THE CULTIVATOR. 
31 
The act as amended in 1822, authorised the supervisors 
to raise and expend money as they pleased for the benefit 
of agriculture and domestic industry. This I think was 
preposterous. The society should have the expenditure of 
all the moneys raised; for if there is not spirit enough in 
any county to form a society, it is idle, and worse than 
idle, to levy a tax on the inhabitants for distribution by 
supervisors. 
The societies must embrace the plan of annual shows, 
and the distribution of premiums, or no legislation will be 
productive of benefit. These constitute the springs that 
must move the whole machinery, without these nothing 
can or will be done. 
A general law embracing the formation of associations for 
experimental farms, might also be passed, either in connec¬ 
tion with, or independent of the county societies. If such 
farms were established near the centre of the county, they 
might serve as places where the annual fairs might be held 
as well as farms on which the most improved systems of 
husbandry could be exhibited. I have no doubt that such 
a farm properly conducted might be a profitable speculation 
to the stockholders, as well as beneficial to the community; 
witness the sales of improved animals, made by Bement 
and others, at prices which would justify the greatest care 
and attention. 
You have undoubtedly seen by this county papers, that 
a meeting is to be held this day at Syracuse, for the forma¬ 
tion of a County Agricultural Society. I trust it will be 
well attended, and only regret that I could not have been 
present. This county should have a society, whether aid¬ 
ed by the state or not, that will be active and efficient. 
We have the means, and we must have the spirit. But I 
think it can be demonstrated, that every dollar the state 
pays out, to promote agriculture, will be returned to the 
treasury eventually fourfold. 
From the Governor’s not introducing the subject into his 
message as he usually has done, I was apprehensive the 
whole matter would fall through, and no committee be ap¬ 
pointed; and .even now I do not know who the members 
of the committee are, except that L. F. Allen is chairman. 
I think this a most fortunate selection, as there are few 
men more thoroughly acquainted with the subject in all its 
bearings, and more capable of taking enlarged and liberal 
views of the matter, than he. With your aid I am confi¬ 
dent justice will be done; and whether we get such'a law 
passed, or whether old prejudices will operate so far as to 
defeat the object, the friends of the best interests of the 
state will at least have the consciousness that they have done 
their duty. 
I remain yours respectfully, 
WILLIS GAYLORD. 
On motion of Mr. Baldwin, it was 
. Resolved, That this convention memorialize the present 
legislature for an appropriation for the objects enumerated 
in the resolution just adopted. 
Messrs. S. Cheever, F. Rotch and J. P. Beekman were 
appointed a committee to draw up said memorial. 
On motion of Mr. Randall, it was 
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to 
prepare the proceedings of this convention forpublication; 
and that said committee furnish the publishers of The Cul¬ 
tivator and Genesee Farmer with copies of the same for 
publication. 
Messrs. Randall, Buel and Baldwin were appointed said 
committee. 
The following resolutions were submitted by Mr. Buel, 
and adopted. 
Resolved, That the introduction of foreign seeds and 
plants, through our consuls, public ships and merchant 
vessels, and the establishment of an office at the seat of the 
general government, for the reception and distribution of 
such seeds and plants, would conduce to the improvement 
of our farms and gardens; therefore, 
Resolved further, that this convention respectfully re¬ 
quest the Senators and Representatives of this state, in the 
Congress of the United States, to use their exertions for 
the passage of a law for procuring such seeds and plants, 
and the establishment of such office, to be under the su- 
pervison of the commissioner of the patent office, or of such 
other responsible officer as congress in its wisdom may 
designate. 
Copies of these resolutions were directed to be signed 
by the presiding officer of the convention, and forwaided 
to our senators and representatives in congress. 
The convention then took up the resolution offered by 
Mr. Baldwin yesterday, “ to petition the legislature to 
alter the existing laws in relation to highways,” and adopt¬ 
ed the same. 
On motion of Mr. Richards, the committee appointed 
last year on the subject of the grain worm, were requested 
to continue their investigations, and to report thereon at 
the next convention. 
On motion of Mr. Baldwin, 
Resolved, That the thanks of this convention be pre¬ 
sented to the Hon. the Assembly, for the use of their 
chamber for this convention. 
On motion of Mr, Baldwin, 
Resolved, That the thanks of this convention be pre¬ 
sented to the president and vice-presidents, for the able 
and dignified manner in which they have presided over its 
deliberations, and to the secretaries thereof, for the per¬ 
formance of their duty. 
On motion of Mr. Grove, 
Resolved, That a state agricultural convention be ap¬ 
pointed to be held at the City Hall in the city of Albany, 
on the first Wednesday in Feb. next. 
The convention then adjourned without day. 
JAMES R. LAWRENCE, President. 
Henry S. Randall, Secretary. 
Gen. Root’s Remarks. 
