SOLON ROBINSON, 1850 415 



That boy will make an intelligent, good man. The same 

 boy had the sole management of a large family garden, 

 the past summer. I need not tell you it was a good one. 



Jefferson-County Agricultural Society. — I will tell you 

 what fosters and keeps alive this spirit of improvement 

 in this county. They have one of the oldest and one of 

 the most active and efficient agricultural societies in the 

 state, and the society have a hall, or place of meeting, 

 upwards of 200 feet long and 50 feet wide, capable of 

 accommodating three thousand people. It was built by 

 the funds of the society, and is emphatically "the peo- 

 ple's meeting house ;" for there, all large public meetings 

 are held, besides the agricultural annual fairs. What 

 other county will look to this one of the north for an 

 example, and go and do likewise? 



In addition to the improved progress of agriculture, 

 manufacturing of cotton, wool, paper, flour, axes, and 

 many other things flourish here in an equal degree. 



Plank Roads. — There are six of these valuable improve- 

 ments leading out of Watertown, which is rising from 

 the ashes of the great fire, like a phoenix in revivified 

 plumage. 



Thin Soil. — Much land in this county lies upon a flat 

 surface of rock, so near, that the plow sometimes runs 

 quite down to it. When this is lime rock, the land is very 

 productive and does not suffer so much as I should expect 

 by drouth. It produces sweet grass and is more valuable 

 for dairy purposes than any other. A railroad, now build- 

 ing through this county, will soon open its hidden treas- 

 ures to the view of the world. Indeed, I intend to see 

 more of it myself. 



Creating a Spring. — When fitting up his dairy, Mr. 

 Eames was much at a loss about a supply of water, hav- 

 ing no spring that would give him a constant running 

 stream. But he got one, and the way he did it is worthy 

 of notice and imitation. He examined the sidehill, about 

 one hundred rods above the house, and selected a favor- 

 able spot, where the land had a "spouty" appearance, and 



