300 



THE SOUTHEKN PLANTER. 



the nature of the circumstances, to be wholly 

 imnecessary and uncalled for. It remains for 

 time to test the efficiency of the work; but 

 thus far it has fully met my most sanguine 

 expectations. 



An Old Subscriber. 

 Worcester, Montgomery Co., Pa. 



From the Alexandria Gazette. 



LIBERALITY OP RICHMOND TO THE VIRGINIA 

 STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY— REPLY TO 

 THE ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE. 



An article appeared in the Gazette of Aug. 

 29th, which, as I consider it calculated to in- 

 jure the Virginia State Agricultural Society, 

 in which I feel a deep interest, and to which I 

 look for much good to the agriculture of the 

 State, I hope you will pardon me for thus no- 

 ticing. It is said, "the Executive Committee 

 of the Virginia State Agricultural Society is 

 entirely too local in its character," and it is 

 complained that while Henrico and Richmond 

 City have three members in that body, and 

 Hanover two, Alexandria has no representa- 

 tive. Now, independent of the claims of Rich- 

 mond City, and the counties above named, to 

 the honors of the Society, by virtue of the 

 number of members they furnish and the large 

 contributions they have made to the Society's 

 funds, there is this consideration which did not 

 probably occur at the time of writing the arti- 

 cle referred to. The Executive Committee, to 

 transact the business of the Society, are com- 

 pelled to meet in Richmond some ten or twelve 

 times a year; and it is, therefore, desirable 

 that' a majority of the Committee should reside 

 at points convenient to the place of meeting, 

 both to ensure punctual attendance, and to 

 avoid the expense which would fall heavily 

 upon members living remote from Richmond. 

 These patriotic gentlemen pay their own tra- 

 velling and hotel expenses, and I very much 

 doubt if in your city you can find many who, 

 for the small honor of a seat in that body, 

 would be willing to incur the expense attendant 

 upon a proper discharge of the duties of the 

 office. As at present organized, the meetings 

 are not very fully attended, the more distant 

 members being rarely able to attend, and much 

 less so would they be if the members thereof 

 were scattered over the State as you propose. 

 There is, I understand, a scheme in contem- 

 plation to district the State, and to give to each 

 district a representation according to the num- 

 ber of members and the contributions to the 

 funds of the Society. Although I cannot ap- 

 prove of this scheme, I must confess it has one 

 recommendation — the silencing of complaints 



such as the one I am now considering. Unde^* 

 this new arrangement, can you tell me, Mr- 

 Editor, what fractional j^cbft of a representa- 

 tive your city will have ? Again, you speak of 

 Alexandria as one of " the most important points 

 for the operations of the Society," and on a 

 former occasion you spoke of pledges having 

 been made, to the effect that your city should 

 be one of the points at which the Fairs were to 

 be held. Now, I know not by whom such a 

 "pledge" could have been made, as no agent 

 or friend of the Society was authorized to make 

 it. The time and place of exhibition are fixed 

 at each meeting of the Society, and I do not 

 think it has ever been seriously contemplated 

 to seek better accommodations than we find in 

 Richmond. As the capital of the State, Rich- 

 mond appears to me to be the most suitable 

 place for holding the meetings of a State So- 

 ciety; but independent of this consideration, 

 the unparalleled munificence of Richmond and 

 her citizens, entitles her to whatever of honor 

 or profit may accrue from the meetings of the 

 Society. In order to exhibit the full force of 

 these claims in this regard, I have obtained 

 from the Secretary of the Agricultural Society 

 and the Chamberlain of the City of Richmond, 

 the following facts : 



The City of Richmond in its corporate ca- 

 pacity has expended upon the Society the sum 

 of thirty-four thousand five hundred and sixty- 

 five dollars and forty-five cents, ($34,565 45,) 

 and is now building offices for the Society at 

 an expense of ten thousand dollars more. Of 

 her citizens, we have eight hundred and fifty- 

 nine members, (forty of whom are life members,) 

 whose initiation fees, with donations to the So- 

 ciety, increase the sum above mentioned six thou- 

 sand seven hundred and seventy-three dollars. 



Now let us compare with this the " material 

 aid" furnished by Alexandria, the city which 

 you say " contributed liberally to the establish- 

 ment of the Society." Alexandria, cz^^/ '^^^^ 

 coimty.^ has ninety-one members, (of whom two 

 are life members) who have paid into the So- 

 ciety's treasury one hundred and seventy five 

 dollars.^ and there has been no donation from 

 either the city or county ! I might mention 

 half a dozen country towns which have contri- 

 buted double that amount, and yet you grum- 

 ble because the Society does not hold its Fairs 

 in your city. I fear you Alexandrians are 

 rather greedy. When the prodigal son returned, 

 he was satisfied to have one " fatted calf" killed 

 for him, but Alexandria, Virginia's prodigal 

 daughter., dressed in the "best robe," is not 

 content with the fatted calf but clamors loudly 

 for all the live stock of the State ! 



Let me, in conclusion, ask you if you think 



