SECRETARY'S REPORT. 831 



asked why they did not allow more air, the student who accom- 

 panied lis replied that they could not bear the air, as they were 

 undergoing a course of treatment. 



In the garden connected with the lecture-room and laboratory 

 the various plants used in the preparation of veterinary medi- 

 cines, and many of the plants, useful only as food for horses, 

 were cultivated. The botanical names were, or had been, appa- 

 rently, attached to each, but the garden was sadly in want of a 

 gardener to keep the weeds out. Such a collection of plants, 

 if complete and well arranged, must be extremely useful to 

 every student. 



In the Botanical Garden, at the other side of the city, where 

 I spent considerable time, there is an extensive collection of the 

 natural grasses, each species growing in a clump by itself, and 

 labelled with its systematic, and, I believe, its common name. 

 This was to me exceedingly useful, and I wish some one would 

 undertake such a grass garden in this country. It would be a 

 powerful aid to the study of this difficult branch of botany, and 

 might lead to valuable practical results. 



The offices and rooms of the agricultural society are nearly 

 opposite the old king's palace. The society was busily engaged 

 in preparing for a grand exhibition which was to take place in 

 two or three weeks. The offices of the director, library, &c., 

 were on the second floor, the lower part of the building being 

 occupied mostly with a large collection of old and new agricul- 

 tural implements. Here I found some very useful machines, 

 " good ideas," credited to England and English invention which 

 were really American, having been, probably, copied by the 

 English from ours, to a great extent, and sent to the continent 

 as English. This is quite provoking. It is hard that we cannot 

 have the credit that properly and fairly belongs to us. But it 

 arises, no doubt, in part from our use of the English language 

 on our implements. They naturally ascribe every thing in 

 English to England. I like the conclusion of the Emperor 

 of Russia, who declares that he will have the American 

 language taught in his schools but will have nothing to do with 

 the English. It's a " good idea." 



In walking through the agricultural library which is pretty 

 extensive, I quite astonished them by taking down first one, 

 then another and another of our Massachusetts Reports, as they 



