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THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



row, and every other implement. Virginia has 

 many most respectable, talented and amiable 

 gentlemen farmers — but I want to prepare a 

 class of young men to become scientific gentle- 

 men farmers." 



For the Southern Planter. 

 THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Editor } — I have received a copy of- the 

 Constitution and proceedings of the State Agri- 

 cultural Society, and find the honor of being 

 one of the General Committee for Brunswick 

 county has been conferred on me — for an honor 

 I really consider it to be selected as one of the 

 co-workers in such a work. I hope and believe 

 that I have the planting and farming business 

 of the State as much at heart as any of her 

 sons, and am willing to give my time and be- 

 stow my exertions to promote and improve this 

 vital interest of our country as far as he who 

 will go farthest. 



And whilst I fully appreciate the feelings of 

 real patriotism which brought together the gen- 

 tlemen who have commenced this good and 

 glorious work by the formation of the Society, 

 and am convinced that the right spirit is abroad 

 to improve our condition, I fear that the plans 

 adopted will not lead to success. Long articles 

 do not suit the Planter; I will condense what I 

 have to say, at the risk of being obscure. 



The basis of the Society, in my humble judg- 

 ment, is not broad enough. 



1. The voluntary system, is no system at 

 all — private contribution hardly ever comes up 

 to the plans laid down in such societies — and 

 the contributions fall entirely on the liberal and 

 generous, therefore, unjust. 



2. The funds to be raised are too small, and 

 will not do for Virginia what she really wants. 



3. The exhibitions and premiums, and meet- 

 ings may diffuse a good deal of information 

 around the place of meeting, but they will be 

 powerless to penetrate the dark corners and coun- 

 ties of the Commonwealth, which I fear would 

 be nine-tenths of her soil and population. 



They who undertake the improvement of Vir- 

 ginia agriculture, to any extent, undertake a 

 gigantic work ; if they do not look well to what 

 they have to do, and provide means adequate to 

 the end, nothing can come of it but failure — 

 which is worse than doing nothing. All of us 

 know to what a state of poverty our soil is re- 

 duced — what superficial and scourging culture 

 is bestowed on it — what poor returns it makes 

 for its annual cultivation. How many of our 

 best and brightest sons and daughters abandon 

 their native home every year, for the South and 

 West. We all know too, in whose hands the 

 cultivation of the soil is now placed, and has 

 been placed for almost a century. Ignorance 



and most frequently the most bigoted ignorance, 

 holds supreme dominion. In the county of 

 Brunswick, (and is it not so in most other coun- 

 ties?) how many are directing the cultivation 

 of the soil who are qualified for nothing but 

 day laborers? As I am not electioneering, I 

 hope the truth will offend no one, and no small 

 part of the difficulties in our way, is the igno- 

 rance of our population — an ignorance wide- 

 spread, alarming — lamentable — but regret it as 

 we may, it is amongst us, and we have to deal 

 with it. The capital vested in lands, slaves, 

 stock, &c, in Virginia is very large, and is fully 

 three-fourths, or more, of the entire wealth of 

 the State. In any country, or in any age, was 

 the same amount of capital, so little under the 

 direction of science? Here, every man is born 

 a farmer and politician. An exhausted soil 

 and an ignorant population are the material we 

 have to work on — to improve the one and en- 

 lighten the other is surely a work in which the 

 greatest intellect and the highest benevolence 

 would feel proud to be employed. 



Will the plans and contemplated resources of 

 the Society consummate these ends ? Will they 

 even advance them to any beneficial extent? I 

 fear not. If not, what shall be done ? for all 

 seem to agree that something must be done. I 

 will give an outline of my plan, and call upon 

 my brother members and brother farmers to give 

 theirs, that we may have the benefit of the best 

 reflections of all. 



1. In the first place we must have money — 

 and enough for our purposes, be it what it may, 

 within our means — not to be raised by private 

 subscription, but out of the public exchequer. 

 We pay almost the whole taxes, and why should 

 we not take enough of our own money for the 

 promotion of our own peculiar interest ? Hun- 

 dreds of thousands of dollars have been thrown 

 away on internal improvements, and no one said 

 nay to it, and if the James River interest will 

 allow us, why should we not call for enough to 

 endow what the real tax payers want ? The 

 planters and farmers have only to command in 

 this and they will be obeyed. 



2. The institution we shall raise up should 

 be complete in itself — dependent on no corpora- 

 tion, society, or otherwise with the government 

 than as an independent department of it. A 

 Bureau of Agriculture, standing out from all 

 others — with full means for all rightful purposes. 



3. It should be located on a large farm, the 

 property of the institution, with all necessary 

 houses, fixtures, &c. 



4. It should have two departments — one for 

 apprentices, to be bound to the institution by 

 the overseers of the poor, of the different coun- 

 ties, who shall cultivate the farm under the most 

 approved modes of cultivation, making all proper 

 experiments, and these poor boys should receive 

 during their apprenticeship for their labor a good 



