SECRETARY'S REPORT. 149 



ruins of this ancient abbey are seen the tombs of its founder, McCarthy 

 Mor, the O'Donohues, the O'SuUivans, and a large number of other 

 eminent families. Thousands of people from all parts of Ireland, as 

 well as distinguished English and foreign travellers, come every year to 

 Tisit the tombs of their ancestors. A large yew-tree, Avith a trunk 

 thirteen feet in circumference, and whose branches actually support the 

 crumbling walls, forms a canopy above the open cloisters." 



Among tlie many acquaintances made at the exhibition at 

 Hamburg, few are remembered with greater satisfaction than 

 that of the son of the distinguished agriculturist, Tliaer. 

 The name had been familiar to me for many years. Indeed, a 

 farmer's library can hardly be considered complete without the 

 writings of tliis great pioneer in agricultural instruction. Mr. 

 Thaer, the son, is now quite advanced in years, the exact 

 number of which I have forgotten, though he informed me in 

 the course of a long and genial conversation about his earlier 

 years and the reminiscences of his father — I should think about 

 seventy-five, though he is still vigorous in body and active in 

 mind. He is now living in Berlin and has a son, Albrecht von 

 Thaer, who is professor of agriculture there. 



Another distinguished agriculturist, whom I met many 

 times and whose name was equally familiar to me, was H. W. 

 von Pabst. He has held many prominent positions, among 

 others, that of Director of the Agricultural Institute, at Hohen- 

 heim, and afterwards of Altenburg, in Hungary, but is now 

 connected with the department of agriculture in the govern- 

 ment at Vienna. I have been largely indebted to him for 

 details of the peculiarities of many of the continental breeds of 

 cattle exhibited at the fair. His work on the introduction to 

 cattle-breeding is regarded very justly as high authority in 

 Germany. 



Many, perhaps I might say most, of the professors of the 

 agricultural schools and universities were present and took an 

 active part in the management of the exhibition, serving on 

 committees, and as commissioners from their various govern- 

 ments. The exhibition, in fact, brought together nearly all the 

 distinguished agriculturists of Europe. Thirty-four nation- 

 alities were in attendance, many of them largely represented. 

 It is doubtful whether any occasion ever brought out so many 

 characters prominent in agriculture. It lasted from the four- 



