ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS, 



13 



Commerce has awakened to new activity at the call of success- 

 ful agriculture, and the canals and railroads which bind the great 

 West to the Atlantic coast, taxed to their utmost capacity, while 

 the tall ships which but so few months ago lay rolling idly at 

 their wharves, are now bearing the agricultural products of our 

 country to distant lands. 



Manufactures and art, too, have felt the impetus which the 

 generosity of nature to the agriculturist has given to every de- 

 partment of human industry, and have sprung into renewed life 

 and activity. 



Apart, then, from the reasons of convenience which led the 

 managers of the Institute to make this year's exhibition exclu- 

 sively agricultural and horticultural in its character, it was right 

 that at this particular period manufactures and the arts should 

 yield their place, and in the midst of the rejoicings of tens of 

 thousands at the richness and abundance of the harvest with 

 which we have been blessed, allow full scope for the celebration 

 of the praises of what the immortal Washington declared to be 

 " the most useful, the most healthful and the most honorable 

 employment of man." 



There is, beside, a higher and nobler significance in this beau- 

 tiful exhibition. It seems to me that its varied treasures of 

 fruits and flowers are like a hymn of thanksgiving, praise and 

 gratitude to the Eternal giver of all mercies, for the abundant 

 blessings which he has bestowed upon us ; and that if the beauty 

 of these flowers were their only use, they may, in this point of 

 view, to some minds at least, fulfil a- grander purpose than the 

 mere utilitarian ever dreamed of 



The strictly practical results of an exhibition like this are, 

 however, the points to which I desire this evening mainly to 

 direct your attention. 



You will observe that the prevailing character of this exhibi- 

 tion is horticultural rather than agricultural — that is to say, that 

 the beautiful productions of nature which you see around these 

 halls, proceed chiefly from the garden and orchard, not from the 

 meadows and fields. 



The spacious orchards and nurseries of Messrs, EUwaiiger & 

 Barry, of Rochester, Hovey & Co., of Boston, Lewis Menand, of 

 Albany, Smith & Hanchett, of Syracuse, W. S. Carpenter, of 

 Westchester, and others have furnished 500 varieties of pears 

 and more than 200 varieties of apples, many of which, are 



