ADDRESS 



Delivered at the closing of the Twenty-Fourth Annual 

 Fair of the American Institute, at Castle Garden, 

 October, 1851. 



[BT the HON. H. MBIGS.] 



Ladies and Gentlemen : 



In the unexpected absence of our venerable President, General 

 Tallmadge, who has been expected here for the last hour, I ap- 

 pear, by request of the managers, to endeavor in some measure to 

 fill the vacancy. 



We all feel amazed at the rapidity of improvement in these 

 latter days; many new, and almost every invention improved. 

 You will here find, on close examination, a great amount of the 

 latter before you. Within the last two years you have seen here 

 the McCormick Virginia Reaper take one gold medal; Dick's 

 Press also; either of them worth a royal revenue, and both taking 

 the Council medals from all the world. You see also Borden's 

 Meat Biscuit take another. You saw here, long ago, St. John's 

 Compass and his Excelsior Soap, which have taken the Jury 

 medals of England. In such a climate as England, the "Reaper" 

 would be cheap at a million dollars a year. You behold here 

 Dodge's Cop Spinner, unrivalled for its wonderful performance. 



Let us proceed in the order indicated by our charter. To pro- 

 mote, first, agriculture; second, commerce; third, manufactures; 

 fourth, the arts. Looking back some thirty years, I had the 

 pleasure of urging the necessity of giving to all the implements 

 of agriculture the best form, temper, and perfect polish, and I en- 

 joyed the getting up by my learned friend. Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, 

 a plough of the best workmanship and figure of that day, and 

 polished as bright as a razor, which was sent as a present to the 



