No. 129.] 9 



was extended at the session of 1820, to continue four years from 

 the termination of the first act. The law met Avilli very strenu- 

 ous opposition when before the Legislature, and it was continued 

 in various ways during its existence ; arising as has been alleged, 

 from want of information and ill-founded jealousies. It was per- 

 mitted to expire in 1824 by its own limitation, without an effort 

 to resuscitate it. The sincere friends of these great interests felt 

 it to be hopeless to expect further aid from the Legislature ; and 

 nothing was done until the organization of the American Insti- 

 tute in 1828, which stood alone in its efforts until 1841, when the 

 law which now exists was passed by the Legislature. This law 

 called into existence the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, and 

 the county societies, of which there is now one in almost every 

 county of the State. 



It is extremely gratifying to the members of the American In- 

 stitute to witness the demonstrations now annually made ; they 

 feel assured that the plan originally adopted and pursued by them 

 was better calculated to awaken latent genius and infuse a gene- 

 ral spirit of emulation among the producing classes, than those 

 previously pursued. And also to witness the increasing zeal 

 manifested in the cause of agriculture, whicli now seems to per- 

 vade, not only our own, but many States of the Union. They 

 believe that their efforts, thus commenced and persevered in, 

 have exercised no small agency in producing benefits to our 

 country which will be enduring. 

 ^''ew^Yo?% Dec. 1851. 



JAMES TALLMABGE, 



LTV. LIVINGSTON, 



ROBT. LOVETT, 



ROBT. L. PELL, 



E. T. BACKHOUSE, 



LI. MEIGS, 



ADONIIiAM CHANDLER, 



Trustees. 



