SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 337 



take off all standing water from your fields ; improve your 

 dwellings, and lime your lands ; drink less rum, and bless 

 God for health and happiness, and that your lot is cast in 

 one of the most desirable sections of these yet United 

 States. 



Invite among you industrious farmers from the North. 

 — Try to eradicate that foolish idea that prevails there 

 that a white laborer is not respected here. Every man is 

 respected by every one who possesses the true character- 

 istics of a gentleman, that devotes himself to the business 

 of his life. 



Northern men have lately engaged in the business of 

 raising early garden vegetables, in the vicinity of Nor- 

 folk, for Northern markets. Even this "small business" 

 may be made a great one, and bring about great improve- 

 ment of this extraordinarily kind and easily tillable soil, 

 and thereby make lower Virginia, not only a most desir- 

 able agricultural country for residents, but inviting to 

 emigrants from abroad. 



To the citizens of Norfolk let me say, that if you would 

 see your city rise from its Rip Vanwinkleism, you must 

 arouse the sense of your surrounding agriculturists to 

 the truth, that they possess the land and means of mak- 

 ing this region the garden spot of the world, and then, 

 and not till then, will your city prosper, as every city 

 always does, in the midst of a highly cultivated country. 

 To do this, spread knowledge abroad. 



If any one is desirous of knowing who it is that is hold- 

 ing this plain talk to them, he may learn by "inquiring 

 of the printer," that I am Solon Robinson. 



