634 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 10 



mium,* not for an effective steam-plough, but for 

 the first company for buildincp steam-plouijhs and 

 hiring them out to tlie, neiiihborino; liirmers, thai 

 shall successfully introduce this new branch of in- 

 dustry into Scotland. It some spirited acrricultu- 

 rists — for instance, the M;irquis of Tvveeddale, 

 Lord Greenock, and Mr. Menteithof Closeburn — 

 in their respective neio-hborhoods, would patron- 

 ize the formation of such companies, each to com- 

 mence with a capital say of £20,000, steam ag- 

 riculture would sinnillaneously and extensively be 

 introduced into the east, south, and west of Scot- 

 land. But if this invention were left to private and 

 individual enterprise, in the present depressed 

 condition of our farmers, half a century would 

 elapse before its use would become general. Let 

 our tenantry press this subject upon the attention 

 of their landlords in their respective counties. 

 What a relief in these times it would he, if each 

 ftirmer, instead of keeping four, six, or more pair 

 of horses, had only to send to the next viilage for 

 a steam-engine, to do the work for which he hag 

 to feed and attend them during the year! 



EFFECTS OF LEfilST^ATIVE AID TO AGRICUL- 

 TURE IN THE STATE OF KEW YORK. 



No. I. 

 [The private letter to which the following interest- 

 ing communication is in reply, was written last spring, 

 soon after the refusal-of the legislature of Vi"ginia to 

 do any thing asked for by the Agricultural Conven- 

 tion, in aid of the promotion of agricultural, improve- 

 ment. We then supposed that a statement of what 

 had b^en done for tfiat object in New York, even 

 though but partially successful, might furnish light, 

 and either examples or warnings, to the friends of ag- 

 riculture in Virginia, and especially to our legislators : 

 and we therefore applied to our valued correspondent 

 for the information desired, believing that no one was 

 better qualifiPil to furnish it, or was a more judicious 

 or more zealous friend, to the true interests of agri- 

 culture. His answer has been delayed until now, by 

 his ill health and absence from home. It is hoped, 

 notwithstanding- the lateness of the publication, that 

 the facts stated may have some beneficial influence on 

 the deliberations of our legislature now in session. 



To those who have read the communication of Dr. 

 Beekman to the first volume of the Farmer's Re- 

 gister, or who know him at home, it will be altogether 

 unnecessary to say that he stands high, both as a suc- 

 cessful practical cultivator and improver of the soil, and 

 a scientific agriculturist. His continuation of this sub- 

 ject is promised very soon, and will appear in our next 

 No. When concluded, we may offer some of our own 

 views as to the manifest defects, as well as of the very 

 great benefits, of the system adopted in New York for 

 aiding agriculture by legislative encouragement.] — 

 Ed. Far. Reg. 



To the Editor of tlit; Farmers' Register. 



Dear Sir : — In your letter to me you say that 



* The society has placed £500 in the hands of the 

 directors, to be appropriited to this purpose in the 

 manner they may conceive most likely to secure the 

 object in view. — Editor. 



"efforts, as yet ineffectual, have been made, and 

 will be continued, in V irgitiia. to induce the legis- 

 ture to aid in the diffusion of agricultural knowl- 

 edge. In New York that attempt was formerly 

 made, and, I believe, has been recently renewed, 

 and in a different manner. It would he of much 

 service to us to have a plain and sufficiently full 

 narrative statement of what was actually done — 

 what were the effects, good and bad — and your 

 comments at length on what was correct and use- 

 ful in efiect, and what was injurious or defective 

 in the system, as well as the recommendation of 

 any better system, or particular measures. In treat- 

 ing this subject, you will have the advantage of 

 experience added" to all your other lights. No 

 man can tell, from seeing a law on paper, how it 

 will work in practice ; and it is the actual working, 

 and effect or non-effect of your experiment, that I 

 want." 



To comply with your request is simply to state, 

 first, what has been done in this state by legisla- 

 tive enactments for the encouragement of agricul- 

 ture, and the reasons fbr it : secondly, what have 

 been the practical effects of those enactments 

 upon the prosperity of our farming population. 

 This, I think, embraces the whole subject. To 

 the first part I will now draw your attention. 



You are aware our staple productions of the soil 

 are wheat, corn, oats, rye, and barley, and our at- 

 tention has been most directed, and the quantities 

 grown, according to the arrangement here made, 

 beginning with wheat. You will see at once that 

 so much grain-growing is exhausting to the soil, 

 and it required more skill than our farmers pos- 

 sessed to keep up the production with the increase 

 of population, and not impoverish their farms. 

 Our forest lands, when first cleared, will always, 

 and fbr several succeeding years, produce fine 

 crops. But when these crops, although varied, 

 were continued annually for a lengtli of time, their 

 intrinsic worth became inadequate to supply the 

 exigences of their owners, and there was natu- 

 rally a depreciation of produce, and conse(|uently 

 in the value of their farms. These eff(?cts were 

 early noticed in this state. Many patriotic gen- 

 tlemen suggested difi'erent plans as remedies, but 

 none appeared so feasible as associations formed 

 under legislative sanctions, for the collection and 

 diffusion of agricultural intelligence. Some of 

 these enactments were local in their application, 

 but others were designed to operate throughout 

 the state. In 1793 a law was passed, designated 

 as "an act fbr the promotion of agriculture, arts, 

 and manufactures," which was remodelled in 

 1804 and called " an act to incorporate a society 

 fbr the promotion of the useful arts." Its objects 

 were general and indefinite. In 1809, was passed, 

 "an act incorporating the Society of Dutchess 

 County for the promotion of agriculture and rural 

 economy ;" and subsequently different acts for the 

 benefit of different counties in the stale. Under 

 these several acts I am not aware that much was 

 done fbr the promotion of the objects expressed in 

 their titles. In 1819 a law was passed entitled 

 " an act to improve the agriculture of this state." 

 The material parts of this act of which we wish 

 to avail ourselves are in the words following: 



"j^n Act to improve the yJgriculture of this State. 



[Passed, April 7th, 1819.] 



1. "Be it enacted by the people of the state of 



