THE FARJMEUS' REGISTER. 



689 



may exert a partial influence in producing this 

 wide ditierence, it may be salely ailirmed iliat ii 

 is chiefly owing lo unequal skill and laiowledge 

 in the culiivators. Now ihe average croj) ul 

 Virginia is 50,000 liogsheads : could tliese be 

 made of ilie best quality, l>y improved cullivalion 

 and treaia;ent, again of ufuvards of a million 

 a year to ihe state might be etiected. The same 

 considerations, in a less degree perhaps, are appli- 

 cable 10 all our great staples. 



It is with unlieigned regret that the board feels 

 itsell' compelled to draw the attention of the legis- 

 lature to the condition of the commonwealth, and 

 especially of its eastern poilion. Ours is a case 

 unparalleled in the progress of human afi'airs : 

 a country once lertile, in a most genial climate, 

 Avilh advantages peculiar to ourselves in our 

 numerous and fine navigable sireams, and all 

 these blessings under the protection of order aiul 

 equal laws, becoming depopulated, is a spectacle 

 without Its like. Whatever other causes may 

 have contributed to this mournful result, all will 

 readily reler the principal agency therein to an 

 injudicious husbandry. To remove (his blighting 

 evil will be the great object of ihe board. It 

 does not disguise from itsellj however, that unaid- 

 ed and alone, its eflbrts will be unavaihng. li 

 must have the constant and cordial co-operalion 

 of all classes, and the fostering countenance ol 

 the legislature. Agriculture should be the first 

 object of civilized man ; its condition is a fair test 

 of the state of society ; when it is detective all 

 conditions sufl'er — when it prospers all partake of 

 its prosperity. Every patriot should esteem it 

 among his first duties to do all in his power for 

 its advancement : the apathy too prevalent every 

 where should cease — a new impulse should be 

 imparted by the zealous friends of agriculture — 

 and the public mind, diverted from an engrossing 

 devotion to party politics, should be made to per- 

 ceive that this great interest has claims on its at- 

 tention ; (or while the bickerings, the rise and 

 fail of heated partizans, and their baneful influ- 

 ence on society shall be forgotten, or be remem- 

 bered only to be deplored, the achievements of 

 agriculture, by the aid of science and experience, 

 will endure for ever, and in their progress will dis- 

 pense blessings in all coming time to human 

 kind. The board indulges the hope that iis labors 

 will not be altogether unavailing in producing 

 this new direction of sympathies and leelings, so 

 propitious to the success of agriculture. 



It will not have been expected by the legisla- 

 ture, because it was impracticable, that the board, 

 at its present convention, should report in detuil 

 on the state of agriculture. It has adopted, as 

 is hoped, measures that will enable it to do so at 

 its next session. Among other steps, they have 

 resolved to appoint in each county a committee 

 to be composed of the most succecsful farmers, 

 (in the selection of whom the boBrd asks the aid 

 of the delegates from the several countries,) to 

 whom inquiries on all branches of husbandry 

 will be addressed ; and further, that the members 

 of the board will, as far as practicable, traverse 

 their respective districts, convoking the people to 

 particular points, from the most intelligent of 

 whom much valuable information may be gather- 

 ed, and calling into action whatever of zeal is to 

 be found in the land. (See documents marked 

 A. and B.) i 



Vol. IX.-70 



The unpleasant, but unavoidable duty devolves 

 on the board, of eignilying to the legislature, that 

 an omission, wliich, unless speedily corrected, 

 may be a lalal one, occurs in the act creating the 

 board. Not a dollar was appropriated to defray 

 even its contingent and inevitable ex()enscs. Pa- 

 iriotism, to the extent of great sacrifices, may be 

 successfully ap[)ealed to, in perilous exigencies 

 of the state ; but it is a sacred lund, which should 

 be lelt untouched, to a fit occasion ; to harass it 

 in limes of peace, is believed to be as injudicious 

 as certainly it is unjust. It is~ enough (or the 

 citizen lo give his lime to ihe public service, 

 without reward ; but to require of him, that he 

 should leave his home, travel great distances, 

 and in addition bear his own expenses, is ico 

 much. Any undei taking must fail, which rests 

 upon such a basis. The sum requisite to cover 

 ihe expenses of the members ol the board, com- 

 pensation to the corresponding secretary, with 

 postage and stationary, is small, and utterly in- 

 significant, compared with the benefits which the 

 Board of Agriculture is calculated to dispense. 

 And the legislature may be assured, that every 

 dollar applied to the furtherance of agriculture, 

 wdl repay its hundred Ibid. Respectfully submit- 

 ted, James Barboiib, President. 



(A.) 



The committee to whom nas referred the con- 

 sideration of a general plan of early operations 

 lor the Board of Agriculture, have perlbrmed 

 that duty, and beg leave to present the result of 

 their deliberations in the (bllowing report : 



In considering the different modes of procedure 

 and of operation which might be beneficially 

 adopted by the Board of Agriculiure, your com- 

 miitee were bound lo have strict regard to the 

 peculiar circumstances of this body, and the en- 

 tire deficiency of all pecuniary aid from the go- 

 vernment (or (orwarding the great objects of the 

 establishment of this state institution. It was 

 tlierelbre proper to propose (or the adoption of 

 the board, not what your committee migbt deem 

 the best and most surely beneficial plan of ope- 

 laiioiis, but the best that can be availed of in the 

 present feeble condition of the board. It is ob- 

 vious that the unaided and unsupported efforts 

 of the board alone, or of its lew members sepa- 

 rately, even if exerted with all possible zeal and 

 energy, can efiecl very little towards attaining 

 the great objects sought in the institution of this 

 body. Therefore it is especially requisite to ap- 

 peal to, and ask the gratuitous as well as zealous 

 aid of the judicious practical agriculturisls of 

 every county of Virginia, if this appeal to the 

 patriotism and the public spirit of the agricultural 

 class is not made in vain, we may yet hope for 

 highly valuable results from the labors of the 

 board, when thus favored and sustained. The 

 general sketch of a plan of operations which 

 will be submitted, will rest upon the sup[)Otfilion 

 that such aid, (i-om very many of tfie cultivators 

 ol the soil, will be readily and zealously afl^brded. 

 if without such aid of labor and information, 

 and liberally bestowed, as well as without the 

 Ibstering care of government, then it may be ad- 

 mitted in advance that any plan and every efiort 

 of the board will be utterly futile. 



Your committee consider that ih& great and 



