SOLON ROBINSON, 1841 275 



advocates of "internal improvements," so far as their 

 own corporation is concerned. 



The public buildings are the great, I may say the only 

 ornaments of Washington. To me the Patent office pos- 

 sesses the greatest interest. Independent of the models, 

 nearly all of which that were burnt having been replaced, 

 there is the great "Hall of Manufactures," in which it 

 is designed to exhibit specimens of all kinds of manu- 

 factures of the United States, forming one of the most 

 interesting collections in the country. It is also in- 

 tended to exhibit specimens of every known kind of agri- 

 cultural implement, from the earliest ages to this time; 

 also a collection of all kinds of grains and seeds. 



The Smithsonian collection of curiosities, and also that 

 of the exploring expedition, together with the gallery of 

 Indian portraits, are now exhibited in this building, 

 forming in the whole, an extensive free museum. 



From Washington to Baltimore, along the line of the 

 rail-road, the land is mostly miserably poor and unculti- 

 vated. It is surprising to see what a mass of human 

 beings daily pass over this road. If half of our agri- 

 cultural population pursued their calling with the earn- 

 estness that multitudes of men and women seem to pur- 

 sue some ignus fatuus over stage route, rail-road and 

 steam-boat route, they would accomplish wonders. 



It was a lovely pleasant day that I arrived in this busy 

 city, celebrated for its monuments and pretty women. 

 The thriving appearance of Baltimore, indicates a thriv- 

 ing state of agriculture in the vicinity. Among the 

 ornaments of the place I cannot omit to mention the 

 beautiful and romantic resting-place for the dead, which 

 I had an opportunity of visiting during a ride with 

 Robert Sinclair, Jr., 1 out to the nursery of his father 

 at Clairmont, at which place I found improvement 

 strongly developed. I also found a hearty welcome, and 



1 Robert Sinclair, Jr., well-known manufacturer of agricultural 

 implements, Baltimore. Had a large southern trade. Contrib- 

 utor to the Cultivator, American Farmer. 



