146 TBANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITTJTE. 



comity with a foreign power, and is by far the most important 

 commercial movement ever made by that singular people. 



The immense extent and importance of the result which will 

 follow this official visit, are not easily estimated or conjectured. 

 The English language, we take it for granted, henceforth becomes 

 a necessary part of the education of a Japanese oflScial or digni- 

 tary, and very soon will be extended to other classes. With the 

 language, will follow, slowly perhaps, but not the less certainly, 

 the religion, the laws, the literature and the science of our Anglo 

 American civilization. 



The American Institute ought not to permit this great national 

 event to pass unobserved or unnoticed. The commerce, the 

 manufactures, the agriculture of the United States, are all affec- 

 ted by and involved in the treaty which this Imperial visit was 

 ostensibly undertaken to exchange and ratify. 



There is no record of the gradual improvements in agriculture 

 or in the mechanical sciences of our countrymen, so full and 

 complete as may be found in the printed reports of the Transac- 

 tions of the American Institute. 



A set of these Transactions, presented in the name of the Insti- 

 tute and placed for inspection and reference in the library of the 

 chief officer of State in the Imperial Capital of Japan, will aid 

 in producing a sympathy on the part of Japanese artisans with 

 the mechanical industry of this country. The copious illustra- 

 tions of agricultural implements and manufacturing machinery 

 found in these volumes, will be readily recognized and under- 

 stood by those ingenious people. 



I propose, therefore, that a complete set of the Tansactions of 

 the American Institute, bound in such a manner as will do credit 

 to American book-binders, be presented to the Embassy through 

 the officers of the Institute ; and also that members of the Farm- 

 ers' Club be requested to furnish seeds of any kind which they 

 may think adapted to Japanese culture. I will cheerfully take 

 charge of any packages, and see that they are properly delivered. 

 The seeds should be accompanied with directions for planting. 



The extended business discussions which took place at the 

 last monthly meeting of the Institute, prevented me from bringing 

 forward on that occasion the matters embraced in this communi- 

 cation. As no other meeting of the Institute will take place in 

 time for any available action on the subject, I take the liberty 

 of addressing you,. as the head of the institution, trusting that if 



