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FARMERS' REGISTER— AGRICULTURE IN VIRGINIA. 



If the farmers and planters of the United States 

 choose to be made the pack-horses on which all 

 other interests may ride up the hill of prosperitj' — 

 be it so, in the name of God ! We have broad 

 shoulders — brawny hands ; and very little ambi- 

 tion, but to surpass the ban-box, and handicraft, 

 and tongue-craft gentry in all the substantials oi 

 honest dealing and warm-hearted, though blunt, 

 hospitality. I am exclusively a farmer : 3'et, I 

 have seen something beyond the scope of rural 

 cares and country rusticity. And may I not ask, 

 after all, v.ho, in the whole circle of human em- 

 ployments, enjoys more substantial happiness and 

 feels a loftier independence than the virtuous warm- 

 hearted husbandman? AH that surrounds him is 

 his, and, depends upon him. Every thing that he 

 consumes is the product of liis own industry, ex- 

 cept a few luxuries, which he readily procures in 

 exchange for liis surplus articles or for the price 

 of them. His necessary exercise in the pure air 

 invigorates both body and mind. Who eats his 

 meals with more zest, or sleeps sounder.'' Who is 

 less annoyed with ennui — with dyspepsia— viith 

 other fashionable diseases? Y/lio enjoys the com- 

 pany of a friend or neighbor with more heart-felt 

 pleasure — or is more willing to ofier the hospitali- 

 ties of his roof to the stranger? 



But why should not the husbandman, witli these 

 pre-eminent claims, receive some share of justice 

 from the government ? Some little crumb of com- 

 fort — and if not even a crumb, why should he not 

 be exempted from the maintenance of speculation, 

 cupidit}' and avarice ? We have no hope but in 

 ourselves. Let us then determine upon a change. 

 We cannot be worsted much. Why should we 

 not instruct our Burgesses to make more ample 

 provision for educating the people, and for carry- 

 ing on a system of internal improvement commen- 

 surate with the wants and the rich resources of the 

 -State? — These subjects are intimately connected 

 with the prosperity of agriculture. I will not in- 

 ■sult the public understanding by supposing that 

 any thing is necessary to be said in behalf of edu- 

 cation. The only dilliculty is, that the men of 

 property are too unwilling to pay a small tax to 

 enlighten the minds of the children of their poor- 

 er neighbors. They seem to have forgotten that 

 the law of entails is abolished ; and that in the re- 

 volutions of fortune their own children and grand- 

 . children may stand in need of a similar mite from 

 the very persons whom they seem now so unwil- 

 ling to aid. They also seem not to perceive that 

 by some trifling contribution they may dispel some 

 of the clouds of ignorance by which they are sur- 

 rounded, and improve the morals and habits of 

 their neighbors. 



A judicious system of internalimprovement pro- 

 jected upon a liberal scale, and prosecuted with 

 adequate means and becoming energy, cannot fail 

 to put a new face upon the atlairs oi" the whole 

 state. In its prosecution it must increase the va- 

 lue of labor and give employment to the restless 

 part of our population; giving, at the same time, 

 fresh expectations and hopes to all desponding 

 minds. If it does not at once arrest the destroy- 

 ing tide of emigration, it cannot fail to do it in a 

 few years. Need I dwell upon the rich and va- 

 ried resources of this great state.' — resources which 

 would be soon developed, if the means of trans- 

 portation and intercommunication were only af- 

 forded ? In consequence of the great expense of 



transportation to market, the ))roductions of the 

 interior are confined to such articles as will bear 

 the expense. But if we had the necessary roads 

 and canals, an immediate change Avould take place 

 in the pursuits of the planters and farmers. Their 

 industry and economy would be stimulated, and 

 cause the production of a variety of articles which 

 would add new wealth to the state, new comforts 

 to the producers, and materially change the blight- 

 ed aspect of the country. There is nothing to be 

 alarmed at in the expense of a well planned road 

 or canal, although the amount may at first seem to 

 be large; for the income -will soon pay it off. In 

 the mean time, the advantages to be derived from 

 the increase in the value of projierty, the new ar- 

 ticles that may I e carried to market, and the sa- 

 ving in the expense of carriage, will all more than 

 compensate for the cost of the Avork. But it is 

 the misfortune of Virginia, that on this, as on 

 many other subjects, lier local interests are not 

 homogeneous. We have a lowland, a south-side, 

 a middle, a valley, a northwestern and southv/es- 

 tern interest. Some of tliese either in the whole 

 or in part, harmonize on improvements. But has 

 not the tune arrived wh^these jeolousies and con- 

 flicting pretensions should give way to the com- 

 mon good? It is impossible to undertake at once, 

 all the needed improvements in every section of 

 the state. Ought they not to be executed, if the 

 state is to participate as she ought, according to 

 the scale of their value and importance? If local 

 feeling and contrariety of views in the legislature 

 disqualify that body from arranging the order in 

 which such improvements ought to be made, what 

 objection can there be, to the employment of com- 

 missioners and engineers from other states, to fix 

 the scale of importance and ordej- of time for their 

 construction ? 



It is due to candor to acknowledge that no part 

 of the stale has received less public bounty in the 

 way of improvement than the country below the 

 head of tidewater, whilst they have contributed 

 their full share to the internal improvement fund. 

 But, prospectively, they are deeply interested in 

 the improvement of the whole state. Altho' they 

 have level roads and navigable Avaters, there is 

 scarcely a county in lov.er Virginia, in which some 

 valuable improvement "may not be made, fully 

 equal to its share of general contribution. Jus- 

 tice would seem to require that these should not 

 be overlooked. But, to return from this digres- 

 sion. 



The defects of our police laws ; the complication 

 of our whole code; and, especially, the vexatious 

 and expensive delays of litigation bear upon all 

 classes of productive industry, for the benefit of the 

 non producers and inetTicients. 



It was not my intention, in the commencement 

 of this paper, to dwell on the several ci'ops cultiva- 

 ted in Virginia ; or on the best modes of tilling 

 each. Such a range of inquiry is beyond my 

 ability : and, if it were not, it would require a 

 ponderous volume to embrace it. We must re- 

 collect that our state is divided into three great 

 territorial divisions, in each of Avhich the staples, 

 the soil, and the climate, differ essentially. Below 

 tlie head of tidewater, corn, cotton, oats, peas, po- 

 tatoes, &c. are the chief objects of culture — Above 

 the head of tidewater and to the north mountain, 

 tobacco and wheat; and, in the valley, may be ad- 

 ded liemp, live stock, &c. Beyond the norib 



