118 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



TO THE AGRICULTURAL PUBLIC. 



The Executive Committee of the Virginia 

 State Agricultural Society has appointed me 

 to the charge, and entrusted to my trial, the 

 honorable and important service of Agricultu- 

 ral Commissioner; and, for a limited time, I 

 have consented to attempt the performance of 

 the duties. The kind and character of the 

 various duties with which the Commissioner 

 is entrusted, are set forth generally in the re- 

 solutions recently adopted by the Executive 

 Committee, and which has been published in 

 the Richmond Dispatch, and perhaps may be 

 in other papers. Among these many duties, 

 I shall have to select for attempting such as 

 may promise the most successful and beneficial 

 results, and of the most ready and certain at- 

 tainment. The services and best efforts of 

 any one individual, and even with the expected 

 aid of a few capable and regular assistants, 

 will be altogether inadequate even to touch 

 upon the far greater part of the wide field open 

 for operations. Therefore, for the purpose of 

 directing to the best ends the partial effort 

 which only can be made, I invite my friends 

 especially, and any public-spirited farmers who 

 will be pleased to forward these efforts, to in- 

 form me in which localities they are desired, 

 and where they will be likely to be most suc- 

 cessful. With like facilities afforded for ac- 

 cess, or under- like circumstances in general, I 

 will deem it my duty to give my earliest or 

 greatest share of attention to the particular 

 counties or neighborhoods of which it is un- 

 derstood that the residents will most appreciate 

 my offered service, and contribute their aid 

 and service most freely to the special objects 

 of the commission, and to the general objects 

 and operation of the State Agricultural Society. 



The 'publishers of neivspapers in Virginia, 

 and Presidents and Directors of railroads 

 and steamboats, and proprietors of other pub- 

 . lie conveyances, can render important aid to 

 the State Agricultural Society — the first by 

 giving facilities of communication with the 

 public, and the others by offering facilities for 

 travel to the Commissioner, during his time of 

 service, and for his official service only. I do 

 not object to suggesting or asking these favors, 

 thus generally and publicly, inasmuch as, if 

 afforded, the benefits will not add a cent to my 

 possible individual gain, or abate my more pro- 

 bable loss ; but will wholly enure to the bene- 

 fit of the State Agricultural Society, or to its 

 working for the diffusion of agricultural in- 

 struction, and improvement of general agricul- 

 ural interests. The necessary travelling and 

 ther incidental expenses of the commission 

 re to be reimbursed ; and of course any abate- 



ment thereof will not be a saving to him, but 

 to the State Society. 



Edmund Ruffin, 

 Agricultural Commissioner. 

 Marlbourne, March 6, 1854. 

 Post Office, Old Church, Hanover, Va. 



PLAN AND CONSTITUTION OF A WORKING 

 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The following form of Constitution for a working 

 County Agricultural Society, or a Farmers' Club, is 

 here copied from the Farmers' Register to save some 

 of the labor of preparation to persons who may 

 be about to establish such associations. The portion 

 in italic letters, or the working clauses, as they may 

 well be termed,' if made part of the standing rules 

 of any Society or Club, will fulfil the condition re- 

 quired to admit such Association as auxiliary to 

 the State Agricultural Society. A still better re- 

 commendation ' for this clause, is that it must ne- 

 cessarily render instructive and useful, for agricul- 

 tural improvement, every result of its operation. 



PROPOSED PLAN OF CONSTITUTION. 



The Agricultural Society of is instituted 



for the purpose of promoting the improvement of 

 agriculture, and especially to seek that end by in- 

 ducing the making and reporting of careful and 

 accurate experiments, for ascertaining doubtful, 

 disputed, or new and useful facts in scientific or 

 practical agriculture. 



1. The Society shall be composed of such per- 

 sons as shall sign this Constitution, and pay such 

 contributions as may be required by its provisions. 



2. The Society shall have one general meeting 

 in each year, which, until altered, shall be held at 



, on the of , and such special 



meetings as may be called by proper authority. 



3. The officers shall be a President, Secretary, 

 and Treasurer, and four other members of the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee, the three former being mem- 

 bers ex officio of that Committee ; all to be elected 

 by the annual general meeting, and to serve for 

 one year, or until another election shall be made. 



4. It shall be within the power and duty of the 

 Executive Committee to order all things properly 

 in furtherance of the objects of the Society, and 

 within its means ; provided that such action of the 

 Executive Committee shall not extend to cases 

 provided for by the vote and action, of the Society, 

 and shall never oppose any action or resolution of 

 the Society. 



5. The President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall 

 have the powers and perform the several duties 

 implied by the names of their offices, and both for 

 the Society and for the Executive Committee, of 

 which they are members ex officio. 



6. No person shall be elected President of the 

 Society two years in succession. 



7. Each person on becoming a member shall pay 

 to the Treasurer an admission fee of $ , and at 

 each annual meeting of the Society thereafter the 

 further annual contribution of $ 



8. Besides any other discretionary or voluntary ser- 

 vices, it shall be the especial duty of each member of 

 the Society annually to commence^ and attempt to com- 



