FARMERS' REGISTER— ADDRESS ON AGRICULTURE. 



481 



duty to say, thfit there are two ijentlcmen in thig 

 coLint)' who have made v^ery laudable etlbrts to 

 improve their corn by means of a careful aimual 

 selection of seed. The fimcy of one led him to 

 desire that his corn shoidd excel in weiglit, and 

 making his selections with that view, but only 

 from his own crops, has brought it, as I am well 

 assured, to the unusual standard of upwards of 

 sixty pounds to the bushel, being about five pounds 

 heavier than mine, which 1 would reluctantly have 

 rated below the average of the county. 1 have 

 compared this improved corn with my own, be- 

 cause I believe that both are from the same variety, 

 as it existed twenty years ago, proving most con- 

 clusivel}-, what may be done, if we would only 

 try to do. 



The other gentlemaii wliose efforts to improve 

 his corn are so commendable, seems to have ex- 

 perimented more with a view to quantity by mea- 

 sure than by pounds; and instead of selecting lor 

 seed, such ears as ho would like his next crop to 

 have, prefers taking the upper ear of stalks bear- 

 ing two or more ears — and he appears very con- 

 fident, that this mode of selecting seed, continued 

 lor, say the last twenty 3'ears, has given him a 

 species of corn, which hardly ever fails to have 

 two ears to the stalk — and that his crops have been 

 greatly increased since he adopted it for cultiva- 

 tion. 



Rockbridge, Nov. IStk, 1834. 



Extract from the ionnial of the Affricultiual Society of King 

 William and King and Queen. 



Resolved, That Mr. William Boulware be re- 

 quested to furnish a copy of his address to this 

 meeting for publication. 



THOMAS iiAYKES, Secretary. 



A SKETCH OF AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BE- 

 FORE A 3IEETIJVG, CONVENED AT AYLETt's, 

 KING WILLIAM COUNTY, FOR THE PURPOSE 

 OF FORMING AN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



By WiLLIAil BOULWAKE. 



An interesting subject has called us together. 

 Among all the arts, sciences, and professions of 

 man, there is none so comprehensive in its influ- 

 ence, and so universal in its interest as agriculture. 

 All the citizens of a state are blessed in its pros- 

 perity, and all languish and sufl'er in its adversity. 

 It is the basis on which repose all other arts; and, 

 indeed, civilization itself; tor without it man would 

 be a wandering savage, roaming the forests in 

 search of an uncertain and scanty subsistence. 

 The Egyptians appreciated so highly its benefits, 

 that they ascribed the invention to one of their 

 Deities, and in the excess of their gratitude wor- 

 shipped the ox for his services in the cultivation of 

 the soil. The nations of antiquity soon learned to 

 estimate the art of agriculture, and in many re- 

 spects Virginians of tlie 19tli century have cause 

 to blush at their infijriority. In the purest period 

 of the Roman Repidilic, to be called "an indus- 

 trious and judicious husbandman,"" was esteemed 

 the highest encomium that could be given an il- 

 lustrious character. The most distinguished citi- 

 zens devoted their' talents and labor to the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil, and the im])rovement oi" the mode 

 ol husbandrv. *'M. Cato, the censor, who was 



celebrated as orator, statesman, and general, hav- 

 ing conquered nations and governed provinces, 

 derived the highest and most durable honors fi-om 

 having written a voluminous work on agriculture." 

 Yu'gil has lent his genius to the same topic, and 

 embodied in the flowing harmony of his numbers, 

 and the glowing beauties of his versification, the 

 precepts and the pleasures of the farmer's life. 

 Pliny, Varro, and many other Romans of erjual 

 celebrity, composed treatises on the same subject, 

 and vvere held in high estimation as public bene- 

 fiictors, for contributing their aid to the improve- 

 ment of the tillage of their country. The Greeks, 

 also, devoted as they were to politics, commerce, 

 and conquest, did not neglect the business of ag- 

 riculture, but gave a portion of that genius which 

 had illuminated so many other subjects to an elu- 

 cidation of the principles of rural economy. Hesiod, 

 Xenophon, and others, have written on this sub- 

 ject. Other nations of ancient times held this art 

 in high esteem, and contributed to accelerate its 

 progress. The Carlhagenians carried it to a high 

 state of perfection for the age in which they lived. 

 In modern times, the inhabitants of other coun- 

 tries and other states of this confederacy, have 

 done much to advance it. Philanthropists have 

 expended their efforts on its improvement — philos- 

 ophers have investigated and speculated upon its 

 theory and practice, and statesmen and states have 

 contributed substantial aid to its advancement. An 

 employment which occupies seven-eighths of the 

 population of all civilized communities, which is 

 the source of occupation, and the paymaster of all 

 other trades and professions, is certainly one well 

 worthy the investigation of the scientific, the pat- 

 ronage of the benevolent and patriotic, and the 

 protection and bounty of governments. 1'he econ- 

 omists of the 18th century, perceiving its superior 

 importance in a state, and the intimate connection 

 and dependence on it of all other departments of 

 industry, were led erroneously to consider that ag- 

 riculturists were the only producers, and the rest of 

 mankind mere consumers. In the commence- 

 ment of this art the principles of science have 

 been applied with much advantage. Chemistry 

 has poured a flood of light on the whole circle ol 

 agricultural topics. By it, much that vras doubt- 

 fid has been decided; much that is new and valu- 

 able has been added, and the means are afiorded 

 by chemical analysis, of establishing principles and 

 practice as sure and determinate in agriculture, as 

 in the science of mathematics, or any other. It 

 has torn down the pillars that sustained the fabrics 

 of many systems built up amid darkness and igno- 

 rance, and in their place has afforded the instru- 

 ments ibr rearing a science on a basis firm as ada- 

 mant, and lasting as truth. By an analysis of 

 the soil, whatever is noxious may be detected; 

 whatever constituent is wanting that is necessaiy 

 to the crops proposed to be grown, may be ascer- 

 tained, and thus the character of land and its va- 

 lue be decided. A specimen of a soil of good ap- 

 pearance but remarkable sterility, was placed in 

 the hands of Sir H. Davy for his examination. 

 Upon a chemical analysis lie detected sulphate of 

 iron. This he knew to be uniavorable to vegeta- 

 tion, and recognized it immediately as the source 

 of the sterility. The remedy was obvious to the 

 chemist — a top-dressing of lime, whicli converted 

 ihe poisoiious principle into a manure. The lime 

 was applied, the sulphate ol' iron was des;ro3-ed, 



