tbe waves of ocean on the one side and as yet 

 savage man on the other. 



Its prosperous settlers regarded agriculture as 

 the main stay of a state, a 'id hence with the 

 increased activity of a new nation, agriculture 

 received a proper share of attention soon after 

 the close of tbe war of Independence. 



Philadelphia, the metropolis at that time, pos- 

 sessed a few earnest men, who organized the 

 "Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agricult- 

 ure," February llth, 1785, thus initiating tbe first 

 work of this kind, so far as our investigation 

 ffoes, on this continent. This society was char- 

 tered February 14th, 1809, and has published vol- 

 umes from 1806 to 1826. Minutes of its proceed- 

 ings from 1785 to 1810, and one book certainly, 

 perhaps more : " Hints for American Husband- 

 men, with communications to tbe Society. 



March 29th, 1851, the Pennsylvania State Agri- 

 cultural Society was chartered, and from that 

 time to this has published (10) ten volumes, the 

 last bearing date 1875. 



The earlier publications of the Philadelphia 

 Society we are not familiar with and must pass 

 over. The later publications of the State society 

 are essentially commonplace, and form but little 

 exception to our general and preliminary criti- 

 cisms. Yet there is an appearance in these vol- 

 umes of a commencing differentiation, which 

 may in the future secure more valuable results. 

 A publication may preserve its tone from the 

 personal character of its compiler, or it may be 

 the natural outgrowth of the community from 

 amongst whom it emanates. This latter course 

 is far more desirable than the first, as possessing 

 a deeper meaning and a greater permanence. 

 These Pennsylvania publications show a low 

 state of agricultural thought, scarcely elevated 

 as yet by the leaven which is becoming more 

 frequent in its preserver. A gO9d soil, good and 

 near market, a laborious, plodding people, have 

 all combined to make Pennsylvania agriculture 

 profitable; but considering this agriculture from 

 the standpoint of possibilities, or from the out- 

 look of the society report, we must call it back- 

 ward. Let us hope that the abundant leaven in 

 the agriculture of this state may shortly leaven 

 the whole lump. 



New York, with its rich valleys and its posi- 

 tion so well suited to control commerce, pos- 

 sessed a large class who saw the importance of 

 the products of the wood and field for the devel- 

 opment of their commercial importance and 

 wealth, and as early as 1791, founded the "Soci- 

 ety for the advancement of Agriculture, Arts 

 and Manufactures," which was incorporated for 

 1C years. Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor of 

 the state was its President, and it seems to have 

 published four volumes of transactions. We 

 find on the catalogue of the Astor Library, 

 Transactions of the Society for the Promotion 

 of Agriculture, etc.," parts I to IV, 4 vo., Albany, 

 1792-9, and also a reprint of volume I in 8 yo., 

 and continued as Transactions of the " Society 

 for the Promotion of Useful Arts in the State of 

 New York." 8 volumes, 8vo., Albany, 1801-19. 

 ^We also find mention of a "Society for the 

 Promotion of Agriculture, Manufactures and 

 Arts," established by act of Legislature, March 

 12th, 1798, as well as the "Society for the Promo- 

 tion of Useful Arts." incorporated April 2d, 1804. 

 This latter society published seven volumes of 

 its transactions prior to 1815. 



April 7th, 1819, the legislature appropriated 

 $10,000 for two years, to be distributed among 

 toecounty agricultural societies and established a 

 Board of Agriculture, composed of the Presidents 

 of the several county societies, or of a delegate 

 therefrom. This board was empowered to pub- 

 lish annually a volume of such agricultural mat- 

 ter as they should select, and also to expend 

 $1,000 yeariy in the purchase and distribution of 

 seeds. Jn March, 1820, the legislature extended 

 the act to a further term of four years. 



January 10, 1820, this board was organized by 

 the choice of Stephen Van Rensslaer, President, 

 and George W. Featherstonhaugh, Secretary r 

 twenty-six members being present. Three vol- 

 umes are to be credited to this organization : 

 " Memories of the Board of Agriculture of the 

 state of New York," 8vo., Albany, 1821-5 (?) 



in 1832, the "New York State Agricultural So- 

 ciety" was organized, arid received its charter 

 April 36, 1832 for twenty years, which was re- 

 newed March 16th, 1852. The proceedings of the 

 society appeared in the Cultivator, established 

 in 1834 as the organ of the society. The first 

 transactions were published in 1841, and contin- 

 ued annually until and including 1873. Among 

 its secretaries appear the names of Jesse Buel, 

 Luther Tucker and B. P. Johnson. 



In 1850, a Journal of the New York State Agri- 

 cultural Society was commenced as a monthly; 

 a double column, royal octavo pamphlet, but 

 was afterwards issued irregularly. It was dis- 

 continued with 1874. 



The State of New York has been liberal in its 

 publications which concern agriculture. We 

 nnd a valuable octavo "Report of the New York 

 State Cattle Commissionecs for the year 1868, on 

 Texas Cattle Disease," 8vo., Albany (1869). We 

 should also mention the "Agriculture of New 

 YorK," comprising an account of the Classifica- 

 tion and Distribution of the Soils and Rocks, 

 Meteorology, Agricultural Production and Inju- 

 rious Insects, by E. Emmons," 5 volumes, with 

 one of plates 4vo. 



Among other societies which published pro- 

 ceedings, we note the Farmers' Clufc, of Little 

 Falls, N. Y., organized March 22d, 1857, and which 

 published annual Reports. The New York State 

 Cheese Manufacturer's Association organized 

 January 7th, 1864, aad subsequently merged in 

 the "American Dairymens' Association (1865). It 

 published two reports, both in 1864, and both 

 published in 8vo., at Utica. In 1871 the New 

 York State Dairymen's Association was organ- 

 ized. It published a volume of proceedings, 8vo., 

 Albany, 1873. About 1872 the "Western New 

 Yors. Butter Maker's Association and Farmers 

 Club," came into existence. Its second annual 

 report for the year 1873-4, is an 8vo., published 

 at Dunkirk, N. Y., 1874. In 1874 there was also 

 published the "First Annual Report of the But- 

 ter and Cheese Exchange of New York," also 

 Ninth Annual Report of the American Dairy- 

 men's Association, published under the auspices 

 of the Butter and Cheese Exchange, 8vo., (New 

 York?) 1874, pp. 158. 



In the earlier of these publications, of those 

 we have seen, at least, the articles are rather 

 long, rather labored, and while useful and of 

 value, even from our present standpoint, yet 

 they seem hardly American. The State Agri- 

 cultural Society Transactions are American in 

 so far as they leave an impression on tbe mind* 

 tor they contain very much that is local and 

 trivial, and there is a tendency throughout 

 on the part of the contributors to refer to for- 

 eign results when practicable. This is more 

 noticeable in the earlier than the later volumes. 

 Scattered throughout these volumes, however, 

 are most valuable essays and contributions, and 

 while these volumes cannot bear a very careful 

 study for criticism, yet they are praiseworthy, 

 and illustrative of the stage of thought, agri- 

 cultural, we mean, at the time of their produc- 



The Dairy publications are indeed notable. 

 They are thoroughly American in subject and 

 tone, and are a credit to the state and the popu- 

 lation which has produced them. They have 

 stimulated investigation, and have produced an 

 activity of thought hitherto unheard of in agri- 

 culture, and dairy thought has kept but little in 

 advance of dairy practice. Would our space 

 allow, we could dwell upon this wonderful de- 

 velopment of speech and print, and practice, a 

 trinity deserving of our highest commendation. 



