1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



277 



When I spoke in my letter of lands originally 

 poor, [enclosed in a parenthesis "/ may say com- 

 pared with much." Now if most of those lands 

 were poor enough originally "to make a rat cry," 



I do not know if; whatever they may do now. I 

 had heard of one or two generations preceding the 

 present, with large families, some of them buried 

 in the forests of the west, and »soine of them bu- 

 ried by the sepulchres of their progenitors. As 

 poor then as these lands may have originally been, 



knows well that the physician who would always ho- 

 nestly tell his patients when he considered their dis- 

 eases past the aid of Ids skill, or who refused to prescribe 

 for what he knew to be incurable maladies or infirmi- 

 ties, would soon lose his practice. The rule applies as 

 well to land doctors, as to body doctors. As there are 

 plenty of the latter who will always give their patients 

 hope, even when help is out of the question, so the 

 great body of prescribers for the diseases of soils al- 

 ways promise relief, and a state of vigorous health, 

 and to be gained easily, cheaply, and profitably. Such 

 flattering promises are always more impressive than 

 statements of opposite character — and if any readers 

 desire to get rid of all despondency produced by our 

 former croaking, let them read the first address to an 

 agricultural society that comes to hand — and ten to one, 

 but they will find the proper remedy, in the prospects 

 exhibited, of certain, speedy, and cheap agricultural 

 improvement, on the poorest and most intractable 

 soils. 



But for our part, we cannot hold out what are be- 

 lieved to be delusive hopes — and we consider that the 

 only solid expectation for a cure must be founded on 

 the full knowledge of the malignity and strength of 

 the disease, and of the nature of the medicines pro- 

 posed to be used. We do not say to the tiller of nat- 

 urally poor soil that there is no hope for fertilization or 

 profit — but that he will fail in reaching both, if reliance 

 is placed solely on not grazing, and otherwise apply- 

 ing putrescent manures. 



But even if any region is so situated, that making the 

 soil generally ^fertile cannot be reasonably expected, 

 there are particular kinds of products which might 

 be there obtained, and yield as much profit as an equal 

 amount of capital vested in richer land elsewhere. 

 Much of the land of New England furnishes examples 

 of this truth. The soil is so destitute of lime, that it 

 is not only naturally poor, but is incapable of produ- 

 cing wheat to any profit. Yet these lands yield great 

 profits, and command high prices. Two of the most 

 profitable parts of agricultural business pursued there, 

 are silk culture and sheep raising — and both of these are 

 much more opposed there, than here, by the long and 

 severe winters. These are only named as examples. 

 In Virginia, we scarcely ever think of a change of 

 crops, products, or habits, no matter how much re- 

 quired by difference of soil. We almost every where 

 aim to raise corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, or cotton, for | 

 market — and seem to have no choice except among 

 those very few of all the numerous and varied produc- 

 tions of the earth, and of agricultural industry. 



as poor as they now are, should they be abandon- 

 ed, without more than a single effort being made 

 to restore them to their pristine, or a much higher 

 degree of fertility! Last of all, should statesmen 

 and politicians ridicule them? Shonld the farmer 

 himself? Should the agricultural chemist? Not 

 yet having discovered a system, a remedy, ought 

 not this very failure to excite the compassion of 

 the statesman and the patriot? Although, sir, I 

 consider myself but a poor politician, I had reflect- 

 ed a little upon the condition of the farming inter- 

 est of our native state, the bone and sinew of the 

 commonwealth. I thought I had discovered that, 

 under the present system (or rather want of sys- 

 tem,) our state was, and had long been, on the. 

 decline. That great numbers of her most wealthy 

 and intelligent farmers had moved to the rich 

 lands of the west and south-west, carrying with 

 them their wealth, and intelligence or knowledge, 

 which is said to be power, and left only their de- 

 preciated lands — whereby the sources of taxation 

 tor the support of all state expenses were daily di- 

 minishing. In addition too, the learned profes- 

 sions must necessarily have a more scanty sup- 

 port: and I had lor years seen the young lawyer, 

 physician, and perhaps the more useful divine, 

 wending the same way. When, in fine, I saw a 

 rapid decline of our state, both physical and moral, 

 I was constrained to ask the political questions, 

 with suggestions, from which, "Commentator" 

 with so muck kindness and confidence informs us 

 that I "appear less at home." I hope "he will 

 pardon me for saying," that after roadino- his com- 

 mentary I am "of the same opinion still;" and I 

 believe I am so, not because, his views are "a- 

 gainst my will." I feel no disposition, nor have I 

 the information or ability to enter into discussion 

 of this subject: yet I will say, that although I have 

 not "consulted the most approved writers on the 

 subject, nor statistical comparisons of the two me- 

 thods of conducting internal improvements by pri- 

 vate chartered companies, or entirely on state ac- 

 count," yet I should suppose after all that has 

 been written by "the most approved writers," that 

 there is opening for two opinions upon the sub- 

 ject, from the fact of some recent internal improve- 

 ments (in other states) on the "state account" 

 principle being in progress,*or that "the most ap- 

 proved writers on this subject" must have veiy re- 

 cently come to light. 



As regards the trial of our sister state who has 

 involved herself in a debt of some fifteen or twen- 

 ty millions of dollars, I conceive the trial as yet 

 by no means concluded. "Commentator" may 

 suppose after the completion of these important 

 works, the tolls will never be sufficient to pay the 

 interest and necessary expenses, much less to ex- 

 tinguish the debt or loan. If so, the trial will be 

 conclusive. Should the tolls not only pay the in- 

 terest and expenses, and extinguish the debt, and 

 ever after bring a handsome revenue into the 

 state treasury, then I suppose "Commentator" 

 would not object; even too, if many of those un- 

 dertakings have been made poltical party jobs, 

 with incompetent undertakers and superinten- 

 dents, and the expenses much greater than those 

 of any private company or companies. I say so 

 for this reason, that where a state undertakes all 

 these internal improvements, some of them might 

 fall far short, of expectation, and be unproductive, 

 either after the strongest presumptive evidence that 



