ON ESSAYS. 143 



REPORT ON ESSAYS. 



The Committee have examined the several Essays placed in 

 their hands by the Secretary, without any inquiry by whom 

 they were written, or whence they came. They understand 

 the premiums • to have been offered, for such essays on any 

 Agricultural topic, as in their judgment, are worthy of publi- 

 cation. Three of those presented come fully up to the stand- 

 ard required, and consequently are entitled to the premium of 

 ten dollars each. 



The committee are pleased that this mode of diffusing in- 

 formation is so favorably estimated. It has now been contin- 

 ued, in this and other Societies, for several years, with marked 

 approbation. They cannot doubt that experiments of this 

 kind, embodying and condensing what has been learned, on a 

 particular topic, may be quite as useful to those who engage in 

 them, and to the public generally, as experiments in the culti- 

 vation of particular crops. In the one case, the cultivator finds 

 his reward mainly in the crop produced, — in the other, the 

 public are mainly benefitted, by the mental efforts of the au- 

 thor. He that applies the mind, to the improvement of socie- 

 ty, is no less a working man, than he who labors with his 

 hands, — all is labor for the general good. 



In expressing their approbation of the papers presented, they 

 would not be understood as endorsing all the statements or 

 theories contained. These must stand or fall upon their own 

 merits, or upon the credit of their authors ; — but simply the 

 general scope and execution. A prime quality in an essay, is 

 close adherence to the subject, together with a complete com- 

 prehension of it. An address may speak of matters and things 

 in general, — an essay should be limited to the subject under 

 discussion, and should, as far as possible, without being diffuse, 

 give a complete view of it. Several of the essays, heretofore 

 approved by the Trustees, have been models worthy of imita- 

 tion. And if we do not mistake, those now presented will be 

 read with much interest and instruction. 



The paper on "top dressing for mowing and pasture lands," 

 is a fair illustration, of the committee's idea of a good essay. 



