SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 341 



supply. We will insist that our Virginia farmers can 

 better afford to raise hay upon their rich clay lands, to 

 send to Connecticut, than she can raise it for her own use, 

 upon her rock-bound, high-pined lands, and more expen- 

 sive labor. 



We will pass no non-intercourse laws, but we will make 

 up a spirit of inquiry among our people, and accustom 

 them to think, to read Agricultural books and papers, 

 adapted to their use, until they improve their system of 

 Agriculture, so as effectually to stop the importation of 

 hay and some other "Yankee Notions." 



Away goes the Captain without reply to this knock- 

 down argument, orders his vessel to sea in a hurry, with 

 a remark half to himself and half to his three stalwart 

 sons, who are his sailors : "I will tell you what it is, boys, 

 the Devil has got among these Virginians ; they actually 

 talk about raising their own hay and onions. I guess we 

 shall next year have to go a leetle further South for a 

 market. Well now these are tarnation good grass farms, 

 that's fact; but how 'twill spile trade if they du git to 

 raisin' their own hay. By thunder, I 'spose they'll cut off 

 all this wood then along James river, and spile our trade 

 in that line, darn 'em." 



Although this is a "fancy sketch," I put the question to 

 any reasonable man if the result is not just such an one 

 as might be expected to follow the discussion of that reso- 

 lution. Let somebody else who is fond of throwing fire- 

 brands among powder kegs offer the following resolution : 



"Resolved, That all money laid out in the purchase of 

 guano, to be used upon Virginia soil, is a dead loss of 

 capital," and I think he might get up an explosion quite 

 interesting; for I believe there are a few around Rich- 

 mond that might be induced to come into the meeting and 

 tell their experience, to prove that monej'- never was in- 

 vested by a farmer to better profit, than in the purchase 

 of this most remarkable fertilizer of his soil. 



Another subject that might be discussed, is the ques- 

 tion whether it would be advantageous to the farmer to 

 sub-soil, plow and under-drain his land. But I will not be 



