AMERICAN INSTITUTE. y 



in nearly every county of our State, at whose yearly exhibitions 

 the products of the farm are brought together for comparison. 

 The emulation thus excited cannot be but of infinite benefit to the 

 whole country. 



The first farmers' club in the United States was held under the 

 auspices of the American Institute in June, 1843, from which has 

 sprung the various farmers' clubs now being held in the Union. 

 These meetings have been held with great regularity since that 

 time, at which are discussed the most improved methods of culti- 

 vating the soil, the raising and improvement in stock, chemistry 

 applied to agriculture, and the adaptation of useful labor-saving 

 machinery and implements to the w^ork of the farm; large quan- 

 tities of choice seeds and grafts are annually distributed. In fact 

 the farmers' club has become one of the institutions of our city. 



An important branch of the Institute is the Mechanics' Club, 

 which hold meetings on the 2d and 4th Wednesdays of each 

 month during the year, at which inventors with new discoveries 

 in the arts are allowed to explain their machines and elicit 

 the opinion of scientific gentlemen of their merits ; in addition to 

 which philosophical and mechanical subjects are discussed and 

 examined. These clubs are free, and are generally appreciated 

 by all who attend their deliberations. The information diffused 

 by this and kindred branches of the American Institute, will only 

 be appreciated in future years, when the seed sown at these meetings 

 shall have matured, and become incorporated in the great im- 

 provements of our country. 



We refer with pride to the geological survey of our State which 

 was made on the petition of this Institute. The Legislature, car- 

 rying out our recommendation, has given to the public the 

 resources of oiir State that would otherwise have remained dor- 

 mant for years to come. 



By literary exchanges with foreign nations, our Institute has 

 b'ecome widely known abroad, and its advantages appreciated 

 eVxTy where. The w^orks transmitted to us from France are imme- 

 diately translated by our Secretary, the Hon. Henry Meigs, and 

 distributed free throughout tlie length and breadth of our land, 

 and are appreciated as worthy additions to science. 