In the agricultural convention, a resolution being under 
consideration for memorializing the legislature, to appro¬ 
priate a part of the interest of the surplus fund towards 
an agricultural school or schools, Gen. Root, of Dela¬ 
ware, rose in support of the resolution, and offered the fol¬ 
lowing, among other reasons, in support of the propiety of 
such an appropriation, 
Gen. Root proceeded to state, that the fund in question 
originated in a surplus revenue, which had grown out of 
proceeds of the sales of the public lands. It had appeared 
by the treasury reports, that the customs and other sources 
of revenue, exclusive of the public lands, had been, for the 
last four or five years, just about enough to complete the ex¬ 
tinction of the public debt, and meet the ordinary expen¬ 
ses of government. The avails of the public lands, for the 
last five years, very nearly gave the exact amount of the 
surplus, directed by the act of congress to be distributed 
among the several states, to be deposited with them, and 
to be redrawn, when needed, by the secretary of the trea¬ 
sury. By the late act, postponing the payment of the 
fourth instalment, it is provided, that the secretary shall 
not draw upon the states, until directed so to do by act of 
congress. This act will virtually give to the states the ab¬ 
solute dominion over this money. The only question that 
remains is, how the interest arising from this fund shall be 
appropriated. By the bill, commonly called Mr. Clay’s 
land bill, which some years ago passed both houses of con¬ 
gress, and by a large majority in each house, it was pro¬ 
vided, that the nett proceeds of the public lands, for five 
years, should be distributed among the several states, for 
the purposes of education and internal im¬ 
provements. This bill did net become a law, as it was 
withheld by the president, and not returned with his ob¬ 
jections, till the meeting of a new congress. The people, 
however, had expressed theirwill in regard to the disposi¬ 
tion of this fund, in the only way the constitution of their 
own choice had provided for the expression of that will,— 
that is, through and by their representatives. That na¬ 
tional domain, which was constituted by cessions of the 
several states having claims to unseated or crown lands, 
as they were then called, and lying within the limits of 
their respective charters, belonged to all the states then 
existing, or thereafter to be admitted into the union. It 
belonged to the whole, as a fund pledged for the redemp¬ 
tion of the debt incurred by the war of the revolution; and 
after the extinguishment of that debt, its proceeds right¬ 
fully belonged to the states, to be divided among them, 
according to their federal numbers. The people, through 
and by their representations, have declared, that the inte¬ 
rest arising from this fund, so distributed, ought to be ap¬ 
plied to purposes of education and internal improvement, 
and we have it from very high authority, that the will of 
the people is the supreme law. 
This state has additional reasons, and stronger perhaps 
than any other state in the union, to apply the whole of 
this fund to the purposes of education. We have already 
our system of internal improvements, with an accumulat¬ 
ing fund for their onward and progressive march. The le¬ 
gislature may, therefore, be spared any pressing importu¬ 
nities for such objects. And further, the people of this 
state have solemnly declared in their constitution ratified 
by them, that the proceeds of its own public lands shall be 
permanently devoted to the support of common schools. 
As the people of this state have, by solemn constitutional 
enactment, thus proclaimed their will in regard to their 
exclusive domain, we have reason to believe that their re¬ 
presentatives, in the state legislature, will feel, that they 
are acting in obedience to the will of their constituents, 
by appropriating the whole of this fund to the various 
branches and schools of education. 
The only remaining question to be examined, said Gen. 
Root, is whether an agricultural school, including, of 
course, the art as well as the science of horticulture, would 
come within the provision of common schools, or of aca¬ 
demic schools, in which are taught the higher branches of 
an English education. The education of the rising gene¬ 
ration,"he said, had always been held by him as a matter 
of public concern and public care. The whole people— 
the political community, were deeply interested in educat¬ 
ing its children, and fitting them for the various duties 
and avocations they may be required to perform. The 
training and development of the moral and intellectual 
powers are all-important,—so are the exercise, guidance 
and discipline of the physical powers. If it is the part of 
a common school education “ to teach the young idea how 
to shoot,” it is no less so to direct the tender limbs and 
muscles how to exercise. By exercise, a vigorous exer¬ 
cise of the muscular powers, the mental are undoubtedly 
improved. The exercise of the one, imparts a vigor not 
only to itself, but to the other. And are not the rural ex¬ 
ercises pertaining to the field, or the garden, better calcu- 
tated to give strength to both, than the playful sports usu¬ 
al with school boys? 
Gen. Root then adverted to the proprietyof annexing to 
our academies, or to some of them where it could be con¬ 
veniently obtained, a piece of ground, if not sufficient for 
extensive agricultural, yet ample for horticultural pursuits. 
Chemistry, geology, mineralogy and botany, are among 
the higher branches of an English education, which entitle 
an institution to draw for its student a distributive share 
from the literature fund. Is not a practical application of 
these sciences necessary to fix them upon the understand¬ 
ing, and make them enduring Upon the memory? Not 
more necessary are maps and globes to the young students 
in geography and astronomy, than a practical observation 
of the soil, the seeds, and the growth of plants, and the use 
of the various implements of husbandry and gardening, are 
to the student in rural labor. Natural philosophy, too, 
cannot attain its highest elevation, cloistered within aca¬ 
demic walls. Let its votaries learn to guide the plough, 
and till the furrowed glebe, and they may vie in vigorous 
and manly thought and action with the peripatetic and 
gymnastic youth of ancient Greece. 
