Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-11-29

when there is much 10 stimulate IT. in private in.
terest and the general good,-n sell love and So
cia"in all our hopes Of the futuic and all our 10.
! collections OF the past.
| MIR. RUFFIN's REPORT ON AGRlCuL-
TuRE.
Tie committee on Agriculture make the follow
ing Report;
| Tie duty assigned TO the committee on Ag,icul.
ture Suddenly aud une xprccdly imposed. that
there can be ulc confidence entertained III lis he
ihg property OF acceptably discharged. The perform
ancc Of the duy is therefore attempted with telue-
lance and no effort would have been made, but for
the respect due the commands Of this convention
IL Is not that there moi abuud 1nl and weghiy
tcriss both OF facts and Of are uneu for a report ON
this sublnrl and which might demonstrate tic i'm
uortancc Of tho improvement Of agriculture To tho
commercial and general interests OF Virginia, and
the necessity Tor legislative ai1 being asked, and
granted, To promote such improvement. But ~
your committee alo instructed and called upon forth
with toa et, without access to auth, tiiies aerieu
tuial SATISFIES, Tor, any other iials that wonJ
| cdrctcletee aud examination, the, are sensible
,hnthcy can ~ little do justice the sulject. u.
they can hope. IN this any better
influence the legislation OF tie slate lot the bep--
! fit oi agriculture.
Besides these difficulties, your committee are u,
somc loss TO know the precise kind OF inquiry aud la
Dor required ol them, by Tie very concise aud grue-
al ierms Of the resolution which directs the iorua-
ton aud action Of the committee. Aud even if ihey
should not mistake the direction oil Their duty,
they may err by oycrslepling lis proper linn
ts,-The interests and claims Of agtilu ure ara
even more important han any and all Others that
tins body VIII endeavor 10 aid but still yonr
mniec must bean IN mind that the primary and main
design OF ihIs convention IS to ie-tstalsh the
moice OF Vagina and iha, oiher objects and inter
ests, however important IN other aspects. should
here be treated as merely subsidiary 10, OF ia con-
ucetion with, the commercial business aud interests
! OF the country.
| Whatever can be done To aid the commerce. tho
manufacturers, The canals and railways OF the coun-
Try III legitimate aud proper manner, will operate
To increase the piohtsand thereby encGuIlge the in
proyemeni ofagriculturc. sub more niy, because.
admitting OF no exceptions. may II be affirmed that
whatever wall extend The knowledge and promote The
improvement OF agiS ullufc, viii, IN proportion
to the direct elect produced, aleo act indirectly 10
improve the commercial aud manufacturing interests
Of the county. Neither OF these ruisms need mure
than TO be announced. From such premises, il fol-
lows that the promotion OF agricultural instruction
aud improvement are proper subjects for the notice
and favor of tins convention, as an important means
for advancing the interests of commerce, the espec
al object OF the assembling Of lllis body, And esea
on this ground, though be ii less important Than
Others (Which woudbe oul Of place II presented
here, J there would be found sufficient means
Tor the legislature 10 extend to agriculture that los
crne care which, by narrow aud nggardly policy,
has heretofore been refused.
Whcna and To agricultural improvement WAS asked
several Of the recent session, of The Legislature OF
Virginia the claim WAS bui iceb, sustained by its
friends, and met with neglect or drrIsion aud
contempt from all others. The Grmcr were at u
loss 10 determine what particular measures OF
class have deemsl " answer, TO m'S@PPty
the old sayix<n1 ionS GHfe"-decafing
that the hes 1l-QQelIlPIre to :" let il alone"
Your commH'eot1aim TO beaI true disciples ofthe
free trade school Of political economy, as those who
thus misappy aud abuse thls docl,'nc aud they
fully concur in the ptopriey of leaving all PURSUITS
oindustry, automatically legislative burdens, and
nDaided by legislative bounlies, 10 their owr diree
ton aud their own rewards But agriculture does
not want, have its advocates asked for apy pecu-
mary other support, except for the purpose of dii
using know ledge and To induce and extend nsttuc-
lion and this your committee maintain to be one III
the few legitimate and proper subjects Tor government
tai action, even according TO the most silIc doc
rine and limitation of sound political economy. Ii
it be pronounced to be proper thai the government
should refuse TO aid in dilIusng light aud nstruc-
ton IN agriculture, as correct deduction from the
" let alone" policy, then it no less necessary that
should abandon, matter Of principle and censis-
teney, the giving Of all any aid to primary schools
and colleges, for the purpose Of lii, ray instruction
and education in general
II would be more difficult, within the narrow
bounds prescribed by proptety to tins report, TO
the friends than the enemies of The improve
cpl OF agriculture by leg isaiive action. In reply
to their inquiry, "whal the legislature do to i'm
prove agriculture 2" your committee will merely
state, III general terms that every meats viii BE- use
full and profitable by which light and knowledge will
be d,fused aud that no other aid boon is desns-
Bile, or would be beneficial. There many val
ualle modes OF dnusing agricultural knowledge.
that the difficulty is not find, but To choose among
them. Boards Il Agriculture, Agricultural societies
premiums upon suitable and jndcious Plan, asfi-
cultural schools and experimental farms, and asrl-
cultural publications, each and all, elsewhere have
worked admirably to forward the great end in
But fno more done nj first. by legislative az
ton, than the Institution Of board Of agriculture,
! ms merely an investigating, consulting, aad advising
body ncaeulable benefit mi ht be expeetedio glow
out OF this one and cheap mode Such board If
the system Diminishing aid Should so no farther.
nigli be Emitted in annual expense 10 Sl5Oo-or
barley more than the General Assembly has spent
year after year. merely in the lime used for olecting
| an individual to execute the mechanical business of
printing the journal and documents-less than the
expense of time and money caused by each Single
elaborate speech delivered in that body upon federal
relatiuns--nor fourth part OF the annual expense
of the geological suryey-and perhaps rot on. hun
drcdh part ofthc money wasted in ,,ti, session III
useless worse than useless debate /.
With these views, and in The earnest Lone that
the recommendation Of Ills higi, respectable Com
yeu,i5n may have more influence on tie legislature
than any previous expressions 81 opinion or re,i-
ous OF separate private individuals. 10 duce NE
commencement OF the great work oi diflusne ,n...
IT,. - init