THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



651 



In like manner, we award ihe second premium 

 ol $20 10 James Gordon. 



As lo the iliird premium, the committee were 

 unable to agree upon an award. 



Upon a bulisequent and more thorough exa- 

 mination, which we lelt ourselves bound to naaUe 

 ol the larui ol' Mr. Edwin Hill, we award the 

 fourth premium ol'iglOlo him, and recoiimieiid 

 his coin as the same kind cultivated by Mr. God- 

 din. 



We observed, in the course of onr examination 

 of several liirnis upon which we have not report- 

 ed, many evidences of great industry, directed 

 without judgment or skill, and in a great degree 

 neutralized, by reason ol total ignorance of agri- 

 cultural improvements and the application ol labor. 

 Still the spirit ol' industry is there, and some have 

 caught the spirit ol' improvement too ; are becom- 

 ing sensible ol the necesisity lor improving their 

 houses and enriching their lauds ; but are unin- 

 formed as to the best means within their own 

 reach of efieciing that object. 



It must seem incredible to those who have not 

 witnessed it, that a man with a wile, and eight, 

 nine, or ten children lo provide for, and who, Ibr 

 that end, taxes his physical powers to the utmost, 

 Irom the beginning to the end ol the year, should 

 yet be, or appear by his practice to be insensible 

 lo the inconvenience, discomfort, and risk ol" liv- 

 ing in a house which has probably been occupied 



been left to drudge an, generation after genera- 

 tion, without an effort to improve or to aid iheir 

 iigricultural labors. They do not want industry, 

 but they want the light ol agricultural science 

 and improvemeni, which the necessity (or con- 

 stant toil and their own limited resources place 

 beyond tkeir reach, but which could so easily be 

 imparted to them by those who are favored with 

 knowledge, leisure and wealth. 



These, and other considerations which address 

 themselves forcibly lo the patriotism and liberality 

 of our more favored people, this committee would, 

 if in their power, most earnestly endeavor to im- 

 press upon the wealth and intelligence of our old 

 mother Virginia, throughout her extended bor- 

 ders. Give our people the lights of practical 

 knowledge, improve our system of education, our 

 agriculture and our mechanic arts, and the Old 

 Dominion will once more be in the ascendant. 



Respectfully submitted, on behalf of the farm 

 committee, 



Wm. H. Richardson, Chairman. 



October 20, 1841. 



The president then, according to the awards in 

 the said report, presented to Capt. T. S. Dickin, 

 premium No. 1, of $25— to Mr. James Gordon, 

 No. 2, of $20— to Mr. Edwin Hill, No. 3, of 810 

 — and to Mr. Thos. Jennett a gratuity of $12. 

 But Ibr good reasons presented to the meeting, 

 it was determined not lo pay the gratuity recom- 



by several generations, without repair, and which, mended to Mr. Crulchfield, and the subject was 

 with every thing around it, is in the most neglect- recommitted lo the same committee. 



ed and dilapidated condition. Yet such is the 

 fact, and, in many instances, with industrious, 

 respectable, and meritorious men, who, it would 

 seem, have no conception of tlie importance, and 

 the economy too, ol first attending to the security 

 and comfort of themselves, and of every thing 

 around them. 



It is not necessary for us to ofler a remark upon 

 this mistaken and destructive policy — we hope to 

 see the influence of the society applying the re- 

 medy, wherever there is industry and intelligence 

 lor 11 to act upon. 



In conclusion, we are happy to have it in our 

 power lo report thai, in the course of our exa- 

 minations, we had ilie saiisliiction of noticing a 

 more general spirit of agricultural improvement 

 than we were aware of There is a fine field lior 

 the operations ol the society, and every encour- 

 agement to perseverance in the cause. But there 

 is much to do, and we believe one of the great 

 principles of success is to be found in the encour- 

 agement of a class of cultivators, who heretofore 

 seem to have been enlirely overlooked. It is the 

 men who guide their own ploughs, drive iheir 

 own produce lo market, and, in times ol danger, 

 shoulder their muskets and take the field. 



A distinguished prose writer of our own coun- 

 try, satirically remarked of the people of a great 

 commercial, city of the north — that there, " the 

 lawyer looks down upon the merchant, the mer- 

 chant upon the grocer, ihe grocer upon the green 

 grocer, and the green grocer upon ihc apple 

 woman — who don't care a straw about any of 

 them." We trust it is not so among us — but 

 these sturdy citizens of ours who have as much 

 sterling merit and independence of character ae 

 any men on earth, who regard with indiflerence 

 or contempt the trappings of wealth and station, 

 and. aak no favor but of the Almighty— have ^ 



Captain Richardson, then, from the same com- 

 mittee, presented the following supplemental re- 

 port : 



Supplemental report. 



The undersigned feel bound in justice to the 

 objects the society has in view, lo ofiier the follow- 

 ing supplemental report, which they do without 

 the knowledge or concurrence of their colleague, 

 Mr. Staples. 



It is slated in our general report, that the com- 

 mittee could not agree upon the award of the 

 third premium, and it is proper that we should 

 give the reasons Ibr that disagreement. 



The undersigned, having heard much of iho 

 imjirovements on Mr. Staples' farm, wished lo 

 examine and report upon it. To this he objected 

 from feelings of delicacy as a member of the farm 

 committee, alleging, with much diffidence loo, that 

 there was nothing upon it worth reporting. 



It was not until near the close of our examina- 

 tion, that the undersigned, calling for Mr. Staples 

 at his own house, were so much struck with the 

 almost magical improvement every whei'fe pre- 

 sented to view, that they felt it their duty to ex- 

 amine and report upon it. The following ia the 

 result : 



Buildings — A neat and handsome dwelling and 

 offices, excellent stables, corn-house and cattle 

 sheds, all recently erected by Mr. Staples, and 

 every thing about the homestead in fine order ; 

 enclosures good, partly of plank, very neatly 

 put up. 



Crops — Upon a farm which three or four years 

 ago presented an aspect of hopeless sterility, there 

 have been produced this year fine crops of corn, 

 oats, clover and herds grass, kay, turnips and po- 

 tatoes. We observed aereral larye collections 

 of ashes and stable manure brought Ircwa tha 



