Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-03-30


5u, IN ackuowcl sucn Of bis unos,ca,aous merit and
ndofnahc industry. Wc pleased hear That the
nrospccs of the farmers and planters oil the State being
suitably cared for by the Legislature through The means
Of this Sociy are SO lacrins. We may refer The sub
cct again:
EDMUND RUFFIN or VIRGINIA,
aGElccLTrRis-.
Embracing Titlc Of agricultural Progress ii I!rgtn4
for The last Thirty Years
From IL bows kcTicw
The subject u this sketch Was born January D, lI9l: IN
The county Of Prince George and State of Virginia. In youth
md throughout .c he has suffered much from feeble con
stiiuJn and delicate organizations But nei": N &!.
~ NOR the dcicacy of his has prevented the ST
ntir,ra Industry in Whatever him. and tie rxi-
bi,ion Of an energy phys steal lnd intellectual w!ch would
have required strong frame nnia powerful nervous
system.
is father gentleman OF fortune afforded him all The OPP
potturi,c Tor mos LIBERAL education; but he little
tic period do"ong himself sometimes with great OH
aencc 20 his studies AMI sOrcriCs utterly ncg!sclnn them.
yet lie was always of E'ceCtu. pursuits: and though
his text book may have lain Gnopcnet he was Sill occupied,
and most frequently with history fiction, or general itea-
tse As he read Tor amusement. and not Improvement, t1
lion engaged much 81 his tine In the sixteenth year ct ms
are he was sent to William and Mary College III first he
applied himself with ass''ny, e:' advanced VII" great a-
pdy He was especially successful in genIcry io which
he manifested much funLnc:s and decided talent. The
frs: examination passed BY him with distinguished
credit.
suspended from the institution for continued neglect 10 In:
duties of his class.
lis
dian 10 the Indulgence cf his tastes ard dispositions
q, r, rurncd hc,e To kind 4cp !o:"r w!!a any def.
mic object in view my determination what should be Us
,uc career in lie. But war had now been declared Win
(;,cat Britain and at the first which lie
rolled having reached Tie military age OF eighteen enlisted
in volunteer company and after entered on acIi"c
service lie marched with the first regiment called nut
from Virginia in the Of Norfolk and served as prI-
ya;c from August 1912, to Fcsruary l5l3 He then re-
tuned horne and permitted ~ BIS EuaIilan !" take
sion OF his estate In the division of his father
land ne had received his share the farm called Co"9ns
Point situated the county OF Prince George, ana on The
waters Of the James River and celebrated throughout
this State from extraordinary improvements made there
By Mr. Run. He entered with industry ?ld enthusiasi
into l, fracca! business OF agriculture. Yet lie did G"t
suffer this occupation 10 'n"iaZe hi attention. I'' before
tt,a end OF The year inc was m-fIed
Agriculture in Virginia had t;cn reached Us lowest pon;
of ,cp;cssin Un!er the cy,:Hsng system ~ cutv"ti"n
which had prevailed from the first seicimcGi-a system
,hic,, ,ya. ,.nv systematic destruction uf the country
adopicd in the first instance by cngfaGs in cer Ia Obtain
the large imsdatc profit and who w:'e utterly regardless
of its ultimate effects aud continued by their descendants,
rhen the same cause which had Induced II had ceased 10 cX
ISL tie land Cox The most part, no longer iaa The expenses
OF cultivation is patient VINO mas Undergone 'ei:@ ara
rapid process OF depletion and las c blood let 20 y!sil 10
to Sanrrado practitioner such e Underwater section
of Virginia With such cutu!c-such impoveri=hment
and the prospect Of population thus situated society was
RAPIDLY declining II was wei! said ~ Mr. ulin in al
dress 10 tie people of his county, ia 8: that TING
"mos. every man was growing poorer or me r1spGS &C.,
been and anil continued 10 be-, on HE decline Inc pr"-
etors having NJ, hope Of the improvement Of their lands, OF
lion 10 their business thought ns well 10 bestow very
tle Accordingly like the inhabitants OF city raTasei by
the plague they thought more OF present enIoyment ha OF
poydin for future wants; ami there prevailed generally
ahs OF icncss and improvidcGce Of a
neglect OF business with MI ;cr necessary coaSeqGcncca
Tt. population fled from the country 10 SEEK better fortune
in The distant west He continues: here was scarcely
proprietor in M; neiahborhooa aaI deriving his incnla from
cu!iYa,on vino dill desire sell lis LAM and vino was
