6 [Senate 



With the laudable design of advancing the agricultural interests 

 of our State, a portion of the fund appropriated by the Legislature 

 is placed at the disposal of the American Institute; and premiums 

 from this source are authorized only on the conditions hereafter spe- 

 cified, which those who have been declared worthy of receiving 

 agricultural premiums at the late Fair, are desired to comply with: 



" Before any premium shall be delivered, the person claiming the 

 same, or to whom the same shall be awarded, shall deliver in writ- 

 ing to the President of the Society, as accurate a description of the 

 process in preparing the soil, including the quality and quantity of 

 manure applied, and in raising the crop, or in feeding the animal, as 

 may be, and also of the expense and product of the crop, or of in- 

 crease in value of the animal, with the view of showing accurately 

 the profit of cultivating the crop, or feeding or fattening the animal." 



Your early reply, giving the information asked for, with any other 

 suggestions deemed important, will be acceptable; but they should 

 not be delayed, as the report referred to above is already in progress 

 for publication." 



The Trustees are gratified to have it in their power to state that 

 the communications from successful competitors the last year, have 

 been more numerous than in any former year. The importance of 

 recording agricultural experience is more than ever appreciated; and 

 it is believed we may confidently look forward to the time when the 

 New-York State Agricultural Society, assisted by the extended 

 intercourse of this Institute, shall have collected such a mass 

 of facts as to afford on almost every subject, a plain and unerring 

 guide to the farmer. A volume, compiled from such materials, in- 

 dexed for easy reference, excluding uncertain hypothesis, and includ- 

 ing only knowledge deduced from experience and accurate observa- 

 tions, and from sources that cannot be questioned, never leading into 

 mistakes and sacrifices, would be hailed by every sensible farmer in 

 the nation, and do more to promote and dignify agricultural study, 

 than loads of publications not, to be sure, altogether destitute of use- 

 ful matter, but interspersed with false theories, fanciful speculations 

 and accounts of marvelous productions, extracted, if not fabricated 

 on the spot by the publisher, to excite wonder and make his work 

 sell. Those inveterate prejudices which prevail against book farm- 

 ing are greatly attributable to false directions contained in such 



