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SIMEON FRANCIS, Editob- 



BAIIiHAGHi: dc BAKEB, PmusBSBS. 



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FEBRU^Rjr, t»Stk 



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legislatiTe Aid to Agriculture. 



We called attention to this subject in 

 an article in the last Farmer. We are in 

 faTor of Legislative aid to Agriculture. — 

 Agriculture is, confessedly, the great ind^ 

 trial interest of the State. It is the sourW 

 of all our wealth and all our prosperity. 

 A large portion of the public revenues of 

 this State are derived from lands, and other 

 property belonging to the agricultural part 

 of our population. They have, therefore, 

 peculiar claims upon the Legislature for aid 

 in developing the Agricultural resources of 

 the State. 



The Agricultural press in different parts 

 of the country, is pressing this subject upon 

 the attention of Legislatures. We have 

 now before us the Valley Farmer, which 

 reminds us of what has been done in several 

 States by Legislatures in aid of the great 

 interest for which we plead, We transfer 

 to our columns most of the article to which 

 we have referred, as embracing facts of gen- 

 eral interest. 



"Ohio has made appropriations to the 

 State Agricultural Society and has also ap- 

 propriated a liberal sum for each county, 

 when the fanners thereof shall organize an 

 agricultural society and raise a like sum to 

 be appropriated as premiums. 



Missouri has made similar appropriations. 

 The Legislature of Kentucky at its last 

 session, in the act incorporating the State 

 Agricultural Society, appropriated $6,000 

 a year for two years; for the encouragement 

 of the farming interests of the State. Had 

 an additional appropriation of two or three 

 hundred dollars a year been offered to the 

 farmers of each county who would organize 

 a county agricultural society and raise an 

 equal sum to be offered in premiums, we 

 think that no more wise appropriation could 

 have been made. Such an appropriation 



under the management of intelligent and 

 judicious officers, would not only encourage 

 and improve the agriculture of the several 

 counties, but would greatly promote the in- 

 terests ef the State at Is^ge. Mich^an 

 has done nobly £or the cause of Agriculture 

 in that State. We do not now remember 

 the amount that is given through the State 

 Society, bat a large appropriation has been 

 made for an Agricultural College, wMch is 

 now nearly or quite completed and ready to 

 be opened for the reception of students. In 

 connection with the College, is an experi- 

 mental farm, where the practice as well as 

 the theory of Agriculture in aU its varieos 

 departments, is to be taught. 



The New York State Agricultural Society 

 is one of the oldest in the country. The 

 Legislature of the State has done more to 

 foster and encourage this great interest in 

 New York than has been done by any other 

 State in the Union. Besides the aid that 

 has been extended through this society, an 

 appropriation of forty thousand dollars has 

 been expended in erecting the new State 

 Geological and Agricultural Hall in Albany. 

 This is a model institution of its kind, such 

 as should be found in every agricultural 

 State in the Union. The building is of 

 pressed brick, and was erected , in 1855. 

 The main building is 81 feet front on State 

 and 52 1-2 feet deep, with a wing 68 by 40 

 feet, each four stories high. The front 

 part of the basement story is for the ac- 

 commodation of the Taxidermist, Janitor, 

 Chemical Labratory, heating aparatns, etc. 

 The principal floor of the main building on 

 the east of the main entrance, is devoted to 

 the Office and Library of the State Agri- 

 cultural Society, and on the west to the 

 Geological collection. The principal floor 

 of the rear part is occupied as a lecture 

 room and for the meeting of the society, 40 

 by 68 feet square and 15 feet high.. The 

 halls above the lecture room, of fiie same 

 size, vrith two galleries, lighted with sky- 

 lights and windows, are for the society's 

 Agricultm'al Museum. T^ wj^ole cf ^e* 