Gen. Root concluded by expressing a hope, that the re¬ 
solution would meet the decided approbation of the con¬ 
vention—that a respectful petition be prepared and pre¬ 
sented to the legislature, and that its prayer would be 
granted by that honorable body. 
In Assembly, February 10, 1838, 
Report, 
Of the committee on agriculture, on the memorial of the 
State Agricultural Convention assembled in Albany 
on the first day of February, instant. 
Mr. L. F. Allen, from the committee on agriculture, to 
whom was referred the memorial of the State Agricultu¬ 
ral Convention assembled in Albany on the first day of 
February, instant, reports: 
Although the duties of the committee on agriculture 
have oftentimes been considered rather nominal than ac¬ 
tive, yet your committee, on a review of past years, and 
a careful examination of the present condition of the state, 
have come to the conclusion that a serious responsibility, 
at this time, rests upon them; that they are chaiged with 
some of the highest duties which devolve upon the legisla¬ 
ture of a state—the guardianship of that primary branch of 
industry which is the source of our prosperity and great¬ 
ness, and our sure dependence in times of public peril and 
and misfortune. Politicians may speculate upon the influ¬ 
ence which free institutions, or a partizan administration, 
may have upon the prosperity of a country; commercial 
men may extol the advantages of an extended foreign com¬ 
merce; manufacturers may claim pre-eminence in conler- 
ing independence upon their country; and literature may 
arrogate the exclusive credit of rendering a community 
enlightened and polished; yet, after all, agriculture con¬ 
stitutes the broad base upon which the whole superstruc¬ 
ture of society depends for support. If that languishes, 
either for want of the protection and patronage of the con¬ 
stituted authorities, or from the inattention and lack of in¬ 
telligence in its rural population, the government becomes 
embarrassed, commerce crippled, and manufactures para¬ 
lyzed. A maritime war may sweep our commerce from 
the ocean; our manufactures may sink for want of a mar¬ 
ket for their fabrics, as they-have done; but agriculture 
never disappoints our hopes, while we continue to enjoy 
the blessings of a kind Providence, whose favor it is alike 
our duty and our interest ) propitiate, by prudent fore¬ 
thought and dutiful submission to all his requirements. The 
soil, under judicious management, never withholds the 
tribute of reward to those who humbly devote themselves 
to its culture, and place upon it their only sure reliance. 
Upon this, then, we ought to bestow our special attention, 
our protecting care. These truths have been amply illus¬ 
trated an 1 established in the experience of the two last 
years. Your committee are persuaded that the condition 
of the agriculture of any country affords a safe criterion 
whereby to judge, not only of its general prosperity, but 
of the social and moral condition of its population. 
The recollections of the age will serve to show, that the 
relative condition of our agriculture and that of many of 
the countries of Europe has undergone a remarkable change 
within the last forty years. While the latter has been in¬ 
creasing, ours has been diminishing in its products. About 
the commencement of the present century the exportation 
of bread stuffs and other provisions, from the northern and 
middle states, amounted, annually, to twelve or fourteen 
millions of dollars, principally to the continent of Europe. 
In the two last years, instead of exporting provisions to 
Europe, as formerly, we have imported from thence bread 
stuffs to the amount of seven or eight millions of dollars. 
These facts conclusively show, that the agricultural pro¬ 
ducts of Europe have greatly increased, while ours have 
been diminishing, in proportion to our population, not¬ 
withstanding the vast accession of fertile virgin soil which 
has been constantly enlarging our borders. Whence this 
great change but from a neglect, on our part, to nurture 
this great branch of national industry; and a diligent and 
constant endeavor, on the part of the governments and 
people of Europe, to improve it? We have the most am¬ 
ple evidence that the efforts of our cotemporaries on the 
old continent have been crowned with abundant success. 
France and Germany have made great advances in agricul¬ 
tural improvement. The once barren sands of Branden- 
burgh, and the no less unproductive heaths of Prussia, are 
now covered, through the active efforts of the Prussian 
government, with plentiful harvests of the finest grain in 
the world. The soil of England has been made to more 
than double its products within the last sixty years; and 
Scotland has quadrupled her agricultural products since 
the termination of our revolutionary war. 
While such has been the recent progress of agricultural 
improvement in Europe, what has been our progress in 
husbandry? Has it not been retrograde? Have not our 
cultivated lands been generally deteriorating, under an ex¬ 
hausting system of husbandry? and have not large tracts, 
once feitile, on the Atlantic border of our country been 
absolutely abandoned, as unprofitable for culture, on ac¬ 
count of the sterility produced by our bad husbandry? 
Under the view of the subject which these facts pre¬ 
sent, the committee feel it their duty to press upon the 
consideration of the legislature, who are delegated to take 
care of the public weal, an investigation into the the cau¬ 
ses which have led to this great, this alarming change, in 
the relative condition of the two continents; and to urge 
them to adopt prompt and efficient means, not to repress 
the European spirit, which has done so much good to the 
human family, but to transfuse a portion of that spirit into 
our own population, and to raise the character of our agrl 
