IS'^T] 



F A R M E R S ' R K G IS T E R . 



429 



r»ko care of the inlcrest of the treasury, which 

 would ^5<l(fo^ from the reduction of the duty on 

 cn!.>ni:i! sairar, nnh^ss counto.rtiiilancctl hy the duty 

 laid oti<:uirar made in France from beet root. 



In the course of Wedne^iiay's^ debate, wiiich 

 was almost exclusively kept up hv ifenilemen who 

 are either c;uididates for the otiice of Minister ol' 

 Finance, or have already eiijoved that distinction, 

 same allusioii was made by .\I. Passy to a recent 

 improvement in the manuliu-ture of sugar from 

 beet root, by which no less than 10 per cent, has 

 been obtained on the weijjht oi'the root, instead of 

 something like 1 per cent., which has hitherto 

 been the avera<xe product." Two companies, the 

 one in Baden, the'otherin Wirtemberg, have been 

 Jormed under the patronage of the two govprn- 

 inents, mid provided with sufficient capital for 

 carryintif the new system of M. Schuzembach into 

 effect; and as its efficacy h;ls been proved by' ex- 

 periments on a large scale, performed in the course 

 of" the present season, it can scarcely be doubted 

 that slave-made sugar is destined, in a very lew 

 years, to be driven out of the market by the 

 cheaper and better produce of fi-ee labor. Besides, 

 by the system of 31. Schuzembach a much greater 

 portion of the work than heretofore can be execut- 

 ed by machinery ; thus afibniing another iruarantec 

 in liivor of the interests of humanity, althouuh it 

 may possibly take the businessout of the hands of 

 the small farmer to throw into those of the landed 

 proprietor in the sha[)e of rent, and of the monied 

 interest in the form of i)rofits oncapital. 



GOVERNMENTAL ACTION IN AID OF AGRI- 

 CULTURAL IMPROVEMENT IN THIS COUN- 

 TRY. 



We have already lieard of expressions of approba- 

 tion, and even delight, from intelligent persons who 

 have seen Washington's correspondence for the first 

 time, in our late republication. If there were nothing 

 else therein to interest the agriculturist, there would 

 be enough to make the work highly valuable in the 

 evidences it affords, in addition to all belonging to his 

 public services, of the great and solid worth of Wash- 

 ington's character. These letters were evidently de- 

 signed to be private; they are not onlyiree from eyery 

 appearance of display, but they are full of marks of 

 haste, and even of gross inaccuracies of style. But 

 still, there is not a page that does not help to increase 

 our admiration of the writer's sound, practical and 

 useful wisdom ; and the whole serves to heighten any 

 previous just appreciation of his worth, mental and 

 moral, founded upon liis historical and public charac- 

 ter alone. Compare these private thoughts, and the 

 private life and labors of Washington with those of 

 the great men of modern times, who have striven 

 or are now striving to obtain and hold the rank and 

 power which he was so anxious to resign — and how 

 immeasurably superior will his worth appear ! 



The latter part of the correspondence, given in the 

 first pages of this No. shows how highly Washington 

 prized the operations of the British Board of Agricul- 

 ture, and how anxious he was that similar works should 

 be effected in this country, under patronage of the fer 

 deral governmeut. The now every-day objection of 

 "unconstitutionality" had not then 'been thought oi", 



either in this case, or in the manj' others to winch thfit 

 objection has been successively urged, to be trampled 

 under foot by those Who urged it, whenever it stood 

 in the wny. of their interest, or cherished objects. 

 But as no pohtical leader can forward his ambitious 

 views by aiding agricultural improvement, and no mer- 

 cenary camp-foilcweis can make much by an}' jobs it 

 would furnish, there is no doubt but it will remain 

 the undoubted construction of tlie federal couhtitution, 

 that the government has no right to aid agricultuie hy 

 any general and useful sj'stem of encouragement. 

 Nor would we (being of the "straitest sect,") wish 

 this single case of strict construction to be overthrown 

 or assailed, even to gain the greatest boon it might in- 

 sure to agriculture. But we would most earnestly re- 

 commcMidthis subject, sustained by Wash! n;iton's deci- 

 ded approval, to the state legislatures, where no con- 

 stitutional objectibns oppose full and beneficial action. 

 In Virjrinia, Washiugton's own birth-place and home 

 we believe any such early action is now utterly hope- 

 less. The legislature would spend ,$100,000, in de- 

 bating empty and worthless abstract resolutions, tend- 

 ing to no practical or useful result whatever, or in le- 

 gislating for the indemnity and perfect security of bro- 

 ken banks for any violations of their chartered obliga- 

 tions, with less grudging, than give the hundredth part 

 as much money to spread agricultural knowledge, in 

 any manner, or with the best prospect of success. 



The legislature of New York has appropriated large 

 sums, and during many years, in aid of agricultural im- 

 provement, and with undoubted good and profiiable 

 elfects. The legislature of Massachusetts, at the last 

 session,' adopted a still more commendable , and yet 

 cheaper means for the. same aid, in directing a gene- 

 ral agricultural survey of that state. Even the bar- 

 ren and poor state of Maine gave more, last session, in 

 a bounty for raising wheat, than would serve for 20 

 years of liberal and proper appropriation for the spread- 

 ing of agricultual knowledge in the great and rich 

 state of Virginia. , And though we disapproved of the 

 mode and direction of that bounty, we cannot but ap- 

 plaud the spirit which induced the oifef, and hope for 

 better reward for it than we anticipated and predicted. 

 North Carolina has appropriated $200,000 for draining 

 the immense swamps possessed by that common- 

 wealth ; a liberal and noble expenditure indeed — and 

 which, if judicioady directed, will be returned dou- 

 bled, or perhaps quadrupled in value, to the state. 

 These are subjects for congratulation for eveiy friend 

 to agriculture, eveh though there still be no green spot 

 on which to rest the eye, in the wide field of V^irginiau 

 legislation on agricultural interests. 



It may be stated, in denial of our previous remarlcs, 

 that the Congress of the United States has, on several 

 occasions, aided agiicullure, by ordering and paying 

 for the publication of treatises on agriculture, for ex- 

 tensive gratuitous distribution. This is true; but it 

 is believed that these measures were adopted, or suf- 

 fered to pass, merely as a few of the numerous jobs 

 authorized for the benefit of private individuals, and 

 certainly not upon the jiound of Ibrming parts of a de- 

 libeiately designed plan ol' aiding and extending agricui- 



