Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-05-26
AGRICULTURAL.
From he Pae,s Office Roper.
T.,c Distribution Of Seeds and
Cuttings.
By DR.. LEE.

It is law Of nature, now fully recog
niIcd by men OF science, that all cultivated
plants and irnits. as well as all animals, are
subject to constitutional deterioration, anc
arc susceptible Of organic improvement
Hence one thousand seeds Of one variety
Of wheat, corn, cotton, or tobacco will pro
duce a larger return, under equal advan
tages Of climate, soil. and culture, than
Ike number of seeds Of another variety.
Plants propagared by buds, Ike sugar
cane, potatoes, and fruit-trees, are pecu
liarly liable to constitutional wcakness,anc
are less able than seedlings TO endp'e rude
trcatmenti In violation OF the laws of veee
table lii,,. On many plantations the vital
force Of thesugl Is nearly exhausted
and this Office is strongly urged TO pro
cure from countries where the plant is in.
digenous and grows from Tic seed, a new
stock both Of seeds and raitoons for the use
Of planters. In cultivatng this tropica
plantin districts bounding lis zone on thu
north, much care and some science will be
found highly useful
Both seedsand cuttings ofthe best FIGS and
olives grown on the coast of the Medifer-
ranean should be procured through Amer
lean consuls resident at the different cities
on the borders of that sea. Figs and
grapes. 'oil and wine" viii some day be
numbered among the staples of the South
crn Ssates.
There is reason to believe that the most
improved varieties OF wheat grown in Eng
land and France would be valuable ac-
QUESTION TO this country and our wheat
growers would esteem it as an especial IA
vor ii only a few bushels were procured
for general distribution With the small
sum appropriated for the purpose. about
eighty thousand packages Of seeds have
been put up and distributed, within the
last three months With better orgaIn-
cation and greater facilities for collecting
seeds and cuttings, vastly more good might
be done. There are now two hundred
thousand copies Of agricultural papers and
periodicals printed, which circulate more
or less in every State in the Union. These
are doing an invaluable service to the coun.
try. They cannot, however, enact laws
for collecting annually reliable statistics of
the results of labor and capital employed
in Agriculture. Truthful statistics form
the groundwork of all reiorms-of all pro-
gross. State Legislatures must aid in this
great work. If knowledge Is power"
ignorance is reakRcsS; and the removal of
this weakness is one ofthe highest duties of
every republican government. Either the
assessors or collectors of State and county
taxes shonld be provided with blanks to
collect useful information as well as money,
from the people.
Hon Cites erhaast tie fertility Of Land.
There has been enough of the elements
oshread and meat. wool and cotton drawn
from the surface ofthe earth sent to London,
and buriedin the ground or washedinto the
Thames,to feed ana clothe the entirepopu
lation Of the world for century, under a
wise system Of agriculture and hor;icul-
ture. Down to this day. great cities have
ever been the worst dcsolaters ofthe earth.
1t is for this that they have been so fire.
quently buried many feet beneath the rub
Dish Of their idols Of brick, stone. and NOR
tar. to sc exhnmed in after ages by some
antiquarian Layard Their inhabitants
violated the laws of nature which govern
tie health of man. and secure the endur-
ing rroductiveness Of the soil. How few
comprehend the fact that it is only the ele
ments of bread and meat evolved during
the decomposition Of some vegerableor an
imal sahs,auce.that poison the air taker
into human lungs. and the water that en-
ters the human system in daily food and
drink These generate pestilence and
bring millions prena,urcly TO their graves
Why should the precious atoms Of pot
ash which organized the starch in all the
four. meal. and potatoes consumed in the
cities Of the United States in the year 1880
he lost forever to the world Can man
create new atom of potash, or ct phos
phorus, when the supply fails in the soil
rs failit must under our present system o!
farm economyl Many bioad desert in
Eastern Asia once gladdencd. the husband
man with golden harvcsts. While Amer
lea is the only country on the globe where
every human being has enough to eat,
and millions are coming here for bread
how long shall we conaeue to impoverish
ninety nine acres in a )andred Of all tha,
we cultivated
1fuih ptSeHtiltt Hiu liiflFNc are the OIL
springs of ignorance. Rural science is moi
mere play,hing for the anusemen, Of
grown up children. LISA new revelation
of the wisdom and goodness of Prov
dence-.a humaniziug power,which is DIES
tined TO elevate man an unreasonable dis
lance above his present condition. To a
chicve this result, the light ofscIence mus
not be confined to colleges; it must ente
and illuminate the dwelling ofevefy farme
and mechanic. TIE knowledge OF the few
no matter how profound or how brilliant
can never compensate for the loss incurred
by neglcciing odevelopihe intellects ofth'
many. No government should be want
ing in sympathy with the people. whethe
the object be the prevention Of disease, thu
improvement ofland, or the education o.
The masses. One per cent of the none,
now annually lost by reason OF popular
ignorance viii suffice TO remove that ignor
snce.
Tennysop says wcman's highest glory i
.4f.,v 81