Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-16

AChCULtC KsL SOCIETY or VIRGINIA.
Paper communicated ~ The President, Col, JohN
Taylor. and ordered 70 be PRINTED.
ARTIFICIAL GRASSES.
IL rs universally agreed. that constant
| lDpoverIslmcnt al land nusi en*ue from
! 'iliage, Without the renovation produc
/ Ell by manure and vegetable. matter
Hence the cheapest and most ample sap
plies OF these renoyatOrs Is primary oh
leet as neither the Improvement nor
preservation Of the soil can be effected
without using the means. Ii was seen as
early as IN the tine of Columelia, tina, The
efforts of nature 10 furnish US with these
means, without the aid of culture and art,
were incompetent TO The end aud nearly
equivalent IN value, 10 the SponIaneots
supply of food by the wilderness, conpar-
ed with the supply from industry and cul-
tivaiion. Writers reason from Ills disco
very as an axiom, and prove that lie fer
;lhty OF old countries bears strict rela-
ton 10 the use made of it. Egypt itself
owes lis fertility TO its annual aluvion ma
nurlng. Thus the culture of artifi ia
grasses attracted great attention, WHEREBY
er system of agriculture existed. worthy
OF any degree OF commentator ii being
seen that the prosperity Of nations. as
well as OF farmers. was evidently gradual
ed by The degrees of skill and Industry
with which tins axiom was practised upon:
ana that they were the chef means for its
practical effect. Whilst a courirv is fresh
and the soil saturated with vegetable ma
nure, II constitutes temporary case:and
vast extent Of unclcare,l lands. will long
keep out OF view, tue means for preserving
The good, and improving the exhausted.
Bun when II has passed the vigorof youth.
and exhibits the marks Of old age, the al.
tentative Ofreducing il TO barrennesS, orof
adopinSehe only mode in existence for re-
storing It's fertility, lies before the ewes Of
his inhabitants. Excepting Jew strips Of
allnvion land, there is no cultivated roup.
try, IN which Il dependence upon the va
turai grasses IS more hop less than in Viz
gina. A thin soil, exposed 10 hot and
dry summers, not only prevents our lands
from clothing aud nourishing themselves,
out has al length rendered item even nm
able TO raise working animals for THAR
oIn cultivation, and sufficient SUNNY
ct meat, milk aud butter for their own
cuitlvators. 4 remedy for this state of
things, Is necessary 10 stop the emigra-
non from Virginia, and 70 prevent lis u-
tlmaie depopulation. If The culture of
artificial grasses is the chief remedy, If
eau only be overlooked, because if is not
embelhShed by the glitIering ornaments
garb OF reason and experience.
Before the effects produced bv 2 skilrul
culture OF the artificial grasses, are emu
meraied, LET US take glance at them.
coAectveiy, IN other countries In HoI-
land, where the cultivation of grass l. &C.
neTa!lv preferred to that Of bread. land
sells big her as land, without having its
price enhanced by adyeniiiious circum-
stances. than in any other country. The
industrious and prohi-loving Dutch.
choose rather to import, than to raise their
own bread-siusi, al The expense Of dimi1-
lshlpg the culture Of artificial grasses.
They are as little likely as any people i'm
Inc world, 20 make an electiou bv which
thry would lose oucy. In EnglaDd, the
cuiiivatlOR of grass is so mneh m@re pro-
hiabie, Than that OF bread stuff, as 10 have
obtained preference, at the expense Of
considerable imporialions Of the latter.
The bearings ofthis fact are weighty. Hay
and hut cher's meat lii England, are near
~ OF The same prices as in this country
whereas, wheat there, is often three times
dearer than wheat here, and seldom less
than double ~ price. Yet the English
farmers prefer raising artificial grasses, 10
raising wheat. Again, the rent as well as
price OF land, is constantly highest in
those countries, where th culture of arti-
ficlal grasses is pushed IA rfhest. In Eng
land, The rent OF fine artificial meadows
sometimes extends 10 twenty dollars an
acre, rarely diminishes 10 ten. and Is ne.
yer as low as Inc rent Of soloiUing arabic
land. however good AS the rate of renf
IS settled by the rate Of profit, it follows
that even there, where Tie prices Of meat
ana lay approach much nearer 10 nurpri.
ces, than The price OF wheat. il is most pro.
iitablc 80 raise HE articles Of inferior price
Much ligiimay also be extracted, from
comparison between the general rate Of
rent here and ~ England. Iinmsthe our
best land, which would rent al one dollar
an acre for 4 term of iwPnty-one wears
and even At this low rent. both the land
anh the tenant are generally ruined. In
| England, much Of The arabic land rents
at about ten dollars Az acre, and its ave
rage rent ia about six. But there, the
culture OF artificial grasses, is invariably
| mingled VIII ihe culture Of grain. Now
| when we see tile best grazing land there.
renting higher than the best arabic land
! and their farms rcuiing ten times higher
than ours does il not plainly follow. that
! both great profit and vast improve.
| ment ofthe soil, must arise from The cul-
tire OF artificial grasses and that the dif.
ference in rent between their farms and
ours, Is in great measure produced by the
atter.ciTCumstauce Z This conclusion is
warranted by the fact, that the longer the
Germ Of lease is. The higher is the rent
there, and the lower here because the
tenant IN one case calculates upon a mode
OF iillsge, which will improve the land !:
and ~ the OtheT, upon iis becoming poor
ct. What but the use Of artificial grasses,
| and their exclusion hae made botl, fI,ceo