46 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
scholars can go from them direct to the academy, to 
good advantage, or procure a good common education 
without. When this is done, we shall have an intelli¬ 
gent agricultural community. Farmer. Columbia, 
November . 1848. 
Means of Advancing tlie Interest ©f the Farmer. 
Eds. Cultivator —Whatever will destroy the fond¬ 
ness for change, and create a thirst for a scientific 
knowledge of his business—whatever will gratify such 
thirst, in the highest degree, at the least possible ex¬ 
pense—whatever will give him the most correct know¬ 
ledge of the effect of his labor, when preparing the 
soil and putting in his seed—whatever will create in 
him a true taste for his business, a proper pride and 
self-respect, which follows a suitable education in all 
other business and professions—that which will enable 
him to observe the sublime and beautiful operations of 
nature, and fit him for converse with her, that he may 
receive her promises in advance of his toils, with a cer¬ 
tainty of a corresponding reward, instead of a sickly 
hope, stimulated by the flattery of chance, will be 
found among the befet means to advance the interest of 
the farmer. There is no other pursuit that more re¬ 
quires preparatory knowledge, than that of tilling the 
ground ; any other business may depend upon experi¬ 
ence alone, better than that of farming; as the result 
of experiments with the soil cannot be known oftener 
than once a year, it requires more than a life-time, per¬ 
haps, to establish any one fact, unless directed by a 
well grounded theory$ then they become the most im¬ 
portant auxiliaries to science, in extending the bounds 
of correct knowledge in the most important of all 
arts. 
For the older portion of the farming community, such 
as could not be expected to attend agricultural schools, 
Farmers’ Associations might be formed in every town, 
which should support an extensive agricultural library, 
situated in a central part of the community, where re¬ 
gular meetings might be held, and such subjects discuss¬ 
ed, relating to the object of the association, as would 
be found most pleasant and profitable, avoiding always 
political and religious controversies. If no public 
speaker should be present, a free interchange of opin¬ 
ions, in a familiar conversation, would no doubt, be found 
pleasant and of great utility in combining the experience 
and knowledge of the whole association—not for the be¬ 
nefit of one—but each and every member present; and if 
the proceedings should be published, as has frequently 
been done in similar associations which have already 
been established, much good will be derived from them 
by other communities and individuals. The place of 
meeting would be a kind of Farmer’s Exchange, where 
each would be able to learn the state of the market 
among themselves j and by each taking an agricultural 
periodical, they would learn the state of the market 
elsewhere j which, in addition to other valuable infor¬ 
mation, would prepare them to meet the most wily 
speculator, who might wish to buy the1$ produce for 
less than its fair value, on his own grounds. 
But for the rising generation, there should be an ag¬ 
ricultural department in all our common schools and 
academies at least, and perhaps colleges, which, toge¬ 
ther with such other purely agricultural institutions as 
may be found necessary, would make our country, with¬ 
in a few years, blossom like the rose, and through the 
medium of our telegraphs, railroads and steamboats, 
diffuse a spirit of improvement over the whole habita¬ 
ble globe. 
I' is plain that the most essential knowledge should 
be first acquired ; therefore, a piece of ground should be 
attached to every district school, especially in the coun¬ 
ty. and tilled by the students, under the superintend- 
e ■ of a competent agriculturist. The common ob- 
Feb. 
jection to this seems to be the strongest argument that 
can show the necessity of it; the fact that it is almost 
impossible to prevent the destruction of every thing about 
the premises of a common school, by the mischief lov¬ 
ing and careless part of the attendants, shows the ne¬ 
cessity of an early check to that now all pervading and 
most pernicious propensity to destroy public property, 
or any other that immediate self-interest does not 
prompt us to protect. This propensity never can be 
more successfully corrected, with less pain and expense, 
than in early youth, nor is it more impracticable than 
to correct'any other habit, which if not restrained ear¬ 
ly, amounts in the older urchin to an uneasy propensity, 
resembling that which causes a horse to bite a fence or 
shade tree, or anything within reach of the bridle 
which restrains him from running at large. It would 
be placing our species on a level with the horse, to 
maintain that this disposition could not be successfully 
treated, if taken early and properly managed. 
In striking out a course to “ advance the inter¬ 
est of the Farmer,” all narrow/minded policy should 
be set aside. If it should be thought necessary to 
endow an extensive state agricultural institution, it 
could not interfere in the least, with a similar depart¬ 
ment in our common schools and academies, neither 
could one do away with the necessity of the other. In¬ 
stead of the object of one being accomplished by the 
other, the utility of each should and would be taught 
and learned in the other j thus would they harmonize, like 
the high and low notes in a most delightful piece of mu¬ 
sic, touched by the fingers of nature herself. Dean. 
Agriculture of tKrginia. 
A Ramble in Southwestern Virginia. 
Eds. Cultivator —Having just accomplished a tour 
through Southwestern Virginia, more familiarly and dis¬ 
tinctively known in our state, by the soubriquet of “Lit¬ 
tle Tennessee,” it may not be amiss to jot down “cur- 
rente calamo,” some recollections illustrative of that 
now secluded but interesting region. 
A young friend and brother farmer as my companion, 
mounted on stout steeds, the most eligible means of 
locomotion in the present condition of “ internal im¬ 
provements ” in the proposed route,—we set off on the 
evening of the day of the Presidential election. Gui¬ 
ded by the light of the moon and the stars, we travel¬ 
ed until the rising sun of the 8th Nov. found us beyond 
the limits of our native county, “ Old Augusta.” We 
passed on successively through the counties of Rock¬ 
bridge, Botetourt, and Roanoke, of which I have nei¬ 
ther space or intention to write particularly, and of 
which there is less necessity, for their flourishing farms, 
beautiful villages, and stupendous “ Natural Bridge,” 
have already often found many and fitter pens to por¬ 
tray them. 
The inclemency of the weather halted us for a day at 
the base of the Alleghany mountains. The following 
morning found us upon its summit, whence, casting a 
“ lingering look ” backwards on the blue mountain boun¬ 
daries of our valley, we spurred on through the county 
of Montgomery, and crossing New River, on a hand¬ 
some wooden bridge, we were in the thriving new 
county of Pulaski. On either side, we noticed beauti¬ 
ful farms—mostly covered with blue grass; and the 
“ cattle upon a thousand hills,” quietly grazing in plen¬ 
ty. Arriving upon the borders of Wythe county, we 
called upon Col. Richardson, by whom we were 
shown some fine cows and calvds of the Matchless and 
Hampton breeds. (?) These are large and finely form 
ed, commanding an excellent price. They were intro¬ 
duced into the county several years since, by some of 
its enterprising citizens. 
