasurer; JOHN SIMPSON, JOHN K. SWISHER, WM. BROWN, J. P. COWDEN, WM. BLANCHARD, and THOMAS PEARSON, Managers, A CONCISE STATEMENT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY DURING THE PAST YEAR. The Society have leased for fair grounds about four and a half acres of ground, for a term of ten years, at twenty-seven dollars per year. It is located on a beautiful elevation-dry and pleasant-adjoining the borough of New Castle. It has been enclosed with a substantial board fence, nine feet high; a very convenient and comfortable building, sixty feet by eighty, has been erected on the grounds, and fifty-seven pens built for stock on exhibition, together with a course inclosed for exhibiting horses. A good well has also been dug and a pump placed in it. All these improvements have been made at a cost of about eleven hundred dollars. Our Fair was held on these premises in September last. A premium list was offered amounting to about four hundred and fifty dollars. At the Fair in September, premiums to the amount of two hundred and fifty dollars were awarded. The society numbers about three hundred and seventy members. With the money remaining in the treasury of the society from last year, and the proceeds of exhibition, membership, &c., of the current year, the society have paid for all the improvements, and will when called on be able to pay also, all the premiums awarded, thus clearing it of embarrassment by debt. It may be therefore considered on a permanent basis, and will be able to pay larger premiums and more of them next year. REPORTS MADE ON AGRICULTURAL SUBJECTS. Statement, &c., of Peter Mershimer, in relation to Potatoes:-"I planted about twelve bushels of seed per acre-planted May 10, 1853-plowed deep and furrowed lightly, planting as near the top of the ground as possible, and in hills about eighteen inches apart, on black, dry, loamy soil-manured none. Ploughed twice and hoed once; one plowing was with the shovelplow, the other with the shear-plow. I estimate the crop worth more than fiftytwo dollars. This is the ninth successive crop of potatoes raised on the same half acre. They are Neshannocks." This is followed by affidavit of the |