Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-03-17
80 sssie.s...lzs,sssss
RlCHMOND, MARCH II.
" FOR THE ENQUIRER.
address dctioered ty w. &. Nicholas. Esq to
tie Ag'Tic"lfUai Society II YTgi1,ia, on tie
lJih inst.
IpUphisHED BY ORDER or THE socrrryl

lPUDLiSHED BY ORDER or THE soCIETY1
JOHN ADAMS Sccyy.
GENTLEM am duly sensibl, of
HE honor done me by my appointment 10
the second office in ihis, society. and
sincerely wish that my usefulness could
c,9uai ny industry aud zeal in lis service
hIs institution Is ter objects deeply in
'eI.>'uig la lie prosperity our runiry,
an'i as Virginia " Ill on.lnue iu be Chiefly
agricultural, 10 her they must bepeculiar-
II 80. do moi mean now tn dwell on iiic
relative imrnr'ancr 1t agriculture, COM
meice and nanuiaclurcs-iii is nnncces-
sary. Commerce is Indispensable To the
Sncccss of agriculture, aud nanniactt.,cs
naturally ;:rISr and flourish in countries.
where population accommodates tevond
me means OF i,aprGl einenl afforded bv
Agriculture and commerce. Admitting
'he tac', that our country offers asrcuitu-
raj employment TO d much greater mum.
Der al people THAN are NOW employed in
1t, ! hazard little bN saving. that the i'm
pr"vement al our rluSbanhrv, presents
ihe certain prospect -. increasing The DO
puiaiion, and with il, the wealth and i'm
porlamce at tic state. When our vencrat-
cd iOrria'hcrs settled on this cnn.i:ient.
iheir greatest difficulty consisted in con
'tftiD% The iand from ii stale of nature 10
that al tulin alton. lie operation was
difficult aud lafnrinus, and they very ma
!uai!y sought l!;er remuneration hv Gull
'vaing. almost exclusively, the t,,I,a co
crop, which MAS ihCn more valuable than
ANY Ot'- product al uI.r soil and climate.
inIS crop required a constant succession
Oh new iaDd no care was TAX n 10 pre-
serve Tie original fertility Of the Soii--its
Improvement MAS not thought Of Bv our
glorious revolution, ID new field was open
OIL Ia tF..a az II
bantsmen tie Whole world became our
market, and we were stimulated 10 avail
ourSelSes otthe mighty al, au.sgcs of Cur
situation. improvements in agriculture
to certain extent followed bui, much
still remains 10 be done. Gu, ancestors
handed down 10 rs system entirely un-
suitable 10 the present state of our conn
try The axe and the hoe were formerly
tile instruments chiefly used on a Virginia
plantation; the advantages ofploughs and
wheei carriages were little known. All
are convinced iliai sonr change is reouir-
ed, and spirit of inquiry and improve
neni is at length awakenvd-but there
are YET many who want enterprise. who
want confidence iii what they hear Of the
progress OF others; and n!anv, who DOS
sessing The information, and the of
communicating II, are restrained bv the
want OF proper channel from conveying
II 10 those whom ii might benefit. The cs-
abhshmenf OF agricultural societies Of
iers the means OF removing those cmbar-
raSsmenis, by attordng cheap aud per-
maiicnt ciIanucl of communicated Ia
those who have skill and knowledge 10
inpart, while, at the same time il au!heu-
ticat tile information convey ed. TO the
incretulouS and distressing. These so.
cieiiVs nave been found eminently useful
~ Great Britain, and III many parts ofihe
United Staies-By item The defects of
BAD systems have been exposed, and lie
advantages OF goof: ones rapidly promu-
sd'Cd, iii such manner, as to secure con-
hdrncr, aud command attention. The
good aud bad lu$I andry is 20 contrast
ed ana explained, that nome can hesitate
Inilie choice. The a,teuiiou of the pub
&c Is torcibly called 10 The subject. and
useful information is rec Ordrd and EN-
bodied IN the collections Of The societies
"hhohi trouble oreNpPnCe TO The authors,
aud without Tlsk Of being lost or forgot
zen III he might've columns oi ncwspa
per Many very valuable ESSAYS ON a1ri- |
cultural subjects have been lost to the |
world tor want of tlIs mode ot pre-. .vali- |
on. 1t is little encouragement 10 thos,.
WHO have spent wears in attentive obscr-
vaiion and experiment, 10 commit Tie
result of their labor 10 publications so
briefly preserved as newspapers From
ms and from similar INSTITUTIONS fiat |
Ter myself that my agricultural brethren |
VIII derive important DtUefils-and ear
nesily recommend 10 all, who feel an I'm |
terest III the prosperity OF Virginia, in Tie |
Improvement, and may SAY, in the rc sto- |
ration Of the land that now LAYS waste in
tins state, 10 join this or some other es-
adjustment having similar views. Ii is
mistake To suppose, THAT ii is essential 10
tic utility of a member, for him 10 reside |
III The vicinity of the place where the
meetings OF the society are held Tor il is
obvious 10 every man Of reflection, that
verbal communications are of little com
paraiiye importance. Communications
TO The society, to be useful, must be writ
ten-thcy are more carefully made. and
are more capable of dissemination. Per-
sons residing at either extreme of the |
STATE, may contribute DIS much 10 the use
lulnV>s OF the socirtJ, as those " llo reside |
III Tie county of llenricO. Some NAV he
restrained from joining the society. by
dlsirnSt OF their capacity To make com
munlcalions To II, bar ii Is by DO means
true, that The value 81 members should be |
alone Illus - liDiatrd, fora member mirht |
be emlnenlIy uSeiul by encouraging The |
enterprise Of others, by drawing iron,
them Information, and by dfiUsine a
spirit OF experiment and inquiry among
hls fellow members and his ucislbors,
without contributing a line iv.r our Jour.
aIs.-Thcre is no duty imposed Oh any
member his society; tie first promoters
OF It, were aware, that any ser, ice render
ed to il, must bevolunlary, TO be useful.
TIE invitation TO communicate Whatever
Il, DC deemed useful 70 The objects of |
the society, IS geHeral, extended equally