762 FARMERS' REGISTER— AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS OP VIRGINIA, 



cauldrons are supplied with heat for boiling. 

 Streets, halls, work-shops, are all lighted by this 

 gas, which is the same used in all artificial gas 

 works. Arago nays that several villages in the 

 United States have long been supplied in this man- 

 ner. This expression is a little too strong, though 

 it is true, we believe in respect to Fredonia, on 

 Lake Erie, where the light-house is also supplied 

 in this way from natural sources. In Ontario 

 county, near Cacandagut, there are also several of 

 these gaseous emissions from the surface of the 

 earth. They are called, in common parlance, 

 "Burning Springs." 



For the Famicrs' Rtgifter. 

 AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS OF VIRGINIA. 



In viewing the eflects of the system of agri- 

 culture pursued in eastern Virginia, the most care- 

 less observer will be struck with surprise, in com- 

 paring the small proportion of land in actual cul- 

 tivation, with that which is lying waste and unim- 

 proved: and it will be increased still more when 

 he reflects how small a part of the farm is regu- 

 larly manured and kept in good condition, and fit 

 lor tillage. None of the farms aHord manure 

 enough to replace the ])roduce taken from the 

 fields, and keep tliem constantly increasing m fer- 

 tility. The small f|uantity Avhich is saved from 

 the stable, fiirm pen, and other sources being in- 

 sufficient lor the farm, is generally applied to tlie 

 tobacco lots, or some favorite spot, while the rest 

 of the farm is neglected, though perhaps regularly 

 cultivated and grazed, or permitted to lie waste, 

 yielding nothing but a scanty subsistence to a ihw 

 half-starv^ed cattle. The fences beingthro vvn down,it 

 soon becomes common pasturage, gullied, or grown 

 up in pine barrens; its owner is restricted to a nar- 

 rower limit in his system of exhaustion and de- 

 struction, until,jbecoming{too much confined, or too 

 much indebted, he sells out, and removes to a 

 more fertile and cheaper soil in the west. Thous- 

 ands are travelling the same road urged by the same 

 causes. The educated, active, and enterprising 

 young men, despairing of success with this ex- 

 ample before them, are leaving the state very ra- 

 pidly, to seek their fortunes in the west and south; 

 and besides all this, the traders are carrying off 

 our slaves in great numbers, and thus annually di- 

 minishing in the ratio of the immbers carried ofi, 

 tlie quantity of produce which would otherwise be 

 made, and the prosperity of the country. The 

 tide of emigration is regularly increasing from all 

 classes; as if the angel of desolation had cursed 

 the land, and imbued the people with a hatred to 

 the place of their nativity. Even national pride 

 will not make us dispute the facts, however much 

 the patriot and philanthropist may lament their ex- 

 istence. I propose to incjuire what causes led to 

 this prostrated condition of" agriculture; and wheth- 

 er they will probably be permanent, or are the}' 

 merely temporary — and to suggest some remedies 

 lor existing evils. 



The present exhausted state of the country has 

 been generally ascribed to the employment of 

 slave labor; which, it is said, will always arrest 

 the progress of improvement, because the slaves 

 have not the capacit}', nor do they feel interested 

 to become skilful in their occupation. But the slo- 

 venly and negligent manao;ement visible on most 

 fftrms need not necessarily belong to the state of 



slavery existing among us, as is proved bythe high 

 state of cultivation of the lands on James river, 

 and in various small sections of almost evefy coun- 

 ty in eastern Virginia. There is scarcely a per- 

 son who is not acquainted with some farms cultiva- 

 ted to the very best advantage; and these excep- 

 tions prove that bad management, though a general, 

 is not a necessary attendant upon the employment 

 of slave labor. It can, therefore, offer no material 

 obstruction to improved and successful cultivation. 



The progress of rapid improvement has beeti 

 opposed by that attachment to old customs, and 

 disinclination to change old plans, which are al- 

 most as strong feelings with us as in those coun- 

 tries where it was regarded and punished as sacri- 

 lege, to depart from the occupation of their fathers. 

 The first settlers of our stale exhausted one piece 

 of ground by continual cropping, then cleared and 

 tended another piece of fresh land; and when that 

 was exhausted, proceeded to a third. They pre- 

 ferred this, to raising manure, when land could be 

 purchased for a {ew shillings per acre, and per- 

 haps it was the cheapest course. Yet when lands 

 have risen in value, and there is no reason to jus- 

 tify the same system of husbandry, it still prevails 

 in many places, and is followed, "because their 

 fathers made money in that way." 'J'he west, 

 however, is now their resort, after ruining one 

 piece of land by this destructive course. 



In a republican government, where the highest 

 offices are within the reach of superior talents and 

 acquirements, the genius and talents of the coun- 

 try will be naturally directed to politics or some of 

 the liberal professii)ns. The undeserved success 

 of some, possessing humble abilities, and the van- 

 ity of others, induce many to pursue these pro- 

 fessions; and almost every farmer who has edu- 

 cated his son liberally, sends him to "study the 

 law" — where there are more than twenty chances 

 to one, against the probability of his success; and 

 the prospects of failure and disgrace exactly in the 

 reverse ratio. He hangs on at the bar for several 

 years, perhaps idle, dissipated, and a nuisance 

 to society; leaves it disheartened, and in debt — 

 unfitted for the pursuit of agriculture, and too 

 proud to enter into business. If he succeeds, honor 

 makes the greater part of his reward, and his pro- 

 fit comes in slowly at the latter part of his life. 

 In agriculture, his success would have been cer- 

 tain; but his father thinks his education must not 

 be lost upon him — and prefers to hold him up to 

 public contempt, than bury him in the obscurity of 

 a farm. Whether he has natural abilities, or the 

 requisite acquirements; even if nature has mani- 

 festly fashioned him for other pursuits, by giving 

 him a strong body and a weak head, still he is des- 

 tined, from his cradle to "study the law." Hence, 

 the greater part of the education and talents have 

 been diverted from this employment, and directed 

 to some of the liberal professions, which has re- 

 tarded the improvement of agriculture; latterly, 

 however, many of our distinguished and highly 

 gifted citizens are giving it their attention. 



These prejudices are more easily overcome than 

 those unavoidable obstructions, which in the na- 

 ture of things, oppose the introduction of an im- 

 proved system. Some capital must be expended 

 in order to commence, as both labor and capital 

 are as necessary in the ra])id improvement of ex- 

 hausted lands, as in the rebuilding of dilapidated 

 houses. 'Tis true, in the progress of time, re- 



