THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



369 



feeling which prompted the remark was nar- 

 row, perhaps, but intense, exclusive but ar- 

 dent, and reminds one of the patriotism of 

 "stout old Samuel Johnson," who had never 

 crossed the British channel. Shall we hesitate 

 to admit that we^ always sympathized in the 

 feeling, and that it has deepened since the late 

 Exhibition. 



As equally characteristic of the people we 

 must not fail to remind our readers that order 

 presided over the whole proceedings. Not a 

 jar disturbed the general harmony— not one 

 shout of revelry or word of quarrel— all was 

 sobriety and harmony, quiet, comity and good 

 humor: the very pick-pockets behaved like 

 gentlemen. 



One thing that occurred attracted but little 

 attention, and will not attract much here at 

 home; yet if known abroad it will appear 

 very remarkable: the first premium for good 

 ploughing was awarded to a negro over several 

 white competitors. " Mann Randolph, a slave, 

 the property of Richard Sampson," as the 

 award styled him, made the best furrow — 

 driving four mules without lines, and made 

 forty dollars for himself and not for his mas- 

 ter by this meritorious feat. How many white 

 men at the North would have permitted him 

 to enter the, lists at all! and how many judges, 

 if he had, would have done him justice ! How 

 many negroes are there at the North who have 

 attained to the rank and dignity of plough- 

 men! What an answer does this simple fact 

 furnish to those who libel us! How illustra- 

 tive of the kindness which the master feels for 

 the slave, and of the negro's confidence in the 

 white man's justice! 



But we close this hurried and imperfect 

 sketch with a word of encouragement and ad- 

 vice to the farmers of the country. From 

 them have sprung the great men of Virginia. 

 They have sired Presidents, and brought up 

 the Pendletons, the "Wythes, the Marshalls 

 and the Roanes. They have ruled the politi- 

 cal destinies of this great Republic. How 

 happens it that they have done so little for the 

 land? 



Shall we offend if we tell them that it is 

 owing to want of energy, of enterprise and of 

 intellect aimed in that particular direction? 

 The time has been when, in many parts of 

 Virginia, it was almost useless to work land, 



for it did not pay. Then indifference might 

 have been excused by those who reflected that 

 there was nothing so deadening as despair. 

 But that time is past. Lime, and marl, and 

 guano, rail roads, and plank roads and canals, 

 better implements, better processes and better 

 knowledge have paved the way to wealth, and 

 our State should teem with the varied products 

 of the soil. It is the object and the purpose 

 of the Agricultural Society to make it do so. 

 Who doubts the ability if there be the will 

 and the energy? or who will believe that the 

 man who has sense to get to Congress by dili- 

 gent perusal of a single newspaper can fail to 

 become a respectable farmer? or that the man 

 who prizes the reputation of a hustings politi- 

 cian is dead to the better fame of an intelligent 

 tiller of the soil? 



We seek to advance the agriculture of Vir- 

 ginia, and seize the moment of upward ten- 

 dency for the work. Farmers, will you second 

 it with the active energies of mind and body, 

 that you may again exult in the fame and 

 power of Virginia, assured that 



"The poor rude world 

 Hath not her fellow." 



PREMIUMS FOR THE PLANTER. 



It is the habit with a good many of the edi- 

 tors of agricultural journals to offer premiums 

 for the largest number of subscribers sent in 

 by a given time. It is a very good custom 

 and we propose to improve upon it. 



North of us, and to the South, for what we 

 know, every paper is discontinued at the end 

 of the year, unless the subscriber pays for it 

 in advance. This custom will not answer in 

 Virginia. Mr Botts tried it and it failed. It 

 gave dissatisfaction and diminished the sub- 

 scription list. In fact, to tell the truth, it was 

 a good excuse with many to discontinue the 

 paper. 



Now to get our money, and at the same 

 time to extend the circulation of the Planter, 

 we propose to offer premiums to those persons 

 who shall send us the largest number of sub- 

 scribers by a given time, each collection to 

 count as a new subscription— for instance, if 

 a gentleman obtains twenty-five new names 

 and collects five dollars from one man, two 

 dollars from another, and one dollar from a 



