THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



217 



it was to improve his knowledge and enlarge his 

 views by inspecting the system of cultivation pur- 

 sued by" the laniiers in that country. In that great 

 and leriile valley extending from Philadelphia to 

 Lancaster and Columbia, and ihence to Little 

 York, whom did he find to be the best and most 

 successful larmers 1 who possessed the most 

 highly improved lands, and most remarkable ibr 

 economy ? Those who have been brought up to 

 the plough handle ; those who trod their own 

 soil, the honest, plain-spoken, hard working Ger- 

 mans, who never saw the printed report of an 

 agricultural board. They taught me more in a 

 day or two, than a board of agriculture could in a 

 year. The German farmer affords an instructive 

 example to any one who would seek to know how 

 to carry on a well-cultivated farm — and this truth 

 is strongly illustrated in the county which he had 

 the honor in part to represent. JVIr. JVl. said his 

 people were economical in their principles and 

 habits, and had clearly intimated to him to study 

 economy in his vutes. So long as he retained his 

 senses, and knew what he was doing, he meant to 

 do his duty, and carry out their wishes. If the 

 scheme belbre the House was a good one, he 

 would vote Ibr it ; but he did not so think. It 

 might only cost ^500 now, but hereafier, it would 

 cost thousands without an equivalent. This small 

 sum was the beginning — improvements of (he 

 scheme would be thought of, and more money de- 

 manded to carry it out. He should, therefore, vote 

 against the bill, and hoped, if the learned lawyers 

 who advocated it, wished their sons to acquire 

 agricultural knowledge, they would encourage 

 papers, friendly to the diflusion of inlbrmaiion 

 upon this subject, and bring them up to a practical 

 knowledge of the plough and the scythe. 



The question was then taken on the engross- 

 ment of the ryder, and decided in the negative. 

 'Mr. Scott of Fauquier then addressed the 

 House briefly, in support of the bill — after which 

 it was passed — ayes 90, noes 34. 



[The bill, as passed, was before published at 

 page 138 of this volume o/ the Farmers' Regis- 

 ter.— Ed. F. R.] 



KEMARKS OX THE LEGISI-ATIVE DEBATE ON 

 THE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



We have reluctantly given the space it occupies 

 to the debate on the bill for paying the Board of 

 Agriculture. JReluctantly, we Bay. because, though 

 the debate forms a large part of all the legislation 

 of Virginia for the benefit of agriculture, and 

 therefore has a right to a place in the Farmers' 

 Register, we are really ashamed for Virginia, that 

 the decision should turn on such facts and such 

 arguments as are there displayed. We are not 

 objecting to the course of any member of the le- 

 gislature for opposing the establishment of a 

 Board of Agriculture, nor for his voting against 

 the last bill, because of such general opposition. 

 Our most intimate associations were with some 

 members who have been throughout thus opposed 



to the establishment, and to all legislation thereon ; 

 Vol. X.-28 



I and in all our intercourse, we never uttered to one 

 of them a word, in the hope of removing their ob- 

 jections, and still less would we have thought of 

 blaming their decision. We can very well ap- 

 preciate the objections of such opponents, when 

 even tve almost despair of any important service 

 being rendered by the Board, discountenanced aa 

 it has been from the beginning, and treated with 

 suspicion and contempt by the legislature ; and 

 without promise, or any yet visible appearance, of 

 designed support and aiding labors from the agri- 

 cultural class. It requires but little stretch of wis- 

 dom to infer, and to predict, that if left to rely up- 

 on their own exertions only, without aid and with- 

 out sympathy from their fellow agriculturists, all 

 the zeal and labors of mind and body of the 

 members of the board will result in nothing, 

 compared to its great objects, and to what might 

 be the results of such an institution properly aided 

 and sustained. 



We object not, therefore, to the mere opposition 

 of legislators to the bill, but to the manner of their 

 opposition, and the ignorant flippancy exhibited 

 in the debate. Mr. Strother condemns and ridi- 

 cules the members, because in their first and only 

 session they had communicated no ignportant 

 agricultural information : and he speaks contemp- 

 tuously of them, because they so soon " wanted 

 I heir pay." Now we should be glad to be inform- 

 ed what information could possibly have been ex- 

 pected from a board just met and organized, and 

 which merely remained in session long enough to 

 digest a plan for future operations, if enabled to act 

 at all, by the aid of the legislature and the farmers 

 of the country ? It] instead of this course, the mem- 

 bers of the Board had proceeded to put forth a 

 report of their individual agricultural opinions, and 

 had remained long enough in session to digest, 

 write out, and submit the elaborate report to the 

 legislature, would not Mr. Strother have been 

 among the first and loudest to prefer against them 

 the well-founded charges of foolish presumption, 

 and of making a useless demand on the treasury, 

 by such length of session? As to " their pay," 

 it is very true that this subject occupied part of 

 their report, and with good reason. Every man 

 must know that there never could have been a se- 

 cond meeting of the Board, if the members were 

 again expected to come, at their own expense, from 

 the most remote regions of the state. It was there- 

 lore the duty of the Board frankly to state the ex- 

 istence of an obstacle which, if remaining, would 

 certainly prevent any useful or continued action of 

 the body; and which, if not removed, would ren- 

 der perfectly futile all efforts to carry into effect 

 any plan of operations which might be prepared. 

 It would have been but a ridiculous farce to 

 digest and to start a general plan of procedure, 



