1S37.J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



707 



some years after the war ; its date is Mount Ver- 

 non, Dec. 4, 1788: 



" The more I am acquainted with agricultural 

 affairs, the betler I am pleased with them ; inso- 

 much that I can no where find so jxreat satisliio- 

 tion as in ihose innocent and uselid pursuits. In 

 indul<;ing these feeluigs, I am led to rerlect how 

 much more doli<2;hlful to an imdebauched mind, is 

 the task of makini:^ improvements on the earth, 

 than ail the vain-glory which can be acquired ii'om 

 ravaging it, by the most utiinterruptecl career of 

 conquests. The design of this observation is only 

 to show how nmch, as a member of human soci- 

 ety, I leel myself obliived by your labors to ren- 

 der respectable and advantageous, an em[)loyment 

 which is more congt^nial to the natural dispositions 

 of mankind than any other." 



In another letter, written about the same time, 

 he says : 



"How pitiful, in the eye of reason and religion, 

 is that fiilse ambition which desolates the world 

 with fire and sword for the purpose of conquest 

 and fame, compared to the milder virtues of mak- 

 ing our neighbors and our fellow-men as happy as 

 their frail conditions and perishable natures will 

 permit them to be." 



From tlie Petersburg Intelligencer. 

 RALEIGH AND GASTON RAIL ROAD. ■ 



It gives us much satisfaction to learn that this 

 work is in rapid progress, and bids fiiir to be com- 

 pleted with as much despatch as any that has pre- 

 ceded it. 



One-half of the whole line of the road, from 

 Gaston to Chalk Level, a distance of about 45 

 miles had been located and nut under contract. 

 Between 600 and 700 hundred hands are at work, 

 and although only five weeks have elapsed since 

 a commencement was made, the extent of exca- 

 vation and embardvment is already considerable. 



Exclusive of several contractors who have 

 heretofore been regularly engaged in this occupa- 

 tion, some of the most wealthy and respectable 

 planters residing in that part of the country have ta- 

 ken contracts, and are making excavations and em- 

 bankments instead of tobacco and cotton — look- 

 ing forward to the benefit which they will derive 

 in the transportation of future crops to market, 

 when the rail road shall be completed, which will 

 no doubt precede the maturity of their next year's 

 crop. The owners of land, on and near the line 

 of the road, find a new resource in the market 

 which it affords for their timber, heretolbre of lit- 

 tle or no value— for provisions of all sorts, and for 

 any superfluous labor from the bt;siness of liu'm- 

 ing. Most of the foundations of the piers and 

 abutments for the bridge across Roanoke are 

 above high water mark, and that great work will 

 be speedily executed. 



The road has been located as far as Tar River, 

 and will soon be completed to Raleigh. Persons 

 are in readiness to take contracts on this half of 

 the road, and there is no doubt that the entire 

 line will be let, very soon after the requisite prep- 

 arations are made by the engineers. 



A spirit of activity, we understand, prevails 

 along the whole extent of the whole country 

 through which the road is to pass, and all look for- 

 ward with confidence to the benefits which it will 

 confer. 



The legislature of North Carolina has granted 

 a charter Jbr a rail road from Raleigh to the South 

 Carolina line, in the direction to Columbia ; and 

 books Ibr subscription to the stock will be opened 

 in the course ol' a lew weeks. 



ON THE USE OF THE CULTIVATOR — IM- 

 PROVEMENT OF LAND &C. 



To tlic Editor of the Fanners' Register. 



White Plains, Norfolk Cn., Va. > 

 January 30, 1837. 3 



Inclosed I have remitted the amount of my sub- 

 scrI|)lion for the third and (burlh volumes of the 

 Register, though I can but ^^ plead guiUi/' for be- 

 ing so tardy in attending to it; yet I hope it will 

 not he the less acce[)table, though at a " late hour.'''' 

 And by the by, as snow has driven me " irt doors,'''' 

 and there is much blank paper to spare, I will say 

 a word ortwo about our farmers and firming gen- 

 erally in this county, though I shall dcs|)air of say- 

 ing much in their favor. 



I can but congratulate you on the general good 

 that has resulted from reading your paper, and 

 had hopes that it might be found on every planter's 

 chinmey-piece in the county; but alas! emigra- 

 tion is here raginii with all the strength of fanati- 

 cism, and nothing else can be talked of but selling 

 estates, at a great sacrifice, and '■'■ packing ojf'' Ibr 

 the '■' far tee fit." This ol course has banislied all 

 agricullural books, tiacls, periodicals and the like 

 from their libraries, and they dream of nothing, 

 day or night but " Aladdin's magic lamp of Ara- 

 bian story," or some such thing, that, by a look or 

 a wish, will coin every thing into gold. So infec- 

 tious, indeed, has the mania become, that no as- 

 tonishment, is produced on seeing our wealthiest 

 neighbors leave, and plunire into the "adventurous 

 ocean" of emigration. Not content with doing 

 well, when such "golden visions" of full pockets 

 and " groaning coffers," haunt the miilnight pil- 

 low, by reaching forth to pluck, they ''unmoor 

 their anchor" and launch away in bright expecta- 

 tion of doing better, like the man who killed his 

 goose that laid a golden egg every day. But 

 whether these bright visions be correct or not, is it 

 not a pity that the industry and wealth, the very 

 "bone and sinew" of our venerable old common- 

 wealth should thus be leaving it 1 It seems to me 

 almost unfilial and unpatriotic, after having drain- 

 ed from her veins almost the last drop of blood, in 

 the moment of destitution and need, when her 

 pensive and tottering pace calls loudly apon all her 

 sons for support; for none can deny but that party 

 feeling, " like a canker worm in the bud," is par- 

 alyzing all her resources, and kicking her down 

 hill, as fast as a retrograde motion will allow her 

 to travel. But in this, as well as every thing else, 

 the old adage is verified, "what is every body's 

 business, is no body's," and instead of calling her 

 legal guardians to an account for her condition, 

 truant like, we run away, and leave her to be the 

 "whip-top of fortune," to be whipt round and 

 round by every "do-nothing body" that can lay 

 hands on the lash. But I'll turn to the plough, 

 as I understand better what to do with it than 

 with the reins of government. 



Agriculture in this county is slowly advancing, 

 the " scales of ignorance" have fallen from many 



