338 [Assembly 



feet in circumference. In Hie space of a square mile I think 

 there were not less than 100 of these trees, none less than 40 feet 

 in circumference. It must require several thousand yea"rs to 

 produce the largest one. 



H. MEIGS, 



Secretary of the Farmers' Club. 



Charles Henry Hall. — I am pleastd with the translations just 

 read -, we are very courteous to strangers. The boasting French 

 and Germans have not succeeded in their Agricultural Schools. 

 We boast much of our modern improvements, but our American 

 forefatliers established and maintained excellent schools in which 

 the dead as well as the living languages were taught; and they 

 were capital farmers and gardeners and in the most important 

 points in agriculture, they were ahead of Old England for a long 

 time. They practised the drilling system which had become 

 neglected in England, and their gardens were superior. When 

 the war of the revolution occurred, agriculture fell off. When 

 Cromwell ruled and had Milton in his cabinet, they encouraged 

 agriculture and the arts — they were great men. Cromwell placed 

 the great Cartoons of Raphael in London. In 1840 England 

 was not ahead of us in general agriculture, but she was in gar- 

 dening. Now she is ahead in both, but we have not to go to 

 France or to Germany to learn much. 



In 1792, there were good agricultural societies in Connecticut, 

 and they continue to this day. I think that Pennsylvania was 

 before that with her societies. 



In 1819, there were cattle shows in Massachusetts and Con- 

 necticut, superior to those of the American Institute. In 1820, 

 De Witt Clinton prevailed on the Legislature to give to each 

 county as much money as it should raise for an Agricultural 

 Society. At the cattle show of Vernon, there were one hundred 

 as fine blood horses as I ever saw ; there was the famous Eclipse, 

 and there was Barclay's horse, which was sold for eight thousand 

 dollars — there were many of the finest hogs, sheep, &c. The 

 first premium given on horses, was $50. At the first cattle show 

 of this Institute, there were first rate cattle and they were pa- 

 raded through the streets. 



