FARMERS' REGISTER. 



505 



self-interest is strong; and the latter principle of 

 action is brought more and more into p!ay, as ti.e 

 number of farms so enclosed together are increas- 

 ed. If any one of the individuals uniting in such 

 a plan permits his live-stock to trespass, his own 

 fields are likely to suffer worse than his neighbors'. 

 With all the disadvantages incurred, in conse- 

 quence of the absence of all support of right by 

 law, in this respect, it is nevertheless certain, that 

 under this plan of voluntary agreement, and with- 

 out any separate surrounding fence, our own fields 

 have been, in the general, better secured Irom 

 trespassing animals, than before the adoption of 

 the plan, and with all the previous protection of 

 separate fences, and of the law against the Ires- 

 passes of mischievous animals. Within this large 

 general enclosure (including fully 5000 acres) 

 there are parts now under profiiable tillage, and 

 annually improving in product, which before lay 

 waste, because the proprietors could not afford to 

 fence them separately ; and if this beneficial 

 agreement were now annulled, these, and much 

 more of other tracts, would again become waste, 

 (or the like reason. And what is here so manifest, 

 on a comparatively small scale, is in the continual 

 course of operation throughout all the old settled 

 parts of Virginia ; but which is not seen or appre- 

 ciated, or the great and growing evil not ascribed 

 to its true and sole cause, the existing law of en- 

 closures. There are now thousands of acres 

 thrown out of culture, and rendered waste and 

 •worthless, and the (luantily is annually increasing, 

 because the expense of enclosing according to law 

 is un(iuestionably greater than the profit of tilling 

 the land. And there is perhaps twenty times as 

 much land still kept lenced for cultivation, merely 

 because it has been always so kept, and the ex- 

 pense never estimated, but which ought also to be 

 thrown out of tillage, because yielding less than 

 enough to maintain the separate fences. 



Every old and extensively cleared neighborhood 

 furnishes a proper field for action, lor such a 

 voluntary association, under a general ring Icnce. 

 If prejudice at first opposes a more general ex- 

 tension, let two neighboring proprietors alone 

 commence the plan. Others will soon desire to 

 share the obvious benefits; and the space so 

 enclosed will every year be extended. And there 

 is little danger that any individual will desire to 

 return again to the blessings of such protection of 

 the law, who has once enjoyed exemption from the 

 enormous tax of (lie altogether useless (encintr re- 

 quired by law. 



The increase of number and extension of such 



voluntary associations will, in time, cause the just 



claims of the numerous individuals concerned to 



be heard ; and the aid of lpg-,| sand ion will be 



Vor.. VIM.— 04 



mven to the several voluntary obligations. Tha 

 enactment of private laws (or such objects, or 

 rather of general laws permitting and sustaining 

 such voluntary associations, under suitable regu- 

 lation ^ to maintain right, and redress wrong, be- 

 tween the parties, is all that would be necessary 

 (or relief from the great oppression and enormous 

 tax which are now in full force. Then, those neigh- 

 borhoods which now suffer most cou'd obtain 

 relief (rom the greater part of the grievance, 

 without affecting the interests or even off'ending 

 the prejudices of others ; and the parts of the 

 country not requiring such relief would continue 

 to enjoy the benefit of the present general law 

 and policy in regard to enclosures. 



These remarks are submitted to our readers, as 

 suggestions for ditTerent modes of action tending 

 to promote the great and beneficial object in view. 

 Let each one, who concurs in the general views, 

 exert his influence to forward one or the other 

 mode of procedure, and the agricultwre of Vir- 

 ginia may in a few years be relieved of a burden 

 which bears on it more heavily than the millions 

 of public debt already incurred for the generally 

 misdirected "internal improvements"' of the slate. 

 —Ed. Far. Keg. 



AGRICULTURAL MOaALlTIES, 



From the CultiTatnr. 



3Iessrs. Editors. — I am a plain man, not versed 

 in metaphysical subtleties or legal absiractions, 

 but I have my notions about right and wrong, 

 old fashioned, perhaps; and 1 sometimes n)cof, 

 with things that rather run counter to my ideas 

 of what is correct, and I wish to state some of mv 

 difficulties lor you or some of your correspondent.-! 

 to remove, should you deem them worthy of 

 notice. 



There seems to be but one opinion respect- 

 ing the men who wilfully injure the property of 

 their neighbor. If I should poison the spring of 

 ray neighbor, mix arsenic with the oats led to hi^ 

 horses, or feed nux vomica to his sheep, I ehould 

 probably be committing an offence against the, 

 laws that would subject me to a deserved punish- 

 ment. If I should girdle or cut down his apple, 

 trees, set fire to his woodlands or fences, obstruct 

 his water courses, turn animals into his wheat 

 fields, or turn his stock info (he highways, I should 

 deserve, and should receive, the execrations of 

 every honest man, in addition to (he expoiin<; 

 myself to retributive justice. All these are con- 

 sidered crimes, and their magniiude is estimated 

 by the injury done or intended to be done to my 

 neighbor. 



Now 1 would ask where in reality is the differ- 

 ence between the above class of offences, isnd acts 

 I shall now specify. I carry to market a load cf 

 clover seed, or a Iriend applies to me for a bushel 

 lor hia own u?e. I know, but the buyers do noi, 

 that (here is a plentiful sprinkling of (Canada this le 

 seed in it, and that if sown on his farm, it wiil bo 



