568 [ASSEMLBY 



distinguished portrait painter, at his house in Lispeuard street, 

 in this city. It was white, looked as large as a cow, was almost 

 too fat to stand up. It was said to weigh fifteen hundred pounds, 

 and as well as I recollect, it was subsequently exhibited, and its 

 weight &c. mentioned in some newspapers of the day. The size 

 of these aninjials is remarkable, almost inducing a belief that it 

 is peculiar to this continent. And it is, at all events, a powerful 

 evidence of what knowledge and industry can accomplish in al- 

 tering the native ox of 500 pounds to 4,000 pounds, and the an- 

 cient hog of length, size, 400 pounds to 1,437 pounds. Man does 

 this Avith animals, and he builds ships proportionably larger. 

 The old merchant ship of 300 to 500 tons, is already 1 ,500 to 2,500 

 tons. 



With regard to the size of the cattle which we admire, we hope 

 that genius and industry will be applied to breed, and raise 

 healthy creatures. Let us get rid of the too common disease of 

 the livers of cattle. 



Question for next meeting ; 



The culture of quince, currant, and gooseberry ; the grafts, the 

 most of which were presented by Vice-President Pell, from his 

 great orchard, and some seeds were distributed. All friends of 

 the garden were requested to bring best specimens of fruit grafts 

 and seeds for spring distribution. The club adjourned to Tues- 

 day next, at noon. H. Mkigs, Sec^y. 



American Institute, ) 

 Farmers^ Club, Jlpril 20, 1852. \ 



Hon. Robert Swift Livingston in the chair; Henry Meigs, 

 Secretary. Members in attendance, twentj-fcur. 



The Secretary read the following translations and papers pre- 

 pared by himself. 



IMPORTATIOxX OF DRIED BANANAS INTO ENGLAND. 



[Revue Ilorticole, Paris, March, 1852.] 



An interesting fact occurred at the late World's Fair of Lon- 

 don, that is, dried bananas from Mexico — the observations of the 



