Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-06

ever was such thing) down to the more refined in.
: hs vi moderh times, will be dissccted and fully
eXamlned. And out Of all these materials tb, hec,
WIN be selected, ind APPLY fitted and ed
osetner that perfect constitution ION paperl will no
,ne result But what is To be done i'm a,rculturc,
n,ow are our waste lands to be reclaimed How can
we ascertain what staple articles will hest s,;, a.
climate and soil of our state and at tho same ,oa ~
'ne most profitable, since wheat and tobpcrn ,ro
scarcely worth the labor of cultivation,
must IN tins case as III the first, recur TO first
Prmc'pieS. Agriculture must no lonper be TIM, ibo
raj trade, which il has ALWAYS bcen cs,ecmoJ -; ~;
S'ni suited only to the vulgar capacitics of ,,yo
u oVerseers IL must be raised to its proper pInce
among the sciences; and looked upon by our citizens
rs worthy OF the highest capacities: and nc rao,;n
nonor upon It's votaries Every subject that throws
any gnt upon 1t, or that has ulv connection with !,
siouid oe aue familiar to the intelligent farmer All
TIE discoveries aid improvements which are made Inv
aercuursts ana artists of other countries ought To-
be ascertancd and introduced so far us circunstnn
ces may permit. The character and changes or on,
climate must be determined BY repeated observations
Inc quay OF our soil, must be asccrtained by pllp
soP'cai analysis, and ITS capabilities by fair expert
lehs. The viitners of France, in their nyasiira-
TONS have discovered that the quality of wine don,
IN Il great measure on the Sbsfrdn of the soil upon
which vineyard is planted. They saw TINT Won
may take two vineyards III the Immediate nciohbor
MOOD or each other, having apparently the saline soil
ana enjoying the same advantages; but the one will
produce most delicious wine while the other proirccs
the most CXecrablc The bed on which soil ;e I,;d
whether gravel slate, limestone, clay affects mate
aiy inc qnaity OF that soil; and of consequence the
productions which grow upon it.
This opens another field of Investigation: the min
eraiogcal and geological pecuiurities of the State
must be investigated, and made known To the farmer
SO tiat nc may be enabled To ascertain what kind of
ground Is best suited to every variety of produc,iop
which he may wish TO cultivate What prospcc. ;s
mere presented TO our view! Every thing is vet to no
done, before agriculture can assume in VirGin, i !.
proper level! But do not be DISCOURAGED: there is
much talent in the State, now yinu dormant, IF
ms could be brought out and put upon proper track
great deal might he done i'm short time II our
farmers could be induced to desert the habits and
practices of their fathers and made to purs,e ne,v
and liberal plans of their own agriculture would soon
put o'i d inherent aspect There IS great deal more
knowledge amongst us Oh farming subjects than one
would suppose by merely looknr over the face of Tho
country. But this knowledge is so confined TO indi
vduaS and sections that It's influence is no, nenerallv
ictt Know nothing better calculated to remedy the
evil, and to excite spirit ofenquiry alnonpst our
zens, thar agricultural societies.
these institutions have done much GOOD in ether
countries, and have doubt they NAV do much
good here. But they must be on a more ENLARGED
plan than those which now 90 under that mama 4 -
agricultural society should not be merely an annual
fair Tor the exhibition of cattle, horses and farmn
utensils but body of men associated for the purnose
OF Receiving and communicating knowledge. After
thc President IN set speech has urged upon the
Hgrn
called them together, let each member present in
written form the result OF his Investigations and ex-
perments during the year. and if he is not apt at the
pen anu the phrase, let him communicate his know
ledge viva voce, which shall be written down by a
clerk appointed for the purpose. If these commri
cations contain any thing new let them be collected
together III the form Of report and published for the
benefit OF others. BY this means new stimulus will
ne gwen TO industry; and spirit ofimprovement e.;-
cited which may lead to important rcsults-Agricul
mic In h. do. =
had funds sufficient to offer rewards and pren,uni-
Tor essays on important subjects connected with farm
lng' have known societies Of this kind which had
connected with them annual course of lectures and
experiments on the plain principles of chimstrv min
craiogy and geology. These are subjects which no
intelligent farmer should be ignorant of Bv means
Oh chihcal analysis, the properties of the different
SOILS ana manures, which are nothing more than
ANIMAL mineral and vegetable dccompositions, might
DC afcertained with the utmost accuracy. No State
Is more abundant than our own in mineral produr
IONS which are valuable in the arts and apricultnre
Dn they have been entirely neglected, or but sgh.iv
e%pored IN consequence OF our ignorance on such
few scientific men in different parts of
uie couhtry-iet them be connected with the litcra-
ry institutions, they cannot be supported elsewhere
can 90 more than any other class, IN exciting spir-
II OF enquiry amongst the people. Let them not be
our School-men however, who can eXpaciatc Oh rem
GRANTEES, can tell the class and order to which min
erdi belongs, but know nothing about its properties
It's influence on SOIL and its in the arts-let them
not be such biologists as those who saunter about
caves and mountains, counting the qualification of
rocks measuring their elevation, and IN eorsng on the
formation of the earth. These are valuable in their
place, but we want practical men who bring down
science to plain understandings and employ it on use
ful purposes.
hope gentlemen, you wiIltakc the subjects Of this
essay under your serious consideration. Agrcultu-
raj societies, as of improving our systems
OF f'rnng, are much wanted. Might not the Lcois-
lature DO something 20 facilitate their introduction,
Might 1t not do something to enlarge the plan ofthosc
now in existence?
FoR TIE WHIG.
GentlemeT ] am che of many who have been led
10 believe by public sentiment rather than by my rca-
sonmg fdculties that the Tariff was calculated TO
produce ruInous effects the prosperity ofthe whole
agricultural portion of the United Siates-Dy the
same process of concluding pronounced it uncon-
stitutlonaI am free to declare, that mr. Richie has
lad no small share in producing such opinions by his
own learned views and the arguments of able writer's
IN the Enquirer, 1.-THE only paper take. IL am now