200 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



six acres of this land to afford as much feed as he 

 has obtained Trom one acre, by using piaster. 



He has also a piece of mowing ground which 

 contains lour acres. Two crops of hay are taken 

 from it regularly. On this grournl he uses plaster 

 of Paris freely, and applies a top-dressing of ma- 

 nure. His annual product of hay is fully sixteen 

 tons. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 

 ADDRESS ON THE FOnMATION OF THE AGRI- 

 CULTURAL SOCIETY OF ESSEX. 



At a meeting of the farmers and planters of 

 JEssex, convened at Tappahannock, on the 28ih 

 March, 1842, for the purpose of forming an Agri- 

 cultural Society, the lollowing address was deli- 

 vered by their countryman, 



James M. Garnett. 



Friends and brother farmers : — Few things 

 have happened to me, for a long time past, which 

 have gratified me more, than to find so many of 

 you desirous to establish an agricultural society, 

 and to be the individual invited by yourselves, 

 to address you on the occasion. To be thus 

 honored is, of itself, a circumstance which, I con- 

 lees, has given me much pleasure. But 1 assure 

 you with perfect sincerity, that my highest gra- 

 tification arises (rom the reflection, that although 

 our good old county has done many good things 

 in her day, none I believe has ever rendered her 

 BO much real, substantial service, as she will 

 almost certainly derive from the association which 

 I earnestly hope you have all come prepared 

 to establish. In every part of our own coun- 

 try where similar societies have been formed, 

 and well managed, their good effects have soon 

 become manifest to the most careless observer; 

 and the experience of all foreign countries has 

 borne ample testimony to the same (acts. Still, 

 we Virginians have not appeared generally well 

 disposed to avail ourselves of these associations, 

 however strong and conclusive their benefits 

 appear, to all who will give them an attentive 

 consideration. In fact, the members of our class 

 every where, but especially in our own state, 

 have always appeared to me less inclined than 

 any others to combine into societies, and co- 

 operate for their mutual benefit ; and yet, none 

 surely require it more. For our legislatures have 

 always acted towards us, as if we alone could 

 never be in need of that aid, which has scarcely ever 

 been sought from them by any other class with- 

 out being granted. Hence the greater necessity of 

 striving by co-operation to help ourselves if we 

 will persist in neglecting to use the means — always 

 in our power — of obtaining legislative aid. These 

 means are as perfectly simple, as they would be 

 efficacious. We have only to substitute real in- 

 stead of pretended friends lor our legislators, and 

 the work would be speedily accomplished. But 

 in the absence of all effective legislation in our 

 favor, and whilst we fail to seek it as we might, 

 there are no means which appear tome so well 

 calculated to supply the want of it as agricultural 

 societies. They greatly accelerate the ai-(|uisi- 

 tion of that knowledge of our proli.-Ksion which 

 is but slowly gained by solitary eiudy and prac- 

 tice, even where we are really zealous in the 



pursuit of it. They furnish a cure for thai seff- 

 conceit, so highly injurious to such of our breth- 

 ren, as believe themselves too wise to be taught; 

 by placing them in a situation to be convinced 

 — where the disease has not gone too far to 

 be cured — that others know more than they do. 

 They serve to excite that " esprit da corps,^^ 

 which causes us to take a just pride in our pro- 

 fieesion, and in which our class is so deficient. 

 They draw closer those bonds of fraternity which 

 should always unite us indissolubly together. 

 They greatly promote social intercourse; and 

 thereby tend powerlijily to mitigate, if not entirely 

 to cure those animosities and bitter hatreds, with 

 which party-spirit never fails to poison the hearts 

 of all who give themselves up to its influence. 

 In a word, agricultural societies are, so far as my 

 experience enables me to judge, the sources of 

 unal?oyed good to all who become zealous mem- 

 bers thereof. And who can doubt it, that will 

 reflect but for a moment on the nature and all 

 pervading influence of that great cause, which it 

 is the special object of agricultural societies to 

 promote. A celebrated German agriculturist, 

 whose late work on " Organic Chemistry in its 

 application to Agriculture and Physiology" has 

 become one of the text books in agriculturat 

 science, has summed up in a single sentence 

 the chief circumstances which render this cause 

 so great, and of such vital interest to all mankind. 

 His words are, "There is no profession which 

 can be compared in importance with that of agri- 

 culture; for to i7 belongs the production of food 

 for man and animals ; on it depends the welfare 

 and developement of the whole human species, 

 the riches of states, and all commerce." This 

 single sentence contains what might be expanded 

 into volumes of illustration and praise ; but I con- 

 fidently trust that all of my brother farmers who 

 now hear me are sufficiently apprized of the es- 

 sentiality of our profession to all the best interests 

 of our country, not to require such a diffuse eulo- 

 gium to recommend it farther to our special re- 

 gard. 



If it were my sole object to endeavor to make 

 you fall in love with your profession, I might 

 paint for your imaginations only the pleasures of 

 agriculture, the green meadows, the verdant 

 lawns, and glowing landscapes of well cultivated, 

 highly productive fields, with which an all boun- 

 teous Providence hath enabled the cultivators of 

 the soil to solace and regale both their animal 

 and intellectual natures. Such an attempt would 

 be both easy and delightful. But on the present 

 occasion, I feel myself called on not only to ex- 

 hibit some of the most striking advantages of 

 agriculture to individuals and communities, to- 

 gether with the most practical means of improv- 

 ing it, but also to trace a warning chart of the 

 shoals and quicksands, the rocks and barren wastes, 

 that too frequently impede the progress of the 

 husbandman, exhaust fits substance, and mar his 

 happiness. This, although the most necessary, 

 is by far the most irksome part of the duty, which 

 I shall now attempt to perform. In my endeavor to 

 execute it properly, should I be so fortunate as to 

 suggest any hints which may prove practically 

 uselul, I shall deem myself amply rewarded. 



In regard to the general advantages of agricul- 

 ture, both to individuals and nations, no one pro- 

 bably is so ignorant as to require much to be said 



