THE FAR3IERS' REGISTER. 



Vol. IX. 



AUGUST 31, 1841. 



No. 8. 



EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 



ADDRESS TO THE HENRTCO AGRICULTURAT. 

 SOCIETY, BY THE PRESIDENT, THE REV. 

 JESSE H. TURNER. DELIVERED MAY 2G, 

 1841. 



(Continupil fioin last number.) 



But F must pass on, or I s'lall puhjoct myself 

 to the same chnrjie wliinh I am condemnini.' in 

 o'hers. As, liowevpr, I receive no pay lor m}' 

 speech fi-om the state, nor from any other quar- 

 ter, I hope vou will hear with me ; and I pro- 

 mise to make no more ppeeche?, eiilier long or 

 short, unle.'s^you call me to it. 



Biif, gentlemen, an enclosure of some kind we 

 mn.ot have : and that which is most convenient. 

 re(|uirinir the least cost, and is found at the same 

 lime to answer the purpose, is upon the whole 

 the beet in any particular case. If. h iwever, 

 stone were abundant and convenient to me, I 

 think I should feel no hesitation in availmsf mv- 

 peir of that maferiril to construct my fences with. 

 It might cost a little more at first, hut then the 

 jrreaf durability and strength of the structure 

 would more than compensate (i^r the oriirinal 

 outlay. But in the absence of stone, the post 

 and board, or post and rail, will make an excel- 

 lent fence. These placed on tiie bank of a ditch, 

 and kept in good repair, will present a verv for- 

 midable barrier to the depredations of mischievous 

 animals. 



I have had some experience w'th what is ge- 

 nerally called the live fence. About thirteen 

 years ago, I enclosed the whole of the farm 

 which I then owned, with 'he cock-spur haw- 

 thorn. Since that ( have added considerably to 

 mv firm and somewhat to my thorii fence. It 

 now forms a line perhaps two miles long. The 

 only trouble it gives me is to prune it everv fall : 

 and with a single board at the bottom, I find it 

 answers the purpose remarkably well. 



There is yet one other fence, of which I wish 

 to say a word or two ; that is the old fashioned 

 worm fence. To this. I think, there are many 

 solid objections. In the first place, it is a slo- 

 venly affair, and therefore offensive to the sight. 

 And then it occupies more space, and requires 

 more material in its construction, than any other 

 fence. In addition to all this, it is certainly the 

 weakest of all the barriers that we put around 

 our farms. A stronc bull or a mischievous ox 

 will demolish it in less time than I have spent 

 in talking about it — and every time the wind 

 blows hard the prudent man will go out, and it is 

 ten to one if he does not find it prostrate in many 

 places. I once knew a man remarkable for his 

 energy. No difficulty nor obstacle seemed to 

 present a barrier in his way. He went straifrhi 

 forward, and generally succeeded in accomplish- 

 ing his purposes. In conversation with him, 

 (and I like such persons,) and in calling his at- 

 tention to this trait in his character, he remarked 

 til at he had adopted these remarkable words for 

 his motto— Aut inveniam aut faciam." (It is 

 his Latin, gentlemen, not mrne.) Now see one 

 Vol. IX. —40 



of our iong-enouled, lank-sided rooters approach 

 such a fence— he gives a grunt, and there is 

 something fbrehodiiig evil in that grunt — the 

 meaning is, in hog Latin — aut inveniam aut fa- 

 ciam — and with that, introduces his lean carcas.g 

 to the rich stores of the corn field : and now 

 commences the chase with clubs, and stones, 

 and dogs, until the rooter is fairly dislodged. Nor is 

 this all — (or now commences a much worse 

 thing — quarrels among neighbors. This must 

 suffice as to enclosures, lor as to that other mi- 

 serable substitute called a ivatling ; especially 

 when cedars are not plenty, I consider it loo con- 

 temptible to say a word about it. 



As to the buildings, especially the itimily 

 dwelling, I think it necessary to say but very 

 lilile. All will agree that it ought to be con- 

 structed with a special reference to convenience 

 and comfort ; and in the, material us(;d and style 

 of finish, every man will, of course, consult his 

 own taste and circumstntices. I must, liowever, 

 remind you, that this i.'? the great sanctum of our 

 wives and daughters; lor it is here, together with 

 the kitchen, and dairy, and poultry house, and 

 garden, that we expect them to discharife the 

 important duties of their station. I need not 

 remind my lair country-women that if they fail 

 in their appropriate sphere — if, on the contrary, 

 they lend not a constant, a steady, and faithful 

 hand, in their proper station, there is wantin<i a 

 link, an important link in ilie great chain of good 

 management. But there are other buildings ne- 

 cessary on a farm, without which the system of 

 management cannot be called a good one. These 

 ire the barn, or some subsiiluie for it, together 

 with shelters for our stock, which our long and 

 inclement winters have of late rendered so ne- 

 cessary. In this respect, in this section of conn- 

 try, I lijar, I know, thai our farms are wretchedly 

 deficient. I do not ask you if you have a stable 

 lor your horse or mule ; I presume there is no 

 fiirni destitute of this indispensable appendage. 

 But how did your cow and your hog fare during 

 the laie inclement season? Did they enjoy a 

 comfortable shelter whilst the storm was raging 

 around them ? 



This subject, gentlemen, I cannot press too 

 earnestly upon your attention. In this way, we 

 gratify the feelings of our humanity ; for who 

 can rest comfjrtaoly in his bed on a cold night, 

 when amidst the peltinas of the pitiless storm, 

 he hears rising above it the lowings of his cattle 

 and the lamentations of his swine. Besides, by 

 attending to this thing, he does but consult his 

 own interest; for it is an admitted fact, that the 

 well sheltered beast requires less food, and in 

 addition to this, his manure is greater in quan- 

 tity and belter in quality. I conclude what I 

 have to say on this subject with a single remark. 

 Let your negro-houses be warm and comforiahle. 

 But I liasten to that which I consider still 

 more important iu a well managed farm. Such 

 an establishment will regularly produce large 

 crops, and so (ar from being exhausted, will be 

 maintained in a ?inle to produce still lar.ger. / 



