1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



615 



of which the society may well be proud, as having 

 been the organ through whicii it was given to the 

 vast crowd of spectators assembled to witness it. 

 The long line of tables, which had been erected for 

 better display, and every corner, teemed with 

 silk, cotton, and woollen liibrics, purposed for every 

 form of utility, and lor the gratification of every 

 freak of ii\ncy ; all combining taste, beauty, and 

 usefulness, in their appearance ; and telling of in- 

 dustry, ingenuity, and improvement, in their ma- 

 kers. The display of counterpanes, blankets, 

 woollen cloths, fiannels, carpets, table linens, &c., 

 &c., comprised a host of articles of various grades 

 and texture: and many who examined them, 

 were doubtless led to inquire, why should the far- 

 mers of Virginia give their money away for the 

 foreign fabric, when the little household fiictorics, 

 by their own fire sides, impelled by the hands of 

 their own fair wives and daughters, can thus yield 

 all that comfort can require ? 



Various other articles of fine workmanship, as 

 saddles, harness, cabinet furniture, chairs, &c., 

 were likewise exhibited, which reflected great 

 credit on their manulticturers. 



Of implements of husbandry, only two ploughs 

 were shown, and these by professed makers. Are 

 there no new inventions or improvements in the 

 thoughts of our farmers'] Where are the rollers 

 for meadows and for clover seed — the improved 

 harrows and cultivators, and ploughs for the sav- 

 ing of labor, and tor more successful tillage — the 

 forage cutters for the economy of time and food — 

 and the many other inventions which men have 

 thought ofj and yet from inertia, or the fear of the 

 jeers of the ignorant, have been suffered to remain 

 intangible and unknown? Cannot these be 

 brought to the light and test of experiment another 

 year? 



Many beautiful and well-wrought articles of va- 

 rious kinds, were sold at auction, which the secre- 

 tary intended to notice, but could not from the im- 

 mobility of the crowd which surrounded the auc- 

 tioneers. It is hoped they brought good prices ; 

 if they did not, the excuse must be found again 

 in the density of the multitude, which prevented 

 even the slightest examination ; for we are sure 

 the fault cannot be charged to the want of a proper 

 regard for home industry. 



After the citizens had dispersed, and the com- 

 mittees had completed their labors, the society 

 met in the ball room of the Franklin, and was 

 called to order by the president. 



The secretary proceeded to read the awards of 

 premiums by the committees, which, with some 

 amendments and revisions, were adopted. These 

 have already been published, and the secretary 

 deems it unnecessary to repeat them here. 



But before the completion of the business of the 

 society, it adjourned till to-morrow, 10 o'clock. 



Saturday, October 28. 



The society was called to order at the hour ad- 

 journed to yesterday. 



After some discussion on various points, on mo- 

 tion of the Rev. John Earley, the 11th article of 

 the constitution, which provides for the election of 

 speaker of the annual address by the society, was 

 repealed, so as to make it the duty of the execu- 

 tive committee to select the orator, at least two 

 months before the anniversary. 



On motion, Resolved, That persons residing 



without the bounds of the society, who trade to 

 Lynchburg, and who may desire to become mem- 

 bers, with a view to the exhibition of their crops 

 of tobacco or Hour, for premium, be allowed the 

 privilege of doing so, on or before the day of such 

 exhibition. 



Resolved, That all reports of the committees, 

 recommending special premiums, be referred to 

 the executive committee for future action. 



The society then went into the election of offi- 

 cers for the ensuing year, which resulted as fol- 

 lows, by nomination, and unanimously; viz., 



Odin G. Clay, President ; Elijah Fletcher, 1st 

 Vice President ; Benj. Wigginton, 2*/ Vice Pre- 

 sident ; Thomas M. Bondurant, 3rf Vice Presi- 

 dent j Henry S. Langhorne, 4//t Vice President; 

 Achilles D. Johnson, Secretary ; Georse D. Da- 

 vis, jjssistant, do.; John H. Tyree, Treasurer ; 

 Dr. Wm. Ow^ens, John M. Warwick, Rev. John 

 Early, Nathaniel I. Manson, Dr. Robert Withers, 

 Champe Carter, James A. Merriweiher, John 

 Thurman, Amnion Hancock, John G. Meem, 

 Benjamin Wilkes, George Markham, Jehu Wil- 

 liams, Richard Perkins, Charles H. Lynch, Dr. 

 Henry Latham, Dr. David Patleson, Charles H. 

 Moorman, Maurice Langhorne, jr., Maurice H. 

 Garland, Paschal Butbrd, James W. Morgan, 

 Executive Committee. 



Resolved, That the 6th article of the constitu- 

 tion be so amended, as to authorise five of the ex- 

 ecutive board to constitute a quorum, instead of a 

 majority. 



Resolved, That the secretary report the proceed- 

 ings of the meeting for publication, under the su- 

 perintendence of the officers. 



Resolved, That the next anniversary be held on 

 the last Tuesday in October, 1838. 



And then the meeting adjourned sine die. 



Remarks. 



The arrangements by the executive committee 

 for this, our second anniversary, though not so 

 ample as experience might have taught, were yet 

 the best that could be made on the occasion ; and 

 the thanks of the society are particularly due to 

 Samuel Burch and Chesley Hardy, for their acti- 

 vity in making the mechanical preparations ne- 

 cessary. If, from the want of ample space, the 

 density of the crowd of spectators, and the multi- 

 tude of things exhibited to some of the commit- 

 tees, rendering the duties of these most arduous, 

 some articles escaped attention, it is the misfortune 

 of the society, rather than the efit^ct of error, or 

 want of proper attention to duty. We will only 

 say to those, if any, who were overlooked, try 

 again on another occasion, when the experience 

 of our present defects will have taught us how to 

 avoid them. Sagacity is the graduate of occa- 

 sional misfortune. And the growing strength of 

 the society, enables it to promise arrangements, 

 space, and order, most adequate in future. 



Shall this society continue to flourish'? We 

 ask those who have already enjoyed its amuse- 

 ments and felt its impulses. We ask those who_ 

 witness, at its anniversaries, a development of 

 home resources and industry, which before they 

 had not thought of— -those' who have become feint 

 with toiling on their ancestral heritages without 

 profit, and who have already fi^lt, under its influ- 

 ence, the generous impulses of improvement, and 

 of consequent endearment to their native land. 