prevented Only BY the inpossioiIy Of Inning purchaser
unless AT half Of the liicn very low value Al wished to
se!-n re buy. ii stranger bad been nc9gd 10 setic
among us he might chosen almost any ar; in iAc
county and woul scarcely have failed 10 find tie owner glad
to SELL and IL low price"
The county Of Prince George differed BAT little from al
the lower part Of Virginia. There seemed no refuge from
poverty but emigration MANY Of tho aristocrac mans ons
Of this hospa5 and generous population were now I'an
doncG in silence am ruin, aTd the forFcr inmates van! me
remains Of their diapiund fortunes made their melancholy
wa; 10 the wi.d If the west Many i'i W!nc! ihi DIES
cend from generation generation I" the same sioc& TER
long years ard which had offered 10 successive heirs green
prospects and rich harves hhy clad IN hroos!a"
ard hc nv hen grass given NJ To HE encfoachhs
forest
on his farmer. lie was iotaly !ncNpernrs,
and ud Knowledge either theoretical OF Practical oi h's
business i, in this differed but ;fila from elder :!&n
Of mis- period in yrna. lie gave hin$c! up with rnl
sasni pursuit. lbJrci mast InrstTorsi; Yet aaoFel
i, the dark and Of course asr!y sometimes IN
pnr.u 81 one 'gns la;us snd sometimes OF another tie
saw clearly that the prevailing systems AMI naccc3 "t cH
.e were wrong and wandered from experiment 10 cNaf-
mcnt tn discover what oen mlsiaicn in views
adopted prion hc tested them BY careful expert
Inc and rigid induction. Many Investigations thus
cd for series OF years by whose logical power cqe1
his industry naturally and inevitably led 10 great results
Labor vncit cmnia,' says the MnntGaa farn':r
The estate Of Cnggirs Point VAS al Tia. tine" extreme
IL poor the larger part not averaging more than ten bushels
nj corn arr ssrc nor more Than six bushels Of wheat o! Ire
better hall tho land Bordering it, On The fVer was
Tide marsh OF 300 ac:css, covered By water when inc dn
va. mn hui f free when the I'D. low. Ono OF the i's
Of ii Ruilns experiments was 10 reclaim this part 9: lc
marsh "A limited his Efforts 20 about 32acreS TIE most Ia
voratly si:uaic he believed. 10 ensure success Ailc
yc long years LXcttJns, lie succeeded In draining nus
small section md bringing into good culture II protn
ced three vc large crops corn then thee Others less and
ss IN ouartltv when the vegetable soil had otiei away
thai the level OF the land too low for cultivation,
and abandoned 10 its former clement such mas been
the Of every effort oil similar klai on s''s OF sN'i
lar character
Aboa, the year 1873 Col John Taylor Of Carolina pub
i.hod his "Ara,or" Ii received with enthusiastic
ecla There general belle. that lie had discovered he
treat secret improving Virginia soils and many anxious
farmers rcoiced, the tcnPes:-oSed sailor On tue iF
sit OF land alter periious voyage Here sas presented
cure r their misortnncs; they might remHiH IN ,hf!f ga
hclcs eaGs and retrieve their SHATTERED ioaG:s le i
Gina, feature in his system Tie protection Q! Inc iEhd
from, grazing ard making tie vegetable serve as ma
rure. Another, and secondary dea ~aE 10 ih;o" the
land into high beds in cuitivaliEg The crop, by ttc
Dlough;rs. Mr. Rubin became an ardent aint.r Gl ARA
ior end adopted his opinions ana p!ecc2!s lie hsa ho
yer learned that the Inorganic ecmcn's OF sos the nneia
;nsre,an,s ere often deficient, and sometimes or" ~ more
arr exhausted by ruvanG sometimes not furnished ~ ma
ln-c 10 The y;;gu lands and that " vegetable Srow!A "a"
M: rash them H. =, once carried GIJ practice lie e"
idea. and subjected them TO the test Of experiment r."
Cr r five v.a.s h. used al Tic means n improvement re-
CONNIE nded found them. as he states. c:tnet p'ohiic:
.ntire useless absolutely ard in some cases, greatly Ia
furious"
What then was 10 be d1nel He not man 20 dies
pa!r save desperate But circumstances seemed
sineul1v in establishing The belief that any per-
mannnt Improvement hopeless. PGreEceni manure
when applied the conrse o. two Or three year,
and Left not ves.c behind The country scanned destined
10 sisy Indeed Neta:a Eit mace oa'f2a great por-
ion Of the tic.waie. country ar he: decree was ceyers
be- with the present elements Of the soil The virgin !lrG
when first stripped Of the prieya forest; would in many
III soil had received the dropping foliage and The decayed
timber from tie time Of the flood 1t is not nuch
saw that 100 feet depth OF he puirescen: had beer