Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1827-05-11
FoH TUE CONSTITUTIONAL WIG.
VIRGINIA HUSBANDRY-No. III.

Duo 'o'4oy are impedimen,s TO agriculture in Virgil
M" "" 'oI mem weare proscrbial. few good turn.
pixies ABOUT the towns have given au excitement ,o
trade and stimulated agr iculure in their ne;lbo,r
nooo' Dat such are our roads, generally throuchou,
S'a.e' anu even near the metropolis that the car,
rage Oh ouahe OF wheat twenty-five miles TO Rich
"onu wa COST HFe or SIX tunes much as the fr. rht
OF oVshel OF wheat from the fana,,,ey o., ~ rto,,f,
ftoeT 10 Daf'morc. Much of this difference is the
euec' u ,"e superior advantages of ,cuier isad
I'raae' OUT, doubtless, much is attributable 10 cur
highways winch at certain seasons of the wear are
almost impossible. Good roads have the same c(.ct
as bringing distant lands to market They en-,
ct me 'aiae oil every crop, anu Of the land itself.
"" LEGISLATURE lew years past, amended the gene.
laws p'oViuihS ior Keeping public roads in repair:
out much remains 10 be done. We have no covered
foaus, no railways. The Legislature in 1885,
passed an act incorporating company 10 establish
railway on The south side of James River: but this ii
Is oeiefeo is solitary instance oil Leg satiou on this
SUBJECT The Legislature may do much BY continued
EFFORTS 10 improve our highways. Perhaps increase
OF 'he compensation 10 surccyorS of roads, well
OF the penalties for neglect duty, higher fines for the
non attendance of abourers allotted different sec.
tons OF roads, and law authorizing and compelling
surveyors TO turnpike aud gravel extensively where
may be particularly necessary useful, would be sal
u'ary measures. The wisdom of tho Legislature will
no doubt, in time, provide the proper remedies for the
evil complained of At present, the evil is one of mag
ntde and oostructs, much injnres, that trade
of which agriculture is the bas:,-arrcuIture there
tore, necessarily suffers.
Canals are very much wanted, and our water cour
SEES ought TO be opened and improved Nature has
done great deal for The Potomac and its t,ibn
taTy strcams-the RappahannoCk. York. Roanoke the
James, and other Rivers with their numerous branches
which pass through lands of almost inexialsbIe Ger
lty, are the highways which nature has given u.s. Do
we them ought? There are many bold rivers
and their branches which would be important channels
OF trade cleared OF distinctions but they are totally
neglected. We have canals except the James
River, Roanoke, and Dismal Sw amp* The scheme of
The hrs is splendid: but vast sums OF money have been
expended IN the prosecution of the work; the plan of
operations has been changed from time 10 time: wear
after year has passed by and left toe canal still nnfn
ished; and many of IFS first and warnes, friends have
become IFS most formidable opponents Every time
TREND to Virginia wishes TO see this noble river applied
TO the bcnchcent purposes, for which God and nature
10 have designed it, bat the frequent chanpes of
plan ana operations the money wasted and time lost in
efforts to bring the work 10 happy and successful re-
suit have done injury to the State, by creating dis
trust, and exciting actual hostility TO the further pro-
secuion ofthe scheme.i
We are sightless distance behind some of the old
countries OF Europe IN canal navigation. The canals
of China said TO be ''the most s,upcndous monu
ments of human industry"
England has the Brmngh -Ches,erfeld-Co
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. unction-Ieeds and Liver
pool-Leicester-O Oxford Stafford and IVorcester-
Trent and Alersey-W Warwick and Birmingham
WICK and Napton-lIaughbOr and AIapbv
-Nersey and lrwell canals, and Others France has
distinguished herself; and Holland has more than one
hundred canals extending 2632 miles, constructed at
the expence of Sl32,000,0 00 and yielding an annual
average income of 10 per cent on the capal invested
She has been 90 years completing this line of inland
navigation.
may be told, that all thisis by no means strange.
or unaccouDtabe; that China, England France and
Holland are old countries-we ale younr Buf what
excuse have we for suffering SISTER States to out
strip us in the of improvement: .Ne,o York has
left US far behind The Grand Canal as il is termed
does credit not only TO New York, but TO the Union
Besides the Erie canal there are the CHM Doia and
tiuQSOn-tie II
the 81. Laurence and Chan,plaia-Seneca canal
Niagara canal-E4ie and 81. LG,orence- Chenango-
Port Vaison canal -Chataugue-G sanessee-L ufuloe
and .4Uegdny- CaUqga and sSusqtehanaa-F orrr r.
land canal-and Che9oning canal. Some or these ca
nails are completed and in progress towards CON-
pletion.
Pennsylvania has the Lchish canul-Schn,,H.u
canal-ihe Ohion-tle iennsJlr canai-and the
Lancaster canal.
.VasSachUsehs has the following canals-Bost9n
Harbour and NairaganSett-thc I;osion Tu,bour and
Hudson Iscer--ihe HtmJ:tire and Ianspue,-tbe
Cope Codand the JNiddicser canal besides others not
mentioned
Ohio has The Ohio and Erie canal--the OHIO and
Mad Rirer canal; besides interest in the great Che
Sapeake and Erie canal
Vermont has the following canas:-The Lake
Champaign and Connecticut Rioer--the Connecticut
Isleer and Lake .Nemptremqgog otter Creek and
Lake Champlain, which last is % miles long.
Undoubtedly, here is enough to shew that Virginia
has suffered some OF her sister both large and
proyement and That she has been rems in duty TO her
SELF Good roads ard canals blessings the Far
mer and wise legislature Will not be slow and Mig
gardy in providing them They lessen the labor and
expense of transportation 10 market, open new mar
kes, and thus give life 20 industry, whether employed
IN agFiculureor manufactures. Commerce. agricul-
ture and manufactures flourish best together
Another great difficulty which agriculture has 10
contend with in Virginia is, that pains taken 10
instruct the young, who are designed for farmers.
Lawyers, PHYSICIANS, DYineS LEGISLATORS and Camille
men, receive the best educations, which tue country
affords: but farmers 1t TO be thought are not
IN need construction. Is this right One would think,
that The agriculturs ought TO have some learning as
well as experience if he asrires high rank in this
honorable employment. knowledge Of natural phi
iosophy lat least Of OF its important branchesl
cannot be dispensed with. Should be be ira med uD
an amiable, honorable, moral and religious mann
Should lie not be particularly instructed in every thing
belonging TO I1usbandry? Ought he not to know his
rights as free citizen of one of the happest countries
in the world knowledge of the politics of his own
country and day the scienHe Of government is as i'm