The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-11-03
THE DAILY DISPATCH
FRIDAY MoRNINo, NOVEMBER 5. 1sss.
REPORT OF TIE AGRICULTURAL CoMMls
SiONER.

Tue duties required of the Commissioner, ana
also Of the assistants whom you suthorized MIN 10
appoint stated asfollows, 10 your proceedings
Of March, 1854:
"To yisit such counties, agricultural districts,
mr. narticuar localities 40 may be deemed by the
Commissioner most suitable to aid and to be aided
by his services for the Society; to gather, (either
directly or by and through any farmers or others
aiding his inquiries, useful information
10 encourage and induce the establishment OF Coun-
ty Agricultural Societies, auxiliary to the State So
ciety, and formed and working upon q proper and
uniform general plan; to hold conversational dis
cussions with such Societies or with other meetings
of farmers and to address such meetings in further
of bis duties on any subjects designed to pro-
mote agricultural instruction or improvement to
endeavor to obtain agricultural reports OF particu
lar counties or to collect facts and materials tor
future reports; to solicit and obtain new members
and donations for the State Society and to report
to the Society, through the Executive Committee,
10 general, Whatever he may have done, and espe-
cialy and particularly the useful agricultural facts
and instruction, not generally understood or prac.
tised, which he may have collected, or received
from other persons"
Soon after my appointment, published. through
some of the newspapers the annexed notice, mark
ed A. and soon after the one marked Il; and next
a plan of general form of constitution Co for a
county Agricultural Society, or Farmers Club, to
serve AZ convenient suggestions and groundwork
for any new establishment OF either kind OF assoca'
ton.
Believing that an important service to agricultu-
raj Improvement could be effected by even the par
tial and limited execution of one or more agricul-
tural surveys of counties, or smaller sections OF
Virginia, prepared an extensive scheme of prop
or subjects headings as suggestions for the frame
work of any such survey and report, which scheme
was reported to the next meeting OF the Executive
Committee, approved and ordered to be published
Id This was done, as was also the case with all
other publications made by me, under your authori-
ty and general directions No expense on this score
has been caused to the Society. For such printing
of all my different papers, have been indebted es.
pecially to the berality and public spirit OF the
several publishers of the Richmond Dispatch, En-
ourer Examiner and Southern Planter
In the hope OF inducing either County Agricul-
tua Societies, or other voluntary associations, to
aid In effecting agricultural surveys OF their re.
spectiye counties obtained either by my particu.
lar requests or by their own voluntary and well
come offers. the promised aid of the following gen.
tlemen, as Assistant Commissioners, viz: Thos. l..
Preston Of Smyth county, b. Johnson Barbour of
Orange, Philip ST. George Cooke OF powhatan,
Richard Irby OF Nottoway, Jno. II. Edmunds OF
Halifax Willoughby Newton of Westmoreland,
and Professor Charles Stuart of Mecklenburg.-
These assistants were invested, (under your previ
GUS resolution and authorty) within their respec-
tive counties or other named limits, with all the
powers and duties OF the Chief COMMISSIONER
That they have done no more, and especially n re-
gard to the chief object of obtaining county sur
veys, may be sufficiently accounted for In the uni
versal deficiency of aid from any County Agricul-
tnra society, other associated individuals offer
ing and giving their combined labors of investiga
ton for the object in view. The only reports thus
obtained, or now In progress, are from Richard IT.
by, Esq, of the county OF Nottoway, and Viii
loughby Newton of Westmoreland, and are the
praise-worthy but necessarily imperfect labors OF
these two unaded individuals. These reports not
yet completed, will hereafter be appended and
marked X and s.
