The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-14

tian, Booth. Irby and Crenshaw-
The meeting having been called by the Presiieu.
for the special purpose OF organising the labors Of
the Committee for the present year, he proceeded
to submit the following report:
GsMlenen Of tie Conmi,tee.
year of most successful labor, on behalf Of
tho great Agricultural interests OF our State having
Just been Drought to happy termination. TAX 3
IDS nrst occasion OF meeting with you to conara.-
ulate you upon the success of the past year.
Hut, gentlemen, ii the past has Yielded success
only, to aborious and uurernittiny effort the IN,
ture promises nothing but what shali be wres,ed
from 1t by still greater efforts of mind and Of body
For the first time in the history of Virginia have
we succeeded h organising the elements of great
state Agricultural Society In single year we have
eeen the Society increase from lew hundred 70 as
many thousand members, and advanced from /.
State OF almost entire destituson of inances to the
accumulation Of fund of ut least S50Ooo
we nave moreover seen the public mind pro-
foundiy stirred upon the subject of agricultural i'm
provemen:, inaomuch az to have brough, toeether
at your late exhibition at Richmond, a greater as
seinoiage OF the men and Of the mind of Virginia
than was ever before witnessed upon any other oc-
casion whatever
In short, gentlemen, this Committee froro INV
ing been but year ago the representative of few
hundred IndIviduals and charged with tn labor of
organising society, finds itself the represen
talVe OF the great agricultural classes of our State
anu Shai Stu Will tnc iaDCE OF eeYdttDp and aU.
vancing all the great Interests of those classes.
In view, then, of the great responsibility of vor
position--in view of the magnitude as well as the
difficulty Of the task to be accomplished won have
been convened thus early to deliberate upon tbe
best measures to be adopted tor accomplishinr
your aOorS ana OF folhlling, in some measure the
lust expectation of those who have entrusted Won
with this great aud patriotic work
In the re port of the Executive Committee which
was unanimously adopted by the Society. it was
distinctly announced that the great object Of the So
clety would henceforth be ''the colection and Az
fu.on of useful knowledge, connected with anri.
culture 20
To begin, then, this great work of the collection
and diffusion of useful knowledge OF agriculture
and the kindred arts and sciences ia what his co.,
nlttee Is pledged to do wbatit to do and
IN which, should it fail to accomplish what NAV be
practicable what may be possible-the resuk will
be the lasting encouragement and injury of all the
best Interests conhded to our keepiug-ihe ruin of
the present brilliant prospects OF thi, Society; and
must say it. the disgrace Of failure to be visited
upon the heads OF this Committee But feel that
need not argue with this Committee to shew then,
their POSITION their obligations or responsibilities
mere suggestion is all that is sary and your
ready response to il: the work must be done.
Let US examine into the nature of this work. and
deliberate upon the means OF its accomplishment:
FIRST then, IN what consists this useful know
ledge connected with agricultureF
1t is profound remark of Sir John Sinclair
al nat In its present state knowledge may be COM
pared to small portion OF gold dispersed through
great Quantity Of ORE In that rude conGifiou the
strongest man cannot bear rs weight, nor can any
benfft be derived from it. But ii the pure rctal
were separated from lis dross child mi yht carry
it without difficulty, and it may be moreover used
with ad vantage
Srch is the state and condition of agricultural
knowledge among us at the present day in Virginia;
ana TO carry on the analogy, we may say that our
ore rs rich and will well repay the working The
agricultural inG of our State is as intelligent and
often more highly educated than is to be ound il,
similar classes III any other State in the Confedera-
cy. 1t Is however, scattered thinly over the wide
surface OF the State It Is our task to devise pro
cess By means of which we can reach this mind
and separate its knowledge now scattered crudely
through the mass OF our rural population and as in
the retners process o the precious metals, from
useless of native ore to elaborate therefrom
the beautiful and useful metal and then to coin i.
and put 1t into circulation.
In order, however, TO conceive some more def
mite idea of the vast range OF uscful knowledge
which we propose to set about the work of collect
ing and diasing, let hastily review of the
chief heads under which this great subject may be
arranged.
