374 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



the Society could scarcely be said to have 

 more than a nominal existence. It, there- 

 fore, became the obvious and imperative 

 duty of your Committee in the first place, 

 to exert their best efforts to augment those 

 main elements of the Society's existence 

 and 1'uture usefulness. 



As a first step, your Committee resolved 

 at their first monthly meeting, to call a 

 meeting of the Society to be held in the 

 city of Richmond on the 10th of March, 

 and in order to secure the attendance of 

 as large a number of persons as possible, 

 a circular letter was prepared and widely 

 distributed through the State, earnestly 

 appealing to the farmers and planters to 

 unite with the Society, to attend the pro- 

 posed meeting, and to exert themselves in 

 interesting others in the cause of agricul- 

 tural association and improvement. 



The meeting took place according to 

 appointment, and, although not very nu- 

 merously attended, was animated by a zeal 

 and enthusiasm that had never before been 

 equalled on similar occasions. The utmost 

 harmony prevailed, and the most effective 

 measures were unanimously adopted, to 

 advance the great objects of the Society. 



The proceedings of that meeting being 

 a matter of record, we shall not here recite 

 them, but only state, what no where else 

 appears in your published proceedings, 

 viz. that about $1800 was subscribed, paid 

 or pledged, to the Society at that meeting, 

 and, what was far better than all else, a 

 spirit evinced that strongly indicated the 

 most favorable state of the public mind, 

 and which encouraged your Committee to 

 believe that could they bring their efforts 

 to bear steadily upon the public mind, the 

 cause of the Society would thenceforth 

 steadily and rapidly gain on the public 

 favor and support. 



But the meeting being over, it was quite 

 manifest, notwithstanding the enthusiasm 

 of the moment, that all would again re- 

 lapse into apathy and inaction, and an- 

 other year revolve and still leave the So- 

 ciety without numbers and without means, 

 unless measures could be promptly adopted 

 to keep the public mind directed to the 

 sub ject, and which, at the same time, would 

 be effective in enlisting members, and add- 

 ing to the pecuniary resources of the So- 

 ciety; in other words, to follow up the pre- 

 sent success. 



Time and again had experiments been 

 made in Virginia to establish associated 

 effort in behalf of agricultural improve- 

 ment, and the uniform course had been to 



hold meetings or conventions — to adopt 

 resolutions — make and publish speeches — 

 circulate addresses — adjourn, and leave 

 the cause to go on of itself, as if its ulti- 

 mate progress were inevitable, and in pro- 

 portion to the impetus imparted by a single 

 effort. But as there is no such thing as 

 perpetual motion in physics, so there is an 

 analogous friction in all matters of asso- 

 ciation — affairs will not proceed of them- 

 selves, however well devised and success- 

 fully initiated, any more than a ball will 

 continue its motion from a single impact. 

 To carry on the analogy it may be said 

 that the Society had set its ball in motion, 

 and the question for your Committee to 

 solve was, how to keep up, and even to in- 

 crease that motion? 



Effort! effort! perpetually made and ju- 

 diciously applied, was obviously the only 

 moving principle or cause. 



But there was no organization by means 

 of which your Committee could exert such 

 further effort to reach, and to move the 

 public mind. It was, therefore, necessary 

 to supply this defect in the Society's or- 

 ganization of its executive department — 

 as far as it was within the power of your 

 Committee to do so; and, accordingly, they 

 determined to appoint one or more agents, 

 whose duty it should be to visit the cities, 

 towns and counties — to enlist members and 

 life members — collect subscriptions — to 

 awaken an interest in the Society where 

 none existed — or to keep alive and to in- 

 crease such interest, wherever it was ma- 

 nifested. 



At first it appeared difficult to find an 

 agent, possessing the requisite intelligence, 

 tact and zeal, to perform in the best man- 

 ner the laborious and important (vitally 

 important) duties of that office. 



Fortunately, however, for the Society, 

 Gen. William H. Richardson, Ex-Secre- 

 tary of the Commonwealth, animated by 

 a rare and patriotic zeal in the cause of 

 agricultural improvement in his native 

 State, in whose service, in other capaci- 

 ties,he had already worn away,unrequited, 

 the best years of his life, was yet willing 

 to sacrifice still more in her service, and 

 to undertake the difficult and disagreeable 

 labors of an agency for the Society. — 

 Deeming it highly important to secure the 

 services of so zealous and able an agent, 

 the President did not hesitate to employ 

 him as soon as he ascertained it was prac- 

 ticable to do so, and to authorize him to 

 enter upon his labors, not doubting that 

 this act would be fully ratified by the Com- 



