FARMERS' REGISTER— PERIODICALS. 



761 



THE "southern literary MESSEJfGER. 



We respectfully ask that the attention of our readers 

 may be directed to Mr. White's prospectus, on our ad- 

 vertising sheet, of a new literary periodical; a,nd hope 

 that many will aid in giving it extensive circulation. 

 It is indeed sti-ange, that no periodical of a character 

 entirely literary, sliould exist in all the states south of 

 the Potomac — and Mr. White will perform a most va- 

 luable service to the southern states, if he can fill the 

 existing void. Certainly this great region contains an 

 abundance of the kind of talent requisite and compe- 

 tent to support a literary journal. We know not to 

 what extent Mr. White may be enabled to draw upon 

 this gi'eat, but now unproductive fund of southern ta- 

 lent — but every such acquisition will be a new value 

 brought into being — and still more a public than a pri- 

 vate benefit. Without works of this kind, there ex- 

 ists almost no inducement to engage tlie pens of men 

 of literary taste and retired habits — unless, that for 

 want of more congenial employment, and better ob- 

 jects, they engage in the miserable and degi'ading war- 

 fare of party politics. 



Mr. White's taste and ability as a publisher, are well 

 known to tire public. Some works from his press, 

 (for example, the second edition of Judge Gaston's 

 Address to the Philanthropic and'Dialectic Societies of 

 Chapel Hill,) deserve to be ranked among the most 

 beautiful specimens of typography. In this respect, 

 we believe that his ambition as a publisher, would in- 

 duce him to go beyond his duty to his patrons. 



We will take pleasure in receiving and transmitting 

 to Mr. White the names of any of our correspondents 

 who may wish to become subscribers to the Southern 

 Literary Messenger. 



THE SCARCITY AXD HIGH PRICES OF FO- 

 REIGN AGRICULTURAL BOOKS IN THE UNI- 

 TED STATES AND PROPOSAL OF A REMEDY. 



" Books are printed and sold in this countrj^, at less 

 than the first cost in England: and, consequently, the 

 duty of 15 per cant, on imported books, is required 

 neither for revenue, nor the protection of the home 

 manufacture. Its immediate effects, as it regards the 

 pecuniary national loss, are inconsiderable: but no part 

 of the tariff can produce more of ultimate injury, 

 when compared with the very slight benefits, expected 

 from this duty. All the European works for which there 

 is an extensive demand, are immediately furnished to 

 the pubUc, by American publishers. Thus v»-e are 

 regularly and cheaply supplied with all the ti-ash in- 

 tended for the circulating libraries of England. But 

 many works of great intrinsic value, which from the 

 nature of things, would have but few readers, cannot be 

 profitably reprinted here; and the duty obsti-ucts or pro- 

 hibits their importation. The most striking example 

 of this evil, is found in the dilliculty with Avhich Euro- 

 pean agricultural works are obtained. In no other 

 class is more discrimination necessary, for selecting 

 such as are valuable, from the worthless mass; and 

 none, even of the best, have fevrer purchasers, or read- 

 ers. We know of but three European volumes on ag- 

 riculture, which have been republished in the United 

 States; and works of this description were seldom or 

 never imported for sale, until within the last few years. 

 The spirit of enquiiy which has lately arisen among 

 farmers, has in some measure counteracted the prohi- 

 bitory- tendency of this duty. Our booksellers have im- 

 ported some valuable works, and (as might be expect- 

 VoL. 1.-96 



ed) still more winch are useless; and the necessary 

 high price of all, has allowed so little profit to the im- 

 porters, that we understand, no expectation remains of 

 a repetition of the experiment. We admit that the 

 most unreasonable price might not deter an individual 

 from importing a work for his own use, the contents of 

 which he knew to be valuable. But our prohibitory 

 system has allowed so little information on this subject, 

 that but fevi' individuals can form a just opinion oi' the 

 merits of any foi-oign agricultural publication, until all 

 the expenses of its importation are incuixed. The in- 

 jury which may be sustained from tliis kind of depri- 

 vation, cannot be estimated by dollars and cents. To 

 oppose any obstacle v.hatever to the progress of intel- 

 lectual improvement, presents a singular feature in the 

 policy of a free goA-ernraent: yet not content with the 

 present dutj' of i.5 per cent, on foreign books, it was 

 proposed in 1320 by the Committee of Manufactures, 

 and actually passed^ the House of Representatives, to 

 increase it to 35 per cent." 



The foregoing well founded complaint was made by 

 the United Agricultural Societies of Virgirda, in 1821, 

 in the Report which accompanied their third and last 

 petition to Congress for the relief of agi'icultural inte- 

 rests from the burdens imposed by the protecting duty 

 S)'stem. The struggle v/liich was then going on be- 

 tween the supporters of free trade and agricultural in- 

 terest on the one side, and of prohibit(Jry duties and 

 manufacturing monopoly on tlie otlier, was ended in 

 1824, by the complete victory of the latter part}\ Since 

 that time, we have not traced the progress, and noticed 

 all the changes, of this, or any other class of duties, 

 which -were intended to be prohibitoiy; for if that end 

 was effected by a duty of only 20 per cent, the tax 

 could not be made more oppressive; and in that case, 

 our rulers were content not to raise the rate. V/ith re- 

 gard to agricultural books, the state of tilings remains 

 much the same as was described in the foregoing ex- 

 tract. The present duty on English books, imported 

 for sale, is 30 cents the pound (weight,) if bound, and 

 26 if in boards; and the tax, together with tlie high 

 cost, serve to make importation for sale, too hazardous 

 to be undertaken, except in'egularl}', and under some 

 peculiar circumstances — and the farmers of this coun- 

 try continue to be deprived of all the light and instruc- 

 tion that might be derived from that source. 



It may be said that it is impossible that the former 

 dutj' of 15 per cent, or even double that amount, could 

 materially check the introduction of works of real va- 

 lue. That might be true, if this value was known; but 

 the intercourse which would otherwise have existed, 

 has been so completely prevented, that it is almost im- 

 possible for a farmer in Virginia to know how to select 

 foreign agricultural works, for his own use — or a book- 

 seller, for the purpose of selling again for pi'ofit. Per- 

 haps in no department of literature (if that term may 

 be so applied,) is there so much of worthless trash, 

 compared to what is valuable, as in the whole mass of 

 v>'ork3 on agriculture: and the purchaser who selects 

 ihem at hazard, or merely by the titles, will, nineteen 

 times in twenty, obtain a very poor remuneration for 

 their cost. Neither will the name of the author be a 

 much safer guide. Some of the best informed agi'icul- 

 tural A\Titers, (as Marshall and Young,) whatever 

 were their merits, were regular booJanakers — and in- 

 stead of aiming to furnish th« best ideas, and the most 

 instruction, in a form as much condensed as the subject 