And frs. perhaps. might be named the Geogra
ply of Agriculture. The description of the topo-
graphical and other physical features ofthe coun
ties districts other divisions of the State in their
agricultural relations, the rivers, bays, harbors
creeks, marshes, meadows, swamps alluvIal and
table lands, the forests the waterfalls the plains
the valleys, the hills, the mountains.
ID. The Climate-which affects temperature,
moisture, electrical phcnornena, changes and aurs-
ii n o! the seasons, and other manifold conditions
all having external RELATIONSHIP agriculture.
I'd. Geology-to include thorough geological
map and report for the whole State. The uses of
such map and report as connected with the devel-
oprnent OF the agricultural mining, manufacturing
and commercial Interests ofthe whole State are too
obvious t. be dwelt upon in this place.
4. The Chemistry of snculture-a vast subject in
a,,6
physiology, and setting forth the laws that govern
the ultimate particles of all matter in all their inh
Kite changes, combinations and pernutatiens which
result from chemical attraction or affinity
B. The Ensineerins of Asricuture-which proper
y Includes the effects of canals railroads, navgsble
rivers or bays, of McAdanised, of turnpike COM
mon rsads-in short the effect of cheap means of
transportation of the products Of the soil to the best
markets This subject also includes the determine
ton of the best modes of construction of farm and
county roads and bridges, OF mill ponds manage
msut of water power In general ofrrIgaton, ofleve
ing, dtching and draining in general, of dyking. of
enhanking OF streams, or tide waters of suretinn
cf heights and distances, of land surveying, the
who subject of chiuery, &c.
The Architecture of A grcul lture-the science and
of constructing horses for the habitation of man.
the protecti, of our domestic animals the other
varied wants and uses Of moral life.
T. The Civil or Political Relations of A Agriculture
or the laws OF the land they suhservient TO
hurtful of the best interests of Agriculture.
s. The Social Relations of Agrcuiture-as affected
by the institution of slavery-by the peculiar educa
ton and habits Of our people.
o. The Statistics of Agriculture, viz: Population,
employ nnent, means of subsstance, physical
dition land in cultivation products OF the so capI-
tai Invested in agriculture, profits of the same, and
the other ten thousand facts upon which to base
accurate knowledge of the present condition of
agriculture, TO make calculations for its future i'm
proyement.
10. The Systems of Asricrlture-as practised in diff
feTent sections OF ihe State under the varied infu
ences of climates, soils markets, labor, &c.
II. The Subject OF A gticutural Education-the es-
tHoiishmeEt OF proeseOrship aud schools, in hich
ndanF gf- e
branches of scie intimately connected with the
pursuits OF agriculture.
And last bus ieast-.hs moral and religious cir
cumstaBces and condition OF the labong portion Of
rural population i'll connection with that higher
"knowiedge," which we have the authority of Holy
Writ tor sayinR-"passetil understandiugp
Having mus hastily glanced al some OF the leading
heads of useful knowledge 10 be collected-aUd Ii
must be confessed that the field is wide,
intimate 0ne-let US come TO consider h0D we are TO
accomplish leust portion the great work OF col
leeting and disfusing sgricuitufal knowledge.
The report of this committee, above referred to- re-
commended the ouy practicable means # eitecl-
Ing the great 0bjecs OF the Society. in this
tiun-the selection and appointment of secretary.
a saared officer, aud tho establishment nt Richmond
Of etcretary's Office The report weut on fnrther to
propose the establishment. ultimately ct Richmond,
of suite of agricultural rooms, amongst Others a
large hall sort of farmer exchange of sufficient
dimensions TO accommodate the annual aud other
meetings Of the Society TO subscrre the purposes OF
lecture room, OF an agricultural reading room and
place OF deposite for seeds specimens OF soils, mine.
rails. models of az cuiiural upienie Dts in short,
of au agricultural cabinet 10 which should
be attached tho Seeretsry's Office, library, sc.
These agricultural rooms, al Richmond, to eDusts-
tute il the head luaTter of the Central State