My Journeys and visits to different county agri.
cultural societies. and farmers clubs and to neigh
borhoods, where either have been established sub
seouently, were confined to such specially invi-
ted my presence and aid. greater number OF like
invitations had to be declined, because of my want
of time, or the want of travelling facilities to re-
mote places. l have attended meetings of agricul-
tural societies. farmers clubs or otherwise more
full and promiscuous public meetings. in Prince
George, Gloucester, Nottoway, Amelia, Powhatan,
Prince Edward, and Cumberland and with EACH
either Joined in conversational discussions, 9TH
erwise and at more length, offered verbally my
opinions and views of The matters of debate or
delivered addresses suitable to the occasions A
dgesed report of one of the most regular of these
discussions, (of the Powhatau Farmers Club
had prepared and published, to serve as a sort OF
working model for such action-which report i.
annexed, p. My services of this kind have been
incidentally extended to other places and even into
North Carolina and perhaps not ineffectually bott
for my gathering information, and conveying som,
useful instruction. 1t would be impossible to de
far this action Of mine may be useful either imme
diately or remotely.
In the course OF this business, and my recent In
tercourse with practical observant and reliabl,
farmers, have gathered and noted many matters
of useful information and mostly for instruction
practice, and each of which, if alone, would havt
been deemed by most persons Though very incor
recty) OF too little importance to be reported 70,
publication. Such 10 far from my opinion. as 10
any useful facts, or OF instruction in the most tr
vial matters. have written and afterwards pub.
lshed these Minutes of Agricultural Facts and
Observations" to the number of 80, at successive
times, and which are here embodied and marked
F. This collection and publication have been made.
not only for the intrinsic and practical value of the
matters thus presented but also to show, by exam.
Pile, to every reader, how much of useful informa-
ton and instruction might be afforded to all, IL
every one would communicate to the State Society
even but one such small matter of personal expert,
or observation in practical agriculture.
There are also annexed three other papers (seve-
at my request and delivered TO me as Commissioner.
These are LIST, ION the Distemper of Cattle y bv
DR.. VIM. s. Morton of Cumberland. 3D. ION Hli.
side Terraces" by Gen. John H Cooke of Fluvan.
ma; and Sd, by r. N. Watkins, Esq. of Prince Ed
ward carefully prepared and valuable report of the
population, statistics and condition of body of emao
cpated negroes; and also of like statistics Others re.
manning 40 slaves in the same neghborhood-
These pieces have been very lately received, and
are still in manuscript as well other agricultural
the Commissioner, land marked K, L, NJ and ny
For, though the papers of the Commissioned and al
other communications of the State Society," approved
by the Committee of Publication are authorized
by the Executive Committee to be published ths.s
and some other much older papers, have necessarily
remained unpublished for the want of present space
In the Southern Planter and the absence of apy nro
per organ of the Society, for publishing promptly all
its transactions. On account of this condition of
things your Commissioner, and also the Sub.Com-
nisations have had to be indebted for access to ths
agricultural public, almost exclusively to the courte
sy or the voluntary offers and gratuitous action of
sanory dinerent newspapers whose publishers have
seleseo, and OF course at their choice and con.
venience, such of the communications and other ma
nen q the respective editors thought proper to sd
mit ana send out a. suit able to their readers
In regard to one duty and authority committsd m
my charge, almost nothing has been dooe or atterrt
cd This was the soliciting and obtsiDinr snhsc,,n.
uons OF nc membeis and donations to the State AZ
riculturai Society At the very outset of NV onsr
lions 1t was found that the authorxins re.o,p
the Executive Committee, In this resnect go -; "a
construed and misrepresented. and aspersons 90. ~
the committee and on me a. Its agent Tbersso,. "
Wa not Wiling 70 OCCUPY sroInd which could be so
quently have In no manner whatever exsrcsS esS
part Of the prescribed duties and when =. thu ,n.
asking anything for the pecuniary aid of the
NOR even auding to II, 1t ID not strange that .ie
nothing has been rendered or received. The Eross
amount of the few subscriptions and donations which
have been made through me. has been paid over 10
the Treasurer (ss stated in the accompanying paper
marked o. without any deduction or any charge 9TH
srwss made for my personal travelling or any other
Il l. my duty to sekno Wedge, with thanks. that nv
travelling expenses during this service, have been
much iessened, and my abon % Commissioner fast
litsd by the berslty Of the ccers Of the FOLLOWING
companies, via, The Richmond and Dsnville, the