11 



to agriculture each time presented to the Legislature, who continued 

 still regardless of their memorials. 



In 1838j then a member of the Assembly, and Chairman of the 

 Committee on Agriculture a committee so far as practical legislation 

 was concerned, of no other consequence than to flatter the farmer 

 with the empty compliment that his profession was recognized in 

 State affairs myself introduced a bil! 7 based upon that of 1819, for the 

 encouragement of agriculture. That measure was well received by 

 the House ; was several times discussed, and I have little doubt, had 

 time permitted, would have received a vote sufficiently large to pass ; 

 but owing to the determined opposition of the Chairman of the Ag- 

 ricultural Committee in the Senate, who had imbibed his prejudices 

 from the workings of the law of 1819, and then declared that he 

 would never report the bill to that body, if it even passed the As- 

 sembly, and he too a large and wealthy farmer, the bill was not 

 pressed beyond a few occasional discussions. Sufficient, however, 

 was ascertained of the legislative approbation, to encourage future ap- 

 plications to a successful issue. 



The next year, and the next, with accumulated force, and far more 

 formidable pressure, from the increasing multitude of applications ; 

 and, urged by the continued annual Conventions upon the Legisla- 

 ture, with many zealous and right hearted members to conduct the 

 measure in both its bodies, our cause indicated a progress that must 

 soon become triumphant ; and in 1841, the " act for the encourage- 

 ment of Agriculture," with an appropriation of $8,000 per annum, 

 for five years became a law. In February of the same year, the 

 State Society was re-organized, and its Constitution revised, prepara- 

 tory to the opening of its career under the provisions of the new act 

 of the Legislature. By direction of its managers, a cattle show and 

 fair was appointed to be held at Syracuse in September of that year, 



