1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
89 
Moving in a sphere so elevated and so intellectual, Mr. 
Watson enjoyed the most favorable opportunity of ob¬ 
serving the institutions, the men, and the affairs of the 
Old World. His habit of viewing society was thus en¬ 
larged, and his mind expanded and improved. He tra¬ 
versed various sections of England and Wales, and al¬ 
though yielding to the strong and bitter feelings of hos¬ 
tility fitting an American patriot at that epoch, against 
the government, he seems to have been amazed and de¬ 
lighted in witnessing the progress of England in the 
arts of peace. He also made a hasty tour through 
Holland, which was the basis of a future publication. 
The canals and internal improvements of these coun¬ 
tries, their beauty and vast agricultural resources, ap¬ 
peared particularly to have attracted his attention. He 
carefully examined their public works, and from the 
mere curiosity of an observing traveller, procured data 
of expenses, plans, &c., which, at a subsequent period, 
he applied to the most important practical purposes. 
The rural beauties that every where charmed his eye, 
first probably excited an interest and desire for agri¬ 
cultural pursuits ,• whilst the high degree of improved 
culture, and the successful application of science, he 
saw, strongly contrasted with the primitive system, or 
want of system, to which he was accustomed in Ame¬ 
rica. His observations on these subjects created an 
enduring conviction of the importance and necessity of 
these improvements to his own country, and aroused an 
enthusiasm for their promotion, that glowed to the 
latest period of his life. 
Seed thus fortuitously sown in Europe had, after the 
lapse of many years, their fruition in America, in the 
efficient and untiring zeal with which he devoted him¬ 
self to the advancement of numerous schemes of local 
and public improvement, and the great interests of ag¬ 
riculture. Mr. Watson had the peculiar, and to a high 
toned and ardent American, the grateful privilege, of 
hearing from the lips of the king of Great ^Britain, be¬ 
fore the Imperial Parliament, the recognition of our 
national existence. He always alluded to that event 
as the proudest hour in his life. In 1784, he returned 
to America, with an increased attachment for the man¬ 
ners, customs, and institutions of his native land. 
Soon after his return Mr. Watson again proceeded to 
the Southern States, and resided for some years in North 
Carolina. On his tour southward he visited Mt. Ver¬ 
non, and we deeply regret we cannot extract from his 
journal an incident, that exhibits^ a beautiful trait in 
the lovely and harmonious character of Washington. 
The journals of Mr. Watson during his southern resi¬ 
dence, afford an interesting portraiture of the manners 
and customs at that period of society at the south. In 
the practice, from early youth, of recording the events 
of his own life, and the incidents around him, with the 
opinions and feelings excited by them, he has left MSS. 
which range over a period of more than half a century, 
and are a rich source of valuable and curious information. 
In 1788, he became a citizen of Albany, and at a very 
early day began the agitation in that city, of various 
subjects of local improvement. Among other schemes 
which engaged his attention for a series of years, and 
which he sustained through the press and by personal 
efforts, we may enumerate the paving of the streets— 
a supply of water—-a public library—the introduction 
of lamps—the organization of the Bank of Albany—a 
turnpike between Schenectady and Albany. In the 
same year, Mr. Watson travelled along the valley of 
of the Mohawk to Fort Stanwix, at that time .on the 
very confines of civilization. The policy of a union of 
the waters of Lake Ontario and the Mohawk, and the 
improvement of their navigation, seemed to have sug¬ 
gested itself to his mind, with a deep' impression of its 
importance and facility. His views on this subject 
were matured and strengthened by subsequent observa¬ 
tions made in a tour through the same region three 
years afterwards. The result of these convictions was 
earnest and continued appeals to the public and the 
legislature, urging the adoption of a specific system of 
internal improvement. 11 Who initiated the canal pol¬ 
icy of the State,” it is not our province to discuss , but 
we may assert, that the efforts and suggestions of Mr. 
Watson, were peculiarly efficient in originating the 
canal law of 1792. He was a director, and among the 
most prominent and active agents of the company formed 
under that law. 
A society was organized in 1792, through his exertions 
in Albany, offering rewards to promote the manufacture 
of maple sugar, and an attempt was also made to pro¬ 
cure, from the legislature, an act for the same object. 
The fact, trifling in itself, is interesting, as it presaged 
the future labors of Mr. Watson for the advancement 
of agricultural interests. Soon after, he drafted and 
circulated a petition to the legislature, and was prima¬ 
rily insti'umental in providing a law establishing in 
New-York a state prison, upon the hard labor system. 
In 1807, Mr. Watson purchased a beautiful seat, 
with an extensive farming establishment attached, sit¬ 
uated in Pittsfield, Mass. To this place, in one of the 
most picturesque and delightful regions in New Eng¬ 
land, he retired, in pursuit of those rural scenes and 
enjoyments which for twenty years had been his warm¬ 
est aspiration. The county of Berkshire, always dis¬ 
tinguished for the beauty of its scenery, was not then 
one of the garden spots of New England. Its farms 
were not fertile, were generally cultivated with little 
care or science, and the stock were of an inferior qual¬ 
ity. This was the scene of Mr. Watson’s agricultural 
labors, and the great field of his usefulness. The Ag¬ 
ricultural Society of that county, which was mainly 
founded by his unwearied efforts, is an enduring monu¬ 
ment of his devoted patriotism and fervent zeal. Al¬ 
though practically ignorant of all agricultural pursuits, 
he enlisted in his new vocation with all the ardor and en¬ 
gagedness that marked his character. The coarse wool 
sheep and primitive swine first attracted his attention, 
and his inititory measure in his career of improvement, 
was the introduction of a pair of fine grade Merino 
sheep, from the flock of Chancellor Livingston. 
These were soon succeeded by two grass feed swine 
from the same vicinity. The merit may be ascribed to 
him of having, within the first year of his residence in 
Berkshire, by the introduction of these animals, laid 
the basis of that branch of agricultural interest, which 
has proved one great element of the wealth and pros¬ 
perity of that county. These sheep were the first Me¬ 
rinos that had been seen in the region, and their appear¬ 
ance excited much curiosity and discussion. To gratify 
the one and arouse the other, Mr. Watson, in pursuance 
of notice, exhibited them on the public square in Pitts¬ 
field, for general inspection. The occasion assembled 
a considerable number of farmers and others, who were 
surprised and delighted with the animals, and with the 
quality and texture of their wool. This novel and 
humble exhibition he states, created universal interest, 
and suggested to his mind those cattle shows which 
were soon established in the county. The wool from 
these sheep he caused to be manufactured into cloth, by 
the most skillful artists the country then contained. $ 
The work far excelled any previously produced, and 
probably was the inception of those woolen manufac¬ 
tures that now compete with the choicest fabrics of 
Europe. The incident was announced by the press 
throughout the country, with a detail of the expense of 
manufacture, the quality, &c.,of thecloth, and samples 
of it even, were exhibited in our chief cities. We may 
here add, that just previous to the war of 1812, Mr. 
Watson selected sufficient of his finest wool for two 
coat patterns, and had it manufactured in the most per- 
