Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-11-16


Agricultural Society OF Albemarle, explai,
the wish of the society TO provide tor a.
griculture the advantage of professor
ship, to be incorporated in the University
of Virginia ; the means proposed for ma.
| king theAprovision and the hope enter.
tanned of general cooperation in the
scheme.
The present seems to De an important
crisis in the Agriculture Of Virginia. The
portions of her soil first brought into cul-
tivation, have, tor the most part, been ex-
hausted Of its natural fertility without
being repaired by meliorating system OF
| husbandry-; and much of what remains in
forest and can be spared from the de.
| mands of fuel and other rural wants. will
need improvement, ON the first introduc.
ton of the plough.
These truths are now sufficiently I'M
pressed on the public attention Z; and have
! led to the establishment of the Agricultu-
raj Societies among us, which are 80 lau-
| daily promoting the work OF reform.
/ As further means of advancing the
great object, it has occurred to the Abe
marie Society, that distinct protessorshlp
! in the University OF the State, il sanction
ed by the proper authority, might be ad
vantageously appropriated to the instruc-
| ton OF such as might attend, in The theory
and practice OF rural economy, in its Sc
Veral branches.
| To the due success OF agriculture, as Of
other arts, theory and practice are both
requisite. They always reflect light on
each other. Ii the former, witbou; the
test of the latter. be vain science; the
latter, without the enligbtening precepts OF
the former, is generally enslaved to an
cient modes, however erroneous, or is al
best but 100 tardy and partial in adopting
salutary changes. In no instance, per-
baps, is habit more unyielding, or ira
tienal practice more prevalent, than among
those who cultivate the earth. And this
is the more to be lamented, as agriculture
is still so tar below the attainments to
which J. may fairly aspire.
| A proiessorship OF agriculture might de-
| rive special advantage from the lights
| thrown out from the chair of chemistry in
that institution. This science is every
| day penetrating some Of the hidden laws
of nature, and tracing the useful purposes
to which they may he made subservlent,
Agriculture is field on which 1t has al
ready begun to shed lis rays, and on which
1t promises TO do much towards unveilng
| the processes of nature to which the prin-
Ciples of agriculture are related. be
/ professional lectures on chemistry, which
are to embrace those principles, could not
fail to be auxiliary to a professorship hav-
ing lessons on agriculture for its essential
charge.
| The fund contemplated tor the support
of such prolessorship, is 10 consist of a
sum drawn from unexpended subscriptions,
from SPECIAL donations, and from diffu-
sive contribution not exceeding dollar
from an individual. 1t IS hoped. that for
a purpose OF such general utility, the num-
Der OF contributors will more than make
up for The smallness oflhe respective sums;
and that with the other resources. means
may be gathered not only adequate to the
immediate views entertained but justi-
flying an enlargement of them
Should this prove to be the case, it will
be an improvement OF the plan of agricul-
tural instruction, 10 provide and place IN
der the superintendance OF the Professor,
a small farm in the vlcinage 10 be cultiva-
ted partly as a pattern farm illustrating
practically system at once profitable and
improving partly as an experimental tar.D,
not only bringing to the test new modes OF
culture and management, but introducing
new plants and animals deemed ~ortby OF
experiment. In obtaining these aid might
be found in the patriotic attention Of the
public and private Naval Commanders,
in their visits to foreign countries anG il
might well happen that occasional success
IN rearing new species or varieties, OF pc
culiar value would yield in seeds and
stocks profit detraying the expences in