THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



149 



series of operations projected between us in Febru- 

 ary last, having for the leading objects the union 

 of mind as well as of numbers — the awakening of 

 a general interest in the cause of agricultural im- 

 provement throughout the State — and the mani- 

 festation in a great Cattle Show and Fair, of her 

 boundless resources, agricultural, mineral and in- 

 dustrial. 



Immediately upon the arrangement proposed by 

 yourself and Mr. Williams, recording secretary, 

 (subsequently confirmed by the Executive Com- 

 mittee,) the work was commenced, and I very soon 

 found that it would require extraordinary exertions 

 and my whole time with all the aid which could 

 be obtained. 



This important agency having been committed 

 solely to me, the first consideration was, how most 

 effectively and promptly to attain the ends pro- 

 posed in its creation. As one of the most exten- 

 sive and potent, I sought and obtained the aid of 

 the newspaper press, which almost every where 

 has been liberally and promptly exerted for the 

 Society, from the commencement of my agency to 

 this date — thus rendering a service to the agricul- 

 ture of the State which cannot easily be repaid 

 and should never be forgotten. Bills in great 

 numbers, have also been printed and circulated as 

 extensively as possible. 



The season being unfavorable for operations in 

 the country, I commenced the canvass in the prin- 

 cipal cities, devoting to each as much time as could 

 be profitably employed. Richmond, Petersburg, 

 Norfolk and Alexandria have all contributed more 

 or less liberally — the merchants and mechanics par- 

 ticularly so in each of them. In Petersburg the 

 subscription was taken with unsurpassed prompti- 

 tude and liberality — and without injustice to others, 

 it is but sheer justice to that patriotic city to state 

 the fact, that in proportion to her population she 

 has outstripped them all in a prompt and public 

 spirited support of the important objects of my 

 agency. 



I found it impracticable to obtain suitable aids 

 to divide the State with me until the month of 

 May, when my son like myself having been dis- 

 missed from the public service of the State, was 

 as you will recollect, prevailed upon to assist me. 

 Our 1 united and unremitted exertions have covered 

 an extended line of operations, -embracing the 

 larger portion of the State from the seaboard into 

 the Alleghanies, and as far as the county of Wythe 

 in the south-west. In addition to this, we have 

 sought aid by correspondence and otherwise, with 

 such counties as we could not reach, and where 

 necessary, offering every inducement at our com- 

 mand, to secure it. To give you some estimate of 

 the extent of this correspondence, I may state here, 

 that I have used in it myself more than 400 post 

 office stamps. 



In the cities subscriptions were freely given as 

 for the encouragement of a great State enterprise — 

 but through the country generally, except on the 

 south side of James river, little or no interest was 

 manifested at first in the success of the Society, of 

 which many had never heard, and few cared for. 

 Fortunately, however, we received in almost every 

 county the active co-operation of enlightened and 

 public spirited gentlemen, and I can now confi- 

 dently report that there exists a wide spread and 

 zealous interest in the cause which will triumph- 

 antly sustain the Society, and that the approaching 

 Cattle Show, unless interrupted by bad weather, 

 will far surpass any thing that had been hoped for 



in the beginning. More than enough fine stock 

 to fill all the stalls and pens has been promised, 

 together with many specimens of the manufactures 

 of our own people, including agricultural imple- 

 ments, woollen, worsted and cotton fabrics — mine- 

 rals — marble — red freestone, lately brought into 

 use by the Orange and Alexandria rail road passing 

 through beds of it in the county of Prince Wm. — 

 native cement, &c. &c. These will occupy all the 

 grounds prepared by the city of Richmond. 



As regards the number of members and amount 

 of subscription received by us, it may seem to have 

 come short of our first expectation. I have, how- 

 ever, paid into bank to the credit of the treasurer, 

 more than $2000, and shall probably add to it $400 

 or $500. My son's collections will approximate to 

 $2000 more, we suppose. At any rate the two will 

 not fall below $4000, sufficient with the amounts 

 pledged from several counties to pay all the ex- 

 penses of the Cattle Show, and more, without esti- 

 mating gate money. You will recollect how much 

 from the beginning was considered dependent upon 

 the success of this first great effort, which my cor- 

 respondence with you during the year has informed 

 you I have kept steadily in view. When, therefore, 

 an amount sufficient for the purpose had been se- 

 cured, our efforts were directed almost exclusively 

 to securing the stock and other materials to con- 

 stitute an imposing exhibition of the resources of 

 the State, and to excite such an interest among the 

 people as would induce them to attend it. The 

 facilities so liberally afforded by most of the rail 

 roads will aid materially in this, and with such a 

 concourse as the Cattle Show will probably bring 

 together, the Society will get more members than 

 could otherwise be enrolled in a five years canvass. 



In addition to the means already mentioned, I 

 have kept in the papers for some months past, a 

 standing notice that we would attend as many of 

 the courts as possible — but requesting those whom 

 we might not find it possible to see, and who might 

 wish to become members of the Society, to inclose 

 their names and subscriptions to Chs. B. Williams, 

 Esq., recording secretary of the Society, or to my- 

 self at Richmond : and I am happy to find that a 

 considerable amount has in this way been remitted 

 to Mr. Williams. This will be largely increased 

 by those who will become members, at the Cattle 

 Show, as many have promised us they would do, 

 if it should be in their power to get here. The 

 gate money, if the weather shall prove fine, may 

 be estimated at from $1500 to $2000 at the least. 



The want of a certain conveyance from Alexan- 

 dria to Acquia Creek, which some time since I 

 suggested the expediency of providing at the ex- 

 pense of the Society, will cut off from the Cattle 

 Show most of the stock, manufactures and imple- 

 ments from the rich counties in the lower part of 

 the Valley, and from Loudon, Fauquier, Fairfax, 

 &c, except Mr. Hugh M. Nelson's stock, which he 

 is determined shall be here, although he has to bring 

 it by way of Baltimore. These counties, by means 

 of the Orange and Alexandria and Manasses Gap 

 rail road, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, would 

 have concentrated at Alexandria, where I hoped 

 that a boat would be provided for it on the part of 

 the Society if it was not by that city. They will 

 not rely upon the mail boat, and ought not; be- 

 cause that could carry but a small portion of stock 

 or implements, and could not possibly stop long 

 enough to take them on board, even if it had room 

 for all. I had no authority to charter a boat, and 

 perhaps went too far in proposing it. But I knew 



