Speaker of the House of Assembly, New-York.

SIR-I herewith transmit the Annual Report of the American Institute of the city of New-York.

Very respectfully,

Your obt. servant,

ADONIRAM CHANDLER,

Superintending Age

EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE.

New-York, Jan. 7, 1850.

The Trustees of the American Institute of the city of New-York, herewith present to the New-York State Agricultural Society, a report of their proceedings for the past year, in conformity to the law passed May 5, 1841, which constituted the Institute, the Agricultural Society of the county of New-York.

The Annual Transactions of the American Institute cover an extended field, in which our fellow citizens throughout the country, who are engaged in agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and the arts, to a greater or less extent, are interested. It seems, therefore, necessary to embody in this report, every thing of interest, coming within the purview of the Institute, for the general information of all who are engaged in those great pursuits. Agriculture and manufactures are the parents of commerce; the ingenuity of the mechanic is indispensable to them. How essentially necessary to agriculture is the labor which is applied in originating and perfecting labor-saving machines for its use; and in improving the numerous implements it has already received from the hands of the artizan. Any attempt to separate these interests, must be injurious, and should at once be discountenanced. Let the intercourse of classes, mutually dependant, be as free as air; the benefits resulting will be great, and as mutual as the intercourse is free.

The American Institute, located as it is in the metropolis of the Union, and embracing the great objects contained in its charter, we believe affords greater facilities for observation, enquiry, comparison, and the diffusion of important facts, pertaining to the industrial pursuits

of men, than any similar association within our knowledge. It was the pioneer in the great movement of association for disseminating useful information, and practically illustrating the productions of agriculture, manufactures, and the handicraft of the mechanic. Connected, as they intimately are and must be, with the every day wants of our citizens, it seems to have been demanded. The energies of the mechanic and manufacturer were feeble at the commencement of our operations, compared with the spirit and enterprise which now animate them. Contact with rivals, in every department, has accelerated the progress of improvement, so that now, their productions stand second to none.

Agriculture has received its full share of our labor in endeavors to promote its advancement. Years of toil, before the legislative enactment of 1841, will attest the sincerity of our devotion to that interest. The geological survey of the State originated in a petition from the American Institute for that object; and for a succession of years the Institute has been petitioning for aid from the Legislature to establish an agricultural school with an experimental farm attached. We rejoice that the Legislature has at length moved in the matter. Although the American Institute has been omitted in the measures thus far taken, it has no complaint to make, no fault to find; satisfied to the full, if the end is attained and the object faithfully accomplished, no matter under whose auspices the work may be done.

The disbursements of the Institute in sustaining its operations for the last eight consecutive years, have been over $12,000 per annum ; making a total sum of $96,352.73. Our vouchers show that nearly one-third of this sum, or $30,000, is chargeable to the department of agriculture. The balance to manufactures and the mechanic arts. Such has been its disbursements in defraying all its expenses. The State, under the law of 1841, has refunded $7,600. For which, on behalf of the Institute, we tender our most sincere thanks, and solicit a continuance of this bounty; confident in the assurance that it will be faithfully, and we trust beneficially, applied.

The succeeding pages will bring to the knowledge of our fellow tizens, a somewhat detailed statement of our operations during the