national industry, and is deemed "vvoithj of the pat- 

 ronage of the state. Such is its present elevated 

 character ; and while the sovereigns, princes, and 

 nobles of Europe are proud to enroll their names 

 among the members of those institutions, which have 

 been founded for the rational and patriotic purposes 

 of mutual instruction, and the diffusion of informa- 

 tion on all the branches of rural economy, we must 

 profit by the experience of other nations, and emulate 

 the honorable examples they have presented, for per- 

 fecting the tillage of our native land. 



The co-operation of individuals, by the means of 

 variously organized societies, for the accomplishment 

 of objects of public utility, and general, local or pri- 

 vate interest, is a discovery of the moderns, and has 

 been one of the most efficient means of accelerating 

 the progress, and enlarging the bounds of knowledge. 

 They have explored the vast Herculaneum of antiq- 

 uity for those treasures of intellect, which once gave 

 lustre to empires, and traced the history of the inven- 

 tions, discoveries and improvements of all ages ; they 

 have collected the facts of isolated research, and the 

 valuable results of private experiment ; they have 

 brought to light the labors of unobtrusive genius, ren- 

 dered local information available to all, and concen- 

 trated the scattered intelligence of nations, in every 

 department of science and art. With the facilities 

 afforded by the wonderful art of printing, they are 

 substitutes for, or have superseded that long-cherish- 

 ed desideratum, a universal languao;e ; for whatever 

 is valuable, merits attention, or is worthy of adop- 

 tion, in the writings of the ancients, or the publica- 

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