768 [Assembly 



January 18tk, 1848. 

 Judge R. Livingston, in the Chair. 



Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



Mr. Meigs observed that the greatly increasing attention of the 

 greatest men, and of the most intelligent governments to agriculture, 

 was an acceptable sign of a future, better than the past. I translate 

 the following, as an evidence of this in France: 



ROYAL AND CENTRAL SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURE OF FRANCE. 



Account of its proceedings between March 1845, and April 1846, 

 by M. Payen, the Perpetual Secretary. 



This is one of the pamphlets presented to the Institute by Alex- 

 ander Vattemare. Agricultural industry is the greatest basis of pub- 

 lic fortune, of legislative benefits, and an honor to those employed 

 in it. This society has sought to extend its relations as far as 

 possible, with cultivators and societies. We expect soon to be in 

 correspondence with eight hundred societies and clubs of France, all 

 ot which have received our circulars and the first numbers of the new 

 series of our Bulletin, as well as the seventy-eight associations with 

 which we were in correspondence last year. 



The Minister knowing the importance of these labors, has franked 

 correspondence and specimens at the expense of the government, and 

 also placed six thousand francs as a fund for professors of Agricul- 

 ture, desiring that the cultivated crops of France should be carefully 

 examined as to their chemical properties. The United States have 

 also enterej upon this road of useful and scientific reports and com- 

 munications, relative to agriculture in New York, Maine and Massa- 

 chusetts, have been transmitted to this society by Messrs. Warden 

 and Vattemare. 



Central Congress of Agriculture, 1846, on the Amelioration of 

 the Breed of Horses. 



The figure most favorable to extreme speed does not accord with 

 that of the horse of service. To obtain the horse of speed, you must 

 couple the stallion with the swiftest brood mare. To obtain horses 

 of service, you must couple the stallion with brood mares of like 

 class. As a basis fur good breed, shall we take the Arab blood or 

 the pure European blood? We have more confidence in the Arab 

 blood, for purity it is nearest to the fountain, and in conformation 



