EAKi.if-<T PitKMiiM Fou GitAPE-Crt.TrRE IN New TniiK. — I rocc'ivcd the followinj^ from Dr. F. 

 n. II.>ri;ii, of tlie Stjjtc Department, and ns it ii> probably llie earliest neord we have of a pre- 

 niiuin for Grape-eiiltnre, I doubt not it will be interesting to your reader.^. B. P. Jnn.Nsus. — 

 Sfdlr Afjrlcnltiiral liuoim, Albany, N. Y. 



"B. P. JoiiNsox, Sec'y State Af/'l Soc'i/ — It is higldy ]irobnblc that tlie folh)\ving is (he earliest 

 bounty olforcd for the cultivation of the Grape and tlie manufacture of wine, within the limits of 

 the present State of New Yoik. It is copied verbatim ct literatim from a record in (he office of 

 the Secretary of Stu(e, at Albany. Fi-om its date it will be seen that the premium was offered in 

 the first year of the English Colonial Governnieiit of New York. It is recorded in Deeds, Vol. 

 II, page 87. Fuaxklin B. IIolgu. — Albauij, K. Y." 



"Whereas Paul Rii-hards an inhabitant of this Citty of New York hath made knowne unto 

 mee his intent to plant vines at a certaine Plantation that hee hath upon Loner Island, called tlie 

 little thcfc, wiiich if it succeed, may redound very nnuh to the future benefitt and advantage of 

 the inhabitants within this Government; and in regard, it will require much labour and a con- 

 siderable charge to provide vines and to p'jiare the ground and make it fitt for production of 

 wines; ffor an Encouragem!. to the said Paul Richards in his jM'oceedings therein, I have thought 

 titt to grant unto him these following priveledges (viz.) 



"That all wines of the growth of such vines as the said Paul Richards fhall plant, or cause to 

 Im'o planted at the place aforesaid, shall bee ffree from any kind of impositions for ever if sold in 

 grosse, and not by retaile: 



"That the said Paul Richards, his heirs, executo"' or assignes shall have the privc]edge to liave 

 such wines sold by retaile in any one house in New York for the term of thirty yeais to come, 

 from the time of selling of his wines, ffree from all imposts or excise: 



"That every person that shall hereafter for thirty years to come, plant vines in any place 

 within this Government, shall upon the yeares improvement pay unto the said Paul Richards, 

 his heirs, executo"' or as^^igns, five shillings for every acre so pdanted as an acknowledgement of 

 his being the first undertaker and jilanter of vines in these parts, ffor the eonfirmacon of the priv- 

 eledges above specified. I have hereunto jiut my hand and scale. 



"Given at fl'ort James in New York this lOlh day of Januarv, 1669. 



RIG. NICOLLS," {first Ewjlish Governor.) 



The Study of Xature and of Art contrasted. — The following jiassages from a recent 

 lecture by the lion. Joiix Thompson, of Ponglikeepsic, on the "Beautiful in Natnre and 

 Art," are worthy of careful study. Our readers avIII unite with us in a high apj)rcciation 

 of tlie truthfulness and importance of the scntunents conveyed, and of the felicitous style in 

 Avliich they are expressed. 



"Architecture and gardening being useful, as well as ornamental arts, are said not to be capable 

 of that limitless and infinite expression of beauty which belong to the others, yet we confess to 

 the weakness of preferring a beautiful structure on some mild declivity, surrounded by a most 

 " living landscape," to all the paintings and statues which ever amazed or delighted mankind. 

 ^Vhat are imitations on canvass to the reality? — or what the attitudes of a Venus or Aj)ollo, 

 " though they live in stone and fill the air around with beauty," to the superb grace which high art 

 may superinduce upon nature? True, the statues are expressions of humanity, and therefore 

 higher in the scale, artistically considered; but they are inferior and more limited in the variety, 

 grace, richness, and beauty appertaining to natural scenery embellished by art. The beauty of 

 statuary may be highly intellectual, and even moral, but yet it is circumfcribed within narrower 

 limits and demands higher cultivation, and even art, to appreciate it. Fixed in its forms and atti- 

 tudes, it has one expression, stamped with the last finish of precision; it has no flexibility, no 

 es, no variation, no hfe ; it is but slightly suggestive, and takes no hold upon the infinite, 

 no pencil can catch or describe the living beauty that shimmers and glists through the 



