108 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



pant of brick buildings for upwards of fifty years, 

 and never have been molested or made uncom- 

 fortable by damp Avails in the upper stories of 

 buildings by the falling of rain blowing against the 

 walls. Yet this may happen in long and heavy 

 rains blowing from the same point; for instance, a 

 northeaster, if the building is not guttered and 

 spouted. I have lived at my present location for 

 about seventeen years, where my buildings are all 

 of brick, without ever discovering any dampness 

 in the walls above the ground, which have been 

 always perfectly dry and comfortable ; and some- 

 what remarkable to say, with a family, including 

 white and black, of from thirty to thirty-five, not 

 one has ever contracted a fever here of a protracted 

 kind. But I will come to the point of a stuccoed 

 building, and close by remarking, stucco of itself 

 is nearly impervious to water, which much depends 

 on the workmanship and the materials; for instance, 

 the sand entirely divested of all loam and trash, by 

 washing; the lime pure arid slaked in what is 

 called a putty state, then mixed properly with the 

 sand, made into a mortar and suffered to stand 

 some time before using, say from five to six weeks. 

 When the work is commenced, the stucco work- 

 man to use a plenty of elbow grease, by much rub- 

 bing or floating with a hand float, brush and water, 

 which compresses all of the particles of lime and 

 sand closely together, and will make them ulti- 

 mately become nearly as hard as rock. Conse- 

 quently, I think you may safely answer "Aliquis," 

 he need not (although the location of his building 

 is a damp one) apprehend any danger from damp 

 walls, particularly as he designs stuccoing them. 

 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



W. B. Phillips. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 AGRICULTURAL NOTICE. 



The following farmers have offered or con- 

 sented to act as Assistant Agricultural Com- 

 missioners : 



Col. P. St. Geo. Cocke, of Powhatan, (Pres. 

 Ya. S. A. Society.) 



Thomas L. Preston, Esq., of Smyth. 



B. Johnson Barbour, Esq., of Orange. 



John R. Edmunds, Esq., of Halifax. 



Richard Irby, Esq., of Nottoway. 



These assistants will act, to such extent as 

 they may be enabled by the facilities afforded, 

 and other circumstances, in their respective 

 counties, and as much of the adjacent ground 

 as it may be convenient to embrace. Each 

 one, on his assigned ground for operations, will 

 have equal powers and privileges, and like du- 

 ties with the chief Commissioner. 



One- service, and the most important which 

 these Assistants will attempt, will be the mak- 

 ing and reporting surveys of the agriculture 

 of their respective counties, upon the general 

 plan, of which the heads were recently pub- 

 lished in the Richmond Dispatch, and are here- 

 with annexed. Some other gentlemen have 

 under consideration the undertaking of this 



useful service, for other counties. It is very 

 desirable to have capable persons to undertake 

 this and other of the duties of Assistant Com- 

 missioners, in other agricultural regions — as 

 the tide-water region, the Valley, and the north- 

 west part of Virginia. Should any public- 

 spirited and suitable persons offer to perform 

 these services, they will be gladly added to the 

 list of Assistant Commissioners. 



Edmund Ruffin, 

 Agricultural Commissioner. 



VIRGINIA STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



[Report of the Agricultural Commissioner to the Execu- 

 tive Committee. Approved and ordered to-be printed, 

 March 24th.] 



GENERAL PLAN AND ARRANGEMENT, AND SOME 

 OF THE PARTICULAR SUBJECTS, SUGGESTED 

 FOR A REPORT OF AN AGRICULTURAL SUR- 

 VEY OF A COUNTY, OR ANY OTHER AGRI- 

 CULTURAL DISTRICT OR SECTION OF VIR- 

 GINIA. 



I. General features arid character of the 

 country in the following respects: 



1. Situation, extent, and natural physical 

 characters and divisions, illustrated by a map 

 of small size. 



2. Surface and face of the country, and di- 

 versities of elevation and exposure. 



3. Climate, and especially any peculiarities 

 thereof, and the causes. 



4. Geological characters of different parts, 

 so far as known. 



5. Useful minerals, and especially such as 

 are, or may be, valuable as manures. 



6. Water, in reference to uses of navigation, 

 irrigation, propelling machinery, &c. 



7. Market towns, and manner of, or facili- 

 ties for transportation of products. 



II. General description and management 

 of lands. 



1. Classes and kinds of soil, and of subsoil, 

 to be designated (when extensive) on the map. 



2. Quantities of arable land, of meadow, 

 (not subjected to ordinary tillage, or rotation 

 of crops,) of wood land, swamp or marsh, and 

 other waste or unproductive lands. 



3. Sizes of farms, usual or unusual. 



4. The usual crops, of large and of small 

 culture. 



5. Rotation of crops. 



6. Manner and depth of ploughing, and pre- 

 paration for and tillage, and general manage- 

 ment of crops. 



7. Expense of cultivation. 



8. Agricultural products proper to be made 

 in the locality, and which are brought from 

 other places, and the extent of such supplies. 



III. General market jrrices of la?uls, j?ast 

 and prese?it, and causes of rise or fall in 

 prices. Rates of rent. 



