No. 108.] 101 



4 Vols. Johnson's Agricultural Chemistry. 



4 " Manning's Work on Fruits, 



5 " American Agriculturist. 



5 " Buel's Farmer's Companion. 



5 " Downing''s Rural Architecture. 



2 " Downing's Cottage Architecture. 



2 " Hovey's Horticultural Magazine. 



2 " American Flower Garden Directory. 

 14 " Bridgeman's Florist's Guide, and 



3 " Dana's Muck Manual. 



All these books were of course distributed to the successful com- 

 petitors in the agricultural department, also one of the gold medals, 

 and all the twenty-seven silver cups, thirty-four of the silver medals, 

 and thirty-seven of the diplomas. 



Apprehending a decrease in the visitors, and consequently in the 

 receipts, owing to the state of the times, connected with the fact, that 

 these Fairs are no longer a novelty; the managers commenced their 

 operations with a full sense of the necessity of exercising all possible 

 economy, and in every arrangement this point was kept in view. 

 The expenses nevertheless somewhat exceeded their expectations, but 

 upon scrutinizing all the accounts, taking into consideration at the 

 same time, the numberless alterations which it is always indispensa- 

 ble to make in Niblo's Saloon — the advantages so generally taken of 

 the necessities of the occasion — bearing in mind also the responsibi- 

 lity, and obligation to preserve and protect the property of the ex- 

 hibitors, and consequent number of men requisite for that purpose, 

 the expense of the Fifteenth Fair, may be stated as the least at which 

 such an exhibition can be carried through with credit to the Institute. 

 In proof of this, we have only to look at the receipts and expenditures 

 a few years back. 



Comparative statement of the receipts and expenditures of the An- 

 nual Fairs of the American Institute, from 1835 to 1842, inclusive. 



Receipts. 



1835, $5,156 70 



1836, . . ; 6,228 50 



1837, 7,152 45 



1838, 9,360 25 



1839, 8,831 41 



1840, 6,581 25 



1841, 7,050 00 



1842, 6,741 75 



It is here seen that, with the exception of 1839, this fair has been 

 the least profitable, in a financial point of view, of any since 1835. 

 The expenses appear to be $371 more than the last. A few words 

 of explanation, however, will show that if the expenses had been 

 curtailed, the receipts would have been reduced in a much greater 

 ratio. For instance, if the nautical exhibition and the fire works, 

 (which will be more particularly noticed hereafter,) had been ex- 



