1 836.] 



FARMERS* REGISTER. 



619 



thing useful, nor reach any higher agricultural ho- 

 nor than that of being dead weights upon the so- 

 ciety, which is so unfortunate as to have them for 

 members. 



The most important of all feelings, or desires is, 

 to gain useful k lowledgej the next, in utility, and 

 therefore in dignity, is, the wish to impart it to 

 others. To what will this lead? Why certainly, 

 to the effort to communicate all of which we be- 

 lieve others to be ignorant. None of us, conse- 

 quently, ought to be blamed. or ridiculed, merely 

 for mistaking the am >unt of ignorance which ex- 

 ists in the society to which we belong — for that 

 may even exceed our own estimate. The appli- 

 cation which 1 wish you to make of these remarks 

 (if you approve them.) is, that each member 

 should ask himself, before every fall meeting, 

 "have I any thing that I myself believe to be worth 

 communicating? If I have, it is my duty, as a 

 member, to communicate it, without wasting a mo- 

 ment's consideration in determining, whether others 

 may, or may not deem it worthy of noticed 



Let me beg you to consider another thing — your 

 duty; this is. to exert your influence to increase 

 the number of oar members — not of smh as are 

 with us one day, and off the next — of such as join 

 for their own paltry views of petty gain — but of 

 men sincerely devoted to the great interests of 

 Virginia agriculture, and earnestly desirous to pro- 

 mote them by all the legitimate means in their 

 power. Especially, let this influence be exerted 

 to persuade our non-subscribing friends of this 

 town to join us, and abide by us, "through good 

 and evil report;" for nothing is more demonstrable 

 than that they have a more direct and immediate 

 interest in promoting our institution, although not 

 generally agriculturists, than we have who are not 

 residents of Fredericksburg. What is that de- 

 monstration? Why that every thing which annu- 

 ally, or indeed, at any time, draws a great addi- 

 tional number of persons to this place insures al- 

 most to every dealer in the town, a certainty of 

 making a sufficiency of additional sales to pay 

 much more than it would cost him to become a 

 member of our society. Again; if the labors of 

 our society avail any thing towards making us of 

 the country better farmers — our ability to pay to 

 the citizens of this place old debts, and to contract 

 new ones, will be incalculably enhanced. 



While 1 am on this subject, of xiew members, 

 permit me to remark, that nothing has occurred at 

 any of our meetings which has given us more 

 pleasure, than that a lady should have yesterday 

 become a member of our society. Not, a tew 

 wishes did I hear expressed, that her laudable ex- 

 ample should be followed by many of her sex, who, 

 like her, have the sole management of farms — 

 however they may, at first, view, be deterred by 

 the novelty of the case. We have only to em- 

 brace horticulture (arid why should we not?) 

 among the objects of our society, and then even 

 the most fastidious ol either sex could raise no 

 objection, on the score ol' cust m, to ladies becom- 

 ing members; for nothintr is more common than 

 horticultural societies, which so much augm mt the 

 Gfomfbrts of life, consisting principally of ladies. 

 Who so proper, toe, as they arC; to judge of do- 

 mestic manufactures, which all the agricultural so- 

 cieties of our country profess a desire to promote? 

 In short, it is to that sex, as I have everthought, to 

 which we must all look — whether as single or as- 



sociated individuals — for our most effectual aid "in 

 every good word and work," and therefore, should 

 not oniy hail it as a happy omen of success, when 

 any of them, distinguished as this lady is for her 

 good qualities, volunteer to assist us in what we 

 ourselves believe to be a laudable undertaking, but 

 should invite their co-operation. None, I think, 

 but the strainers of gnats and swallowers of cam- 

 els can object to it. 



I have stated that the kind of members which it 

 is most important for us to obtain, must consist of 

 men sincerely devoted to the irreat interests of Vir- 

 ginia husbandry, and anxiously desirous to pro- 

 mote them by all the legitimate means in their 

 power. Of such men, let me here testify, (and 

 high is my gratification in being able to do so,) 

 that we have always had, from our commence- 

 ment, 17 years ago, an ample number to keep our 

 society in constant operation, which cannot be said 

 of any similar institution in our state. Most true 

 it is, that we have several times been in a lan- 

 guishing condition; and, on one or two occasions, 

 have almost despaired of keeping the society up; 

 but the patriotic maxim of one of our most gallant 

 and estimable fellow citizens — "never give up the 

 ship" — kept us in heart, until here we are, with 

 renovated and confident hopes, that "The Agricul- 

 tural Society of Fredericksburg," will Jong — very 

 long survive the oldest liver among us. Let us 

 make it like, old wine, which is known to improve 

 both in quality and value, with every year that is 

 added to its awe. Let us make it, as we certainly 

 may — what is far, very- far superior — the means of 

 improving the social and moral condition of all 

 who are connected with it, or within the reach of 

 its influence. This, by contributing to demon- 

 strate what Virginia farmers and planters can ac- 

 complish on the good old soil of their forefathers, 

 will do more than any thing else to check that 

 mad spirit of expatriation which is desolating our 

 homes and fire-sides like a raging pestilence. 



AGRICULTURAL COKVKKTIOA*. 



This body met on the day appointed, and in the 

 manner proposed in the last and previous numbers of 

 this journal. Delegations were present from only two 

 agricultural societies, those of Albemarle and Freder- 

 icksburg, and from two popular meetings, the one in 

 Albemarle, and the other of James City and York 

 counties. But however desirable were such appoint- 

 ments, as evidences of interest felt for the objects in 

 view, by entire bodies or portions of the community, 

 the plan of the convention as previously proposed, 

 and repeatedly notified to the public, embraced every 

 person belonging to the agricultural interest, whose 

 zeal for the cause should induce his attendance and 

 participation in the proceedings. The juncture was 

 peculiarly favorable for the assemblage being large, 

 and composed of agriculturists from ev rv part of the 

 commonwealth. In addition to on of the le- 



gislature, and the other usual causes which draw per- 

 sons from ail parts of the stat • at this season, there 

 were members of three other conventions, besides the 

 agricultural, which served to add to the latter, both iu 

 numbers and talents, from remote parts of the state^ 

 The proceedings of the Agricultural Convention at- 

 tracted much attention. The last session was numer- 



