THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



323 



or specs of vviix, in ;iiiy desired phapo or Ibrm, 

 wliicli hinders ilu^ sim Ihnn colurinif llie pari co- 

 vered ; anil, wIumi the Iruit is ripe, ami ihc wax 

 removed, il will be luuiid inurkcd m the manner 

 described. 



A SPECIMEN OF AGRICULTURAL LKGISLA- 

 TION.* 



From the KciUiicky Farmer. 

 The V^irginia iefjif^lature, at ils late session, 

 passed a law creatine a board ol airiieul'ure, lo 

 consist, of eiijiii members, to be aftpoinled Irien- 

 nially by the execntive. We note this movement 

 bs a specimen ol" the policy of the limes. From 

 a mere reading of the law, one might draw the 

 inference that the legislature of that venerable 

 c.ommonwealih — " the mother of mc/i" — the mo- 

 ther of Kentucky — intended to demonstrate lo the 

 world that she had private citizens more mag- 

 nanimous and more patriotic than even her law- 

 givers ; for the law assigns no pay lo the mem- 

 bers of the "board of airricnliure.'' Verily, if 

 this be n)agnanimous and pairiotic leifislaiion 

 towards the greatest interest of the country, the 

 eons of Jacob, required by the EL'ypiians to burn 

 bricks without straw, were not so cruelly enslaved 

 as has been represented. The editor of the Farm- 

 ers' Register, (from which vv§ copy the law be- 

 low,) is surely gudiy of a sarcasm when he says 

 by the provisions of ihis law the existence of tli ■ 

 board is " barely tolerated by the government, 

 instead of being encouraged, sustained and aided 

 in its course and the pursuit of the desiixned ends." 

 lieally, this act will constitute the era of agricul- 

 tural legislation. We do not doubt, now, that 

 laws for the promotion of acrriculiure, so lonix 

 supplicated from our hitherto inexorable law- ma- 

 kers, will be enacted by all the states, and printed 

 and distributed as widely as " American [jrimeis ' 

 and "spelling books." Nay, we should hardly 

 marvel, henceforth, to see crops growinir. upon 

 lands never ploughed, Irom seed never sown. 

 The long search of aires is terminated ! The 

 philosopher's stone, from its dark, deef) hidinii 

 place, is brought to light ; and its discovery will 

 be the glory of this age. JVlan, in future, may 

 fatten and grow strong without bread ; his sinews, 

 unrelaxed by toil, will become elastic by strain- 

 ing. Kentucky now, whose legislature we have 

 often and earnestly implored to do sorn(!ihiiig in 

 behalf of ai/riculture, worthy of her name, her 

 character, and her interest, will no longer hesitate 

 to take that interest under consideration and pro- 

 tection. It is true, committees have sometimes 

 proposed, lor the consideration of the (riends of 

 agriculture, acts not unlike this of Virginia ; but 

 whether from tear of the tremendous consequences 

 of such legislation, or other motives, (a little bird 



* We earnestly wish that these remarks of Mr. 

 Stevenson, the editor of the Kentucky Farmer, could 

 be read by every member of the leerislatuie of 

 Virginia. Never vpas sarcasm more just than this; 

 nor more correctly applied, than to this wretched abor- 

 tion, which is the first-born and sole measure of Vir- 

 ginian legislation, for the aid or improvement of agri- 

 culture.— Ed. F. R. 



whispers, dread of merited ridicule,') they have 

 not been adopted, we are not sal isliiclorily advised. 

 Probably a precedent was desir.ilile, drawn Irom 

 the wiser practice of older governments. If thia 

 be the true conjecture, Kentucky may no longer 

 delay imitating the example of Virginia, siie 

 [iroved her descent, as a daughter of ihe Old Do- 

 minion, when her politicians proposed laws lor 

 the encouragement ofairriculiure, having no provi- 

 sion to render their execution effectual ; she will 

 manifest only a dutiful respect, by copying the sta- 

 tute of her mother. 



liut this is a subjecl too serious for satire ; even 

 if we had no fears ol gelling knocked on the head 

 by our friend Rulfin lor impertinently meddling 

 with the policy of Virginia, and possibly tram- 

 pling on state rights, for which we profess a due 

 regard. Praying your mercy, then, brother RufRn, 

 we beg leave to add some remarks as applicable 

 to Kentucky and the other states as to Virginia. 



What can be the reason that ihe legislation of 

 this country has never regarded properly the atrri- 

 cultural interest 1 Why can noihinir be done for 

 its encouragement and im[)rovement '? How is it 

 that, in tfiis republican government, the farmers, 

 holdingihe political power, and their interests sui)- 

 porting all others, whenever they seek from their 

 agent, the government, even a small share of that 

 revenue which they chiefly contribute, to effect 

 objects of importance lo ihe whole community — 

 but yet too great for individual accomplishment — 

 how is it that they are for ever either insulted by a 

 seeming but inefl'eciive acquiesence or repulsed 

 by an absolute denial ? There is no subbrdinale 

 interest of the country which has not, limes with- 

 out number, received the fostering care, the en- 

 couragement and support of legislation. Agricul- 

 ture only, the great foundation which supports 

 ihe prosperity of ihe country and nourishes into 

 life all the other arts, lias been regarded by the 

 irovernment which it chiefly maintains, as a step- 

 child.- When agriculture has begged, implored 

 sums, far less than have been lavisldy given se- 

 parately to less imporlant interests, they have 

 been denied. She has sought aid for the execu- 

 tion of objects by which all interests would be 

 ptomoted ; lor such is her direct and incidental 

 connexion with all the interests of the country, 

 that a direct benefit to her could scarcely be less 

 a benefit to them. True, she has enjoyed inciden- 

 tal benefits from favors granted directly to other 

 interests ; but that is only because their existence 

 depends upon her prosperity, as theheallhy action 

 of all Ihe organs of the body depends upon the 

 vigor of the heart which propels the life blood into 

 every ramification of the system. Now here we 

 see, in the preamble lo this Virginia law, the 

 lawgived^ confession of the great importance of 

 agriculture, of the duty of government to encour- 

 age and foster if, and of the utility of organized 

 labor under legislative sanction, to (tromoteit; 

 and the enacting sections prescribe duties lo be 

 performed by a board of agriculture, more labori- 

 ous than those assigned to the executive depart- 

 ment of the government, and which, properly exe- 

 cuted, would prove not less promotive of the ge- 

 neral prosperity. The board are required to re- 

 port annually-to Ihe legislature a general view of 

 the agriculture of Ihe slate — the business of a 

 commissioner of general survey ; they are to re- 

 port the nature and quantity of agricultural pro- 



