Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-11-03

REPORT OF TIE AGRICULTURAL COMMIS-
SIONER,
To Mr E.rcrut,rc CpnmIttcr O5 tie Virginia .Staic
.irrIcuHur0l SOririv.
II is my duty Ia report my proceedings M Ag-irul
tural Commissioner under yoar appointment. which
may be done very cnnrscy, with the aid of refer
rIice to annexed and longer papers, connected with
the scrvic" in question.
The duties required of the Commissioner, md also
OF tho assistants whom You authorized him to ap-
point. stated a- follows, in Your proceedings of
March, 1851:
"Tu visit such counties. agricultural dis'ricts, or
particular localities, as NAV be deemed hv the Com
missioner suitable tr aid and To be ndcd by his
services for the Sncicv 10 gather ic!ihcr directly
by md through any farmers or Others adm. his in
uuiriesl useful agricultural infrrna,o 10 encourage
aud induce the establishment "i County Grcultnral
Soccties, auxiliary IL the State Sncicty, and urnci
and working upon proper and uniform gcnrra plan;
/" hold conversations! dscnssi"ns with such Socie-
trs al with other n'ngr al farmers, and I" address
such meetings in furthcranCc If his duties any
subjects designed 10 promote agricultural instruction
Improvement; Ia c''navor 10 nbtam agricultural
reports of particular counties %: "a collect iaci- aud
materials iOr future reports; 10 Solicit and obtain new
members and donations for the State Society; mud Il"
report 10 the Society, iirnn-h the Executive Commit
tee in general, whu;cv-r he may hnvc done, AMI Dr.
prciay und particularly the Useful agricultural facts
aud instruction, not generally understood ar prnctIred
which he may have collected or received from other
persous."
Soon after my appointment, ! published through
some of tho newspapers the annexed notice, marked
4, and, soon ai;cr, tho one markod b. and HEX; u
plan general form NJ constitution C) tor county
Agricultural Society or Farmers Club, I" serve ~
convenient Suggestions and groundwork !or any new
establishment of either kind Of association.
Believing that important service I" agricultural
Improvement could be- effected by even the partial
and limited execution Of one rmpr" agricultural sur
vry- u counties, or smaller sect"un of Virginia,
prepared an extensive rrhe!nc Of proper subjects or
headings, Il. sugg.stinis fr the framework of any
rucil survey und report, which scheme WAS reported
to the mex: meeting ot tue Executive Committee, ap-
proved and ordered IL be published. 10 This WIS
done and as also the case with all other publ
cations made BY me, under your authority and gcue
raj drcctius no EXPENSE this score has been causcl
10 the Society. For such printing Of all my different
ppers have been indebted especially 20 the liberal
iy and public spirit of the srvera publishers Of the
Richmond Dispatch, Enquirer Examiner and South
crm Planter.
In the hope OF inducing either County Agricultural
Societies. other voluntary assocaii"ns, In aid III Of
.cn. agricultural surveys of their respective coun
c., obtained, either by my particular requests,
by their own voluntary and welcome offers, the prom.
.rt ud OF the following gcnii-ncn,Jls Assistant Com
viz Th"-. l.. Preston of Smith county,
Is. johnson barbour Of Orange, Philip ST. George
Cooke nf Powha'an, Richard lrby ot Aoitowav, Jn"
X. Edmunds of Halifax, Willuughbv Newton uf
Wrstmoreland and Professor Charles Stuart Of Meek
Icnbury THESE Assistants wnrn invested (unacr Your
previous resolution aud au.holiiy,) within their
spccvc counties or other named limits, with all the
powers aud duties ui the Chief Commissioner. That
they have done no more, aud especially in regard o
the chief object OF obtaining county surveys, may be
sufficiently accounted for i'll the universal deficiency
of MD from any County Agricultural societies, ohor
associated individuals Offering and giving their COM
combined lahors of investigation for the ohjcc, in
view. The only reports thus obtained, 0rnuw III pro-
.,rrs. are from Richard lrby Esq, of the county OF
Not,owav, aud Woughby Newton ofWestmorclnnd,
md are tho praisc-worhy' but necessarily imperfect
nd
pnrt- not vet completed will hereafter be appended
and marked Il Rnd =.
Nv Journeys aud visits to different county agrru!;u
rnl societies and farmers clubs and 20 nei hhorh0ods,
where either have been established subsequently,,
were confined to such specially invited my presence
md aid A greater number nj like invitations had 10
he Lcclinod because ui my waii Of time, tho want
Of travelling facilities to remote places. have attend
ed meetings OF agricultural societies. or ihrmcra clubs,
pr otherwise more full and pronliscuou. public meet
urs in Prince George. Gloucester, Nottoway, Arnc-
a, Powhntan Prince Edward, and Cumberland; and
with EACH either joined III conversational discussions,
Or othcrv.e and M more length, Offered verbally my
uiuiu. and views of the matters Of debate, or uelIy
erud addresses suitub!c I" the OCCASIONS digrrcd
REPORT of one OF the most regular OF these discussions,
nf The Powhnian Farmers Club had prepared and
published 10 serve as sori oi working model
ior such ac!ion-whciI report Ia annexed, lE.l
N IS service. ui this kind have been incidentally cS-
tended to other pncrs, and even into North Carolina,
and p,rhaps not Intellectually, both for M gathering
aud conveying su:nc usc!u! instruction.
Il would be Impossible 10 determine AMI improper for
m. TO estimate, how far this notion Of mine may be
Useful, either iinnlcdtntcy or remotely.
In the course OF this business AMI my rcccct in
c..oursc with prsc:c.l "h>crvurt aud reliable farm
..s i,avr rn;irrrd ui uutci Emmy matters OF
al Information. aud lnDs:ly for instruction in prac
ice uu,l raci of which, il upEe would have been
lcc,nc bv mos, persons, Though very Incorrectly
IF too little importance be reported fo- publication
Such is Tar from my opinion, as TO any useful facts
,r of instruction in the most trivial matters. have
written and afterwards published these Minutes of
Agricultural Facts and Obcrscrvutions TO the Num-
Der of 90 at successive tmcs, and which here
bodied and marked +. This collection aud pubica- |
ion have been made, not only for the intrinsic anl
PRACTICAL value of the matters thus presented. bnt also
o show, by example, Ia every reader how much of
Useful information and instruction might be afforded
o al if every one would communicate TO the State |
society even but such small matter of personal
,xpcrieuce or observation in practical agriculture.
There are also annexed three other papers lsevera
Y marked g, II, l,l which were mostly prepared at
ny request and delivered 10 me as Commissioner
These are: Int, "On the Disemper Of Cattle" by Dr.
ym. 5. Morton OF Cumberland. ID. "On Hillside |
Terraces" by Gen. Jobu II. Cooke "f Fluvanna; and
ID. by F. n. Watkins, Esq. of Prince Edward,
arefuily prepared and valuable report Of the popula
nd nf m hniy of arDan I'D