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iect which a developement of them to the highest degree, 

 would have upon our people. There is much good farming 

 here which ought to be extended. There is much bad farming 

 which ought to be reformed ; for the accomplishment of which, 

 we may bear in mind the words of Pliny, who says : 



" The ancients considered him a bad husbandman who buys 

 what his farm can produce to him ; a bad master of a family, 

 who does in the day time, what he may do at night, except in 

 the time of a storm ; a worse who does on common days, what 

 is lawful on holidays ; the worst of all, who on a good day is 

 employed more within doors than in the fields." 



GEO. B. LORING, Chairman. 



ESSAYS. 



The Committee on Essays report : 



The only Essay presented for their examination, was one 

 on the culture of the Grape in the open air. They welcome 

 any attempt to promote the culture of this delicious fruit, — ap- 

 plicable to so many purposes, and agreeable to all palates. — 

 Among the blessings bestowed on man by Providence in the 

 fruits of the earth, " the Vine is pre-eminent for its quickness 

 of growth, the great age to which it will live, — its astonishing 

 Vegetative power, and its wonderful fertility." Experience 

 has shown that foreign grapes cannot be ripened with any cer- 

 tainty in this climate in the open air ; and of our native grapes, 

 few have sufficient merit to 'induce their cultivation. The Es- 

 say brings prominently to notice the very meritorious and suc- 

 cessful efforts of Mr. Rogers to hybridize the vine. By hybri- 

 ■dizing the best flavored foreign grapes with our best native varie- 



