40 



of the river and the low level will not allow canals 

 being taken out for the purpose, the Persian wheel, 

 an instrument of great power and antiquity, is used. 

 Often, indeed, water is drawn by this means from 

 deep wells, to irrigate the fields, while in our finely 

 watered country this great advantage is neglected. 

 I have traversed, in a period of drought, the rich 

 and fertile valleys of Virginia, and seen the corn and 

 grass perishing for want of moisture, while a bounti- 

 ful stream ran gurgling along the side of the hill, 

 wanting only to be tapped to restore the withering 

 plants and scorched grass to new life and vigor. In 

 the South, irrigation is practised in the cultivation of 

 * rice, but only in the low country, by means of the ebb 

 and flow of the tide, and for that plant alone. With 

 this exception, there, as elsewhere throughout our 

 country, the farmers do not avail themselves of the 

 great natural advantages they enjoy in having the 

 means of irrigation within their reach, but trust alto- 

 gether to the uncertain seasons. As a thorough know- 

 ledge of this art \vould more than double our agri- 

 cultural products with the same labor, this Institution 

 will confer a benefit on their fellow-citizens, by in- 

 structing them in the best methods of watering and 

 draining their fields. In the south of Europe canals 

 of irrigation have been constructed by the ablest 

 engineers of the age, and I cannot but think that our 

 own civil engineers would find their account in be- 

 coming acquainted with this art, while at the same 

 time they might render an invaluable service to their 

 country. 



Entomology, which teaches the nature and habits 



