FARMERS' REGISTER— AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES, &c. 



5G5 



pair the ravages of injutlicious cultivation; but the 

 want of new land, must now either turn our atten- 

 tion to the improvement of the old, or throw us 

 into the current of emigration whicii is carrying 

 from our state many of its choice and most vakia- 

 ble citi'/cns. One who leels an honest pride for 

 the liuid of his nativity, and exi^ects in "weal or 

 woe" to connect his destiny with hers, views this 

 alternative with emotions of the deepest solici- 

 tude. The God of Nature did not give us a fertile 

 soil and cliaiate calculated to "quicken into life 

 the products of the temperate zone and fruits of 

 the tropics," thus to be abused, neglected, and 

 abandoned. Without any of those calamities 

 which have withstood the prosperity of nations, 

 in a period of profc)und t)eace, imder the operation 

 of a government regarded as the most benign, 

 and institutions the most salutarj-, the patriot is 

 not yet let! without hope. Something is only 

 wanting to infuse a sjririt of interest in the breasts 

 of the farmers themselves, and concentrate their 

 energies. If there be any occupation which re- 

 quires ''singleness of object, and firmness of pur- 

 pose," surely it is theirs. But only let it be an- 

 nounced that a president is to be glorified, or the 

 mea.gures of his administration denounced by 

 eome political aspirant, and we see the steril field, 

 yielding but a scanty support to a suff'erinjj family, 

 with the closest attention, readily ffhd eagerly abon- 

 doncd lor the bustle and confusion of the court- 

 yard. Perhaps very unsatisfactory answers would 

 be given to the irKp.iiry, what had been gained by 

 the exchanrre? I am far, very fir from wishing to 

 curtail the rights of freemen, or objecting to the exer- 

 cise of them — and only wish to show that objects 

 of minor importance are eagerly attended fo, 

 while those of paramount consideration are en- 

 tirel}' neglected. Had the meeting of an agricul- 

 tural society been the scene of resort, perhaps 

 some interesting and instructive essay on the pro- 

 per method of making and applying manures, 

 would have increased the beauty and productive- 

 ness of his iarm. He might probably have seen 

 some cheap and durable machine greatly curtailing 

 manual labor — or different specimens of live stock, 

 convincing hini that particular breeds of each 

 can be most profitably raised. Sufficient induce- 

 ment is only wanting to bring any kind of stock 

 into the country its interest may require. He 

 might have learned that clover seed which cost 

 him 7 or 8 dollars per bushel in the winter, could 

 have been purchased in summer for §3 50 cents 

 — thus obviating one lormidable obstacle to its ge- 

 neral introduction; or, by the wonderful product of 

 some acre of ground in corn, wheat, tobacco, or 

 Eome other agricultural production, his cultivation 

 of the article might be greatly improved. And 

 even if none of these anticipations could be re- 

 alized, he would find sufficient recompense in the 

 cultivation of that social intercourse amongst his 

 fellow farmers, so well calculated to lessen the acer- 

 bity of party rancor. The expense of this plan 

 certainly cannot be urged as an objection, as few 

 would complain of the annual contribution of 2 or 

 3 dollars, when it is to form premiums, which 

 would be so diversified as to allow any person cul- 

 tivating a farm, or engaged in any species of me- 

 chanical business, to come into fair competition. 



1 have thus. Mr. editor, fi^liowed the current of 

 my reflections in delineating a few of the advan- 

 tages which would result Irom the formation of ag- 



ricultural societies. The subject is inexhaustible, 

 and one which widens and expands wiili the pro- 

 gress of discussion; but I fear my desultory re- 

 marks has already caused you to regret llie kind 

 otier of your columns for original communications. 

 Should the proposed plan be objectionable, there is 

 not an individual in the whole community, who 

 would hail tiie anuuuciation of an acceptable one 

 with more applause than the humble propounder 

 of this. 



SlIEICSTONE. 



Nottoway, JVov. 16, 1834. 



From the Whig. 

 CANAL AND RAILWAY CARRIAGE OF HOGS. 



Messrs. Editors. — This being the pork-killing 

 season of the year, and what you and I know, to 

 our cost, the pork-buying season also, the human 

 mind seems naturally, if not vitally, turned to that 

 subject. 



We all know that the states of Maryland and 

 Virginia, as well as North Carolina, below the 

 Blue Ridge, are ihe pork-buying sections; whilst 

 the parts of those states west of the Blue Ridge, 

 together with Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and 

 Ohio, are the pork-selling sections, to »s apply that 

 vacuum — " Hiatus maxime dejlendus.'''' 



1 know not how it is with you, but with me, 

 ^5 50 per 100 lbs. for pork, renders this a killing- 

 season in more senses than one; and I have been 

 casting about to see how we might get that article 

 a little cheaper. 



I have supposed, that so far as Ohio, Indiana, 

 Kentucky and the Ohio parts of Virginia are con- 

 cerned, if steamboats with fixtures to hold hogs, 

 were introduced into use, the hogs of those sec- 

 tions might be cheaply transported, with corn ob- 

 tained at cheap i-ates, to feed them to the Falls of 

 Kanawha; and when that rivershall be improved, 

 as sustained by our friend, Joseph C. Cabell, (that 

 true friend of the state, and of true state rights,) 

 and the improvement carried through by a rail 

 road to Covington, that they could be transported 

 on that, with corn to feed them to that place; and 

 if met there by canal navigation, could again go 

 on, corn and all, in boats fixed for the purj)osc, to 

 Lynchburg. From this place, they would pro- 

 ceed, corn and all again, to Richmond; or, leaving 

 the canal, and disposing of their surplus corn 

 now brought to the best market, seek a similar 

 market for their hogs, on each side of the river. 



To excite more attention to this subject, as well 

 as to see whether this trade might not be fiiirly 

 valued on as a .source of profit to the James River 

 and Kanawltii Company, shoidd the residue of that 

 stock be taken (as surely it ivill, either by individ- 

 uals or by the state,) I have endeavored, but 

 without assistance from anyone understanding the 

 business, to draw a comjiarison betvveen the ex- 

 penses of transporting that trade, by the improve- 

 ments above indicated, and the expense of driv- 

 ving the animals, in the present way, to market. 



I wish some one, acquainted with the subject, 

 would examine my estimates, and see wherein, 

 and to what extent, I have erred, on either side, 

 as well as give us some estimate of the probable 

 forage of live stock, that might pass on the im- 

 provements proposed. My idea is, that it would 

 be very great, and at such a rate as would enable 

 the eellers to reduce the present prices. 



