Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-06-16

own country Can disaster befall the farmer a
class which The merchant will mol feel II the crop
fails-nay, if the canal breaks or freezes, the mer
chant is lnjured-if it continues, he is runed-if the
merchant IS hard pressed produce falls and the far
mer sutiers When the crop fails, who accepts The
! draft Of the farmer, and enables him to relieve his
wons, and those of his family and anticipate the pro-
coed OF the next crop by loan, but the merchant =
Strike Richmond out of existence, and The people OF
Henfico must trade to Norfolk-strke out Norfolk,
and they must trade Ballinore-and so on, to New
York, or England, or France, &c.-and at last they
must have The merchant to aid them--and, as far as
my experience goes with merchants, they
cannot have the aid Of honorable and in.elli
gent class OF men-and of their berally and desire to
aid the Agricultural, We have ample proof in their sup
port OF this Society And it is h the mechanic the
Manufactures without his aid, the merchant cannot
SELL and OF course, Will not buy, and, therefore, his 10
terest, IS common with that of the farmer and MGR
chant Hence, agriculture, commerce, and manufac.
lures, have become motto, and they are hailed as
handmaidens-and the towns but the united fami-
~ oil commerce and manufactures always ready, with
open DOORS to receive their sister agriculture. doubt
therefore, always the sincerity and Of the virtue,
OF tat man. VINO seeks to ride into power upon The cry
OF Country u.s. Iown-who endeayors 10 make upon the
people OF the country an impression, that the towns
nave an interest opposed to THEIRS as despise The
man who would teach the people of the towns to look
without respect upon the people of the country.
One primary benefit of this Society will be found in
exirpaiing this prejudce-more pestilenlial TO the
true interests Of the Agrcuturist than even sorrel
the thistle. But far beyond this do its benefits extend
Deep into the resources of agriculture does it extend,
and many and marked lis benefits benefits falling
at first upon those upon whom they properly should
fall the small farmer the who tills his own land
and plants his own seed trims his vine and feeds
his own flocksths class most needs and s best emit.
tied to the aid OF this Society Justice and generosity
alike point TO them, as does also the true interest Of
O dele fheno
to elevate the art. Give dignity responsibility. and
knowledge TO the man who ts his field, and you
elevate his occupation. Riches take Of them.
selves-they provide education, and all the aids which
necessary 10 success-and however the owners Of
large estates are entitled TO your respect and regard
are enterprsing, spirited and lberal-they are not
the persons who require expect your bountes. They
are the patrons, not the rivals Of humber industry
and enterprlse-and cannot too much commend the
conduct heretofore of the officers Of the Society,
wards the small farmers, and especially the Report Of
the Farm Committee of 1871.
The first step towards the improvement of the agri
culture of the county, is TO elevate the occupation Of
him. who, with his own hands, tills his own lands in
whole part. Educate, instruct and cnighlen HIM
treat him with the respect and consideration to which
honest industry is every where entitled, and n re.
| sorting with pleasure 10 the occupation, will be i'm
PEELED, by the strongest Of all considerations, To make
it profitable by the improvement of their husbandry
and enrlching their lands The wealthy land owner is
already enlightened and honnred and the nobles par,
which he play is 10 aid in this bene6cent work,
which shall have the effect to elevate and enlighten
his poorer neghbors and to fill up the large Of
unoccupied and uncuvated lands (Which now make
the country drearyO with honest, industrious, intel
igent ofland owners cuvating their own farms
, and may yet in neighborhood that
which has recently occurred it is said, in New York
! farm Of twenty Elves selling for $500. And
here allow say, Mr.. President, that, in my hum
bic Judgment great mistake is committed, not only in
the general tendency with Us 10 devote 10 that
are called the learned profcssons-but there is mis-
homer calling them, tradlstingushsd 10 the
profession Of the farmer. IL IS the learned profess
sion that makes the learned man-there is many an
unlearned member Of learned profession-and while
il is true, that TO be eminent in those professions,
qures learning and labor, well capacity, yet so
does agriculture. To pursue it with success and dis
tncton, involves knowledge Of several sclences-the
want Of which cannot be entirely, even by
long course of industrious experiment. Zenophon
says, hat the good management Of house is great
a science either Masonry Physc, or any other
and "a farmer or master of family ought TO be a
r good ordering of his farm house" In England,
: and in France, many Of the abest minds devoted
To the improvement of agriculture and the application
of the sciences 10 it-and one of the most interesting
hooks have ever met with, is the Farmers Series
of the Library of Useful knowledge" With the Ro-
MANS in the most pamy days Of their power it was
the favorte occupation of their men, and The inspiring
theme Of The most charming poet. BY the great Fred
erck il pa,onized and, by The still greater Napo-
leon, professorshps were established to promote and
advance itand shall we, of the Sunny South whose
soil and climate both invite 10 it, and the form Of Co.
vernment is SO eminenty congenial 10 it, turn our
backs upon it, and treat with cold neglect the favors
of this mistress Of both the arts and sciences'
And now, Mr.. President, if these practical farmers
, will allow "slightly touched" as they per-
ceive am, to do so, beg leave TO offer them lew
suggestions proof of my desire, if of my ability
to aid Them And first, let say, without industry,
systematic and well directed industry, nothing can
be accomplished.
In the language of Virgil,
i "Not to dull Incidence and transient toll
/ Great love resigned the conquest of the soil
lie babe sharp make keen the heart, deigned
That soh should linger where his Godhead reigned.'
Let them recoect, that whatever is worth doing, is
worth doing WELL and that it is not TO the careless and
sothful husbandman that the earth yields her bountes
but him who ts with care and renders to the earth
the proper aid in the development of her resources
and this not be bestowed irreguarly and
prciously upon one branch Of his business alone,
but upon every branch and systematically. In de-
partment OF life, is proper system more important than
in that Of agriculture; and we'll has it been enforced
in one of his agricultural papers by General Washing
ton, that will substitute for my his remarks as
infinitely better than any thing can offer. He says,
"a system closely pursued although it may not in all
it's parts be the best that could be devised attended
with innumerable advantages. The conductor OF the
business, in this can never be under any dilemma
in his proceedings. The oyerseers, and even the Ia
borcrs know what is to be done, and what they are
capable of doing in ordinary The force TO
be employed may be in due proportion 10 the work
which is to be performed and reasonable and TO-
Ilerably accurate estimate may be made of the pro
duct But when no plan is fixed, when directions
flow from day to-day, the business becomes mere
chaos frequently shifting, and sometimes at stand
for want of knowing what 10 do, or the manner OF
doing IT, Thus is occasioned waste of time, which
is of more Importance than is generally imagined =
Nothing can so efec,uay obviae the evil as an estab
shed system made known TO all who are actors in it.
that all may be enabled thereby DO their parts 10 ad
vantage This gives ease to The principal conductor
of the business and i, more satisfactory the persons
who Immediately overlook i,-less harassing 10 the
aborers as well as more beneficial TO the employer"
-Whatever aid, in other respects, he may have, the
farmer must rely mainly upon the skilfu tlage Of his