688 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 11 



I am aware there are thousands, wise in their 

 own conceit, who would think these things use- 

 less. It is sufficient to make a general re- 

 mark: the most ignorant are generally the most 

 confident. Ask one of these knowing men the 

 simple question "pray, sir, how much wheat do 

 you sow to the acre?" — ten to one he would not 

 know; and a hundred to one he does not know 

 what ought, to be sown. His ignorance would 

 not be confined to the wheat crop alone. 



By the establishment proposed, a fine opportu- 

 nity is presented of redeeming a pledge given at 

 the creation of the Literary Fund, which was, that 

 the state should adopt a youth from the then each 

 senatorial district, to be selected by the delegation 

 of each branch, on account of his moral and in- 

 tellectual worth, and whose poverty deprived him 

 of the means of educating himself. There is in- 

 deed, no written memorial of this pledge. I claim 

 the paternity of the Literary Fund, and speak ad- 

 visedly on this head. In times past, before my 

 portion was not that of a step-son, I had some 

 little influence in this hall. It was before the prev- 

 alence of that Sirocco, which for years past has 

 swept the land, overwhelming every opposing ob- 

 stacle in its resistless course, by which I, and 

 thousands wiser and better than myself, have been 

 overwhelmed, thrown off as wrecks on the strand, 

 at which the scornful finger of the victors point. 

 Desolate as I may seem to the successful politician, 

 I am not without my consolation. No kind angel 

 indeed interposed to save me from the consuming 

 blast — but I have that which I would not ex- 

 change for the presence of angels — an abiding 

 conviction that I have in every situation in which 

 I have been placed, to the extent of my abilities, 

 served the commonwealth with an unshakeable 

 fidelity. I refer not to these things for the pur- 

 pose of inflaming party feelings; no, far from it — 

 would to God I could throw oil on the waters 

 and allay the storm that threatens to tear out the 

 very bowels of the republic — but I refer to them 

 as an act of juslice to myself, and as due to the 

 fidelity of history; for in the furious persecution of 

 the times, when it was thought proper to ren- 

 der my name odious, some friend urged that I 

 had rendered some service to the commonwealth, 

 and pointed to this among other instances. It 

 was denied to me, and claimed for another. On 

 my return from Furope, my friend informed me 

 of this injustice. I carried him to the office of the 

 clerk of this house, and was fortunate enough to 

 find the original bill, in my hand writing. It was 

 then objected that the beginning was small. The 

 answer was, "so was Rome" — but Romulus was 

 nevertheless the founder; and I renew, after the 

 lapse of a quarter of a century, the expression I 

 then made, that the measure of my ambition 

 would be full to overflowing, were the truth re- 

 corded on the slab that shall point to my remains 

 — "here lies the father of the Literary Fund." If 

 any one object to this as an untimely digression, I 

 must invoke his indulgence on the ground that, it 

 is, in all human probability, the last occasion orj^ 

 which I shall publicly address any portion of my 

 fellow-citizens; that it is the long farewell of an 

 old servant, who devoted upwards of thirty years 

 to the public service, and whose only wish now is, 

 that he may have justice done him, in the award 

 of those who come after him. 



To come back to the subject in hand — the re- 



demption of the pledge. It is quite fresh in my 

 recollection that it was objected that the establish- 

 ment of a University would be an aristocratic 

 measure. We all know how easy it is to get up 

 this mad-dog cry. Although in very truth, an en- 

 tire county with all its wealth would scarcely be 

 equal to the making a real full-blooded aristocrat, 

 yet with us it is sufficient to fix; the "suspicion of 

 being suspected" against any man who boils his 

 pot every day. One, two, or at most three dishes a 

 day, arc full proof of this horrible offence. To 

 meet and destroy this objection, the pledge referred 

 to was given — given by the house to the extent of 

 a silent acquiescence, and on my part, with the 

 more gratification because my lot had been se- 

 verely to feel the lack of means in obtaining my 

 own education. I rejoiced in the prospect of con- 

 tributing my aid to the rescue of so many youths 

 of promise from ignorance, and possibly from 

 vice. These youths by alternate labor and study, 

 might cultivate alike the farm and their minds. 

 Daily uniting science and experience in all that 

 concerns husbandry, with the mechanic arts, at 

 the end of their term they would go out as shining 

 lights, imparting their knowledge to every portion 

 of the entire commonwealth. Again, the whole 

 youth of the state educated at the University, 

 would have the fairest opportunity of becoming 

 skilful agriculturists. 



What can work a more disastrous result in our 

 agricultural interests than the condition of thou- 

 sands of our young men succeeding to the man- 

 agement of their patrimony, almost universally 

 consisting of lands and negroes, and yet, not un- 

 frequently, more ignorant of what they have un- 

 dertaken than the negroes themselves. The ex- 

 pression you may say is strong, if not harsh — be 

 it so — is it not true? 



Another scheme for aiding agriculture is the 

 creation of an agricultural board — recommended'* 

 by the example of the several states — a board to 

 be composed of members distinguished for zeal 

 and success in the pursuit. We have long been 

 taunted that from our dispersed situation and re- 

 pugnance to leaving our homes, we were incapa- 

 ble of concert — and hence our fleece became the 

 booty of the first spoiler. By such a body as the-; 

 one proposed, our wants might be made known, 

 and our interests cherished and protected. 



It is proposed also that an intelligent man, ad- 

 equate every way to the duty, shall be employed 

 for a year or two, whose duty it shall be to seek 

 out the best examples in this and our sister states, 

 of successful cultivation and good management in 

 whatsoever is excellent in the whole circle of hus- 

 bandry, and to report thereon in detail — on the 

 soil, climate, mode of cultivation — kinds of crops — 

 quantity of seed sown — the arrangement of farm- 

 pens — the best mode of making manure, and its 

 application when made — and in short, whatever 

 might be useful. Will not every candid man ad- 

 mit; thai such a duty, well performed, must yield 

 infinite advantage — by important suggestions — by 

 settling principles, removing doubts, and in a thou- 

 sand ways contributing to the benefit of agricul- 

 ture. 



AV r ell! what is the difficulty in attempting to a- 

 chieve these good things'] The expense, a few 

 thousand dollars— five thousand to begin with, and 

 two or three thousand annually thereafter — in so 

 far as agriculture alone is concerned. And can it 



