SECRETARY'S REPORT. 23 



But is tliere any force or trutli in such oLjcction ? "Where do 

 improvements mainly originate ? Is it not in the garden, rather 

 than in the field — by the experiments of horticulturists on a 

 small scale ? Where was first discovered the value of deep til- 

 lage, draining, thorough cultivation ? Certainly, in the gar- 

 den, and introduced thence to the field. And as to the improve- 

 ment, trial and proof of new vegetables, how is it ? Let the 

 history of the potato answer. This indispensable vegetable was 

 discovered and introduced into Europe, A. D,, 1585. For more 

 than a hundred and fifty years after Sir Walter Ealeigh planted 

 the potato in his garden, was its culture confined to the garden. 

 It vras not until A. D., 1752, that it was first grown as a field 

 crop, — in Scotland. 



Times have changed since then. Culture has improved by the 

 application of scientific principles to its practice — intercommu- 

 nication and exchange of knowledge have immeasurably in- 

 creased, so that ten years might now suffice to effect what then 

 occupied a century and a half, and because of this, is the garden 

 not of less, but greater, value than before. How is it in rea'ard 

 to fruit? What were the apples and pears of a hundred years 

 ago, and to whom are we indebted for their improvement ? Multi- 

 plied instances might be adduced to show, beyond all cavil, that 

 the labors, experiments and researches of the /ior/zculturist are 

 at once available, and often invaluable, to the ao-rzculturist. In 

 fact, the two pursuits are as intimately connected as the blos- 

 som and the fruit. True, some of the blossoms may be abortive, 

 but when Obherwise, the agriculturist pockets the fruit. To the 

 one we are indebted for the patiently protracted trials of which 

 the other reaps the benefit. 



The changes above alluded to, are believed to be decidedly 

 injurious, and materially to hinder their usefulness, yet they 

 were submitted to in the hope that some future Legislature would 

 remedy the defects. They finally passed without opposition, 

 and are as follows: — 



An act to amend chapter one hundred and eighty-seven of the laws of eighteen hun- 

 dred and fifty-five. 



Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Represetitatives in Legis- 

 lature assemhled, as follows : 



Sect. 1. All of chapter one hundred and eighty-seven of the laws 

 lof eighteen hundred and fifty-five, approved March seventeenth, 



