SOLON ROBINSON, 1851 507 



open for evening sales — the only time laborers can find 

 leisure to attend — and in all things made a place of at- 

 traction, instead of loathing and disgust. 



But the second floor should be the greatest scene of 

 interest. Here, in a hall of 150 feet wide and 300 feet 

 long, should be sold all the innumerable small articles of 

 traffic and fine fruits, and flowers and bijouterie of the 

 vegetable world. 



The floral hall should be made a place of great attrac- 

 tion, by the ornaments of art as well as natural produc- 

 tions, and always open to every one who would bring 

 these blessed gifts of heaven to expose for sale. Such a 

 place would encourage the cultivation of many a waste 

 spot, and prompt the gathering of many a wild blossom 

 that now blooms and fades in the woods, to bring to the 

 New York flower market ; bringing with it not only com- 

 fort to those who cultivate and sell, but cheap and inno- 

 cent pleasure to those who buy. A love of flowers, and 

 a love of mischief are antagonistical to each other. Cul- 

 tivate the former, and the latter will fade from the hu- 

 man character. 



The use of the upper rooms I need not point out; except 

 in one of them there should be a market reading-room, 

 where the farmer in his visits to the city, for the sale of 

 his crops could always find a much more pleasant plaee 

 to spend an hour, than in the unhealthy atmosphere of 

 some neighboring bar room. 



What proud satisfaction it would be to us, as editors 

 of an agricultural paper, if we could take our country 

 friends — particularly the boys and girls — through such 

 a place as we have pictured for a market house of the 

 products grown by the toil of their constant exertions. 

 But when we come back to the reality of those we have 

 described, we are constrained to think them emblems of 

 that too prevalent feeling. — Oh, anything is good enough 

 for farmers — a feeling that will continue until farmers 

 shall exert themselves to rise above the condition where 

 a faulty education, or neglect to study and apply science 



