The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-10-31
sT,Tr ,cRIcITLruRAL SOCIETY.

church. The President Of the Society, PHILIP
ST.. GEO. Cooke, read his report containing
recommendations for important changes in
the organization of the Society. The report
of the Executive Committee was then read
by the Secretary. This report we publish be-
low:
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF
THE VIRGINIA STATE AGRICULTURAL So
cIETY
The executive committee in discharge
of their duty to make report to said Socie-
ty submit the following:
The Society at its last meeting unanimous
ly ordered the election of a permanent secre-
tary, and the executive committee about to
depart for their several homes, and seeing
the immediate necessity of electing such an
officer charged at once to enter upon the
performance of his duties elected MIR. Frank.
G. Ruffin to that post, deeming him the
most suitable person they could find.
The next step to be taken was view of
their finances, in order to meet the expendi-
ture necessary to accomplish the other OBJ
.jects ofthe Society They found their funds
scant as the report of tie treasury will more
fully show, and their means of operation
correspondingly limited.
At the meeting of the Society last fall, an
appeal was made to the members to endow
it by means of individual contributions, and
by guaranteeing their respective counties to
raise such sums as might seem proper to
them. The response to that appeal was
creditable to the generosity and public spirit
of Virginia, individuals for themselves and
for their counties, and for their cities also,
came forward and guaranteed certain sum
amounting to upwards of thirty thousand dol
lars.
In addition to this fund there was another
of the same nature previously existing,
which swelled the first named amount to -
dollars. This whole amount the constitution
requires to be permanently vested, the inter
est thereon, only to be used by the executive
committee.
The moneys pledged, except ina few cases
of expressed reservation, became due on the
first of May last But very little was paid in
at that time, and good deal still remains
due and unpaid. This remark is not made in
any spirit of censure against the gentlemen
who gave the pledges, many of whom we
know have been put to inconvenience by
their liberality, but merely to explain for
other reasons, the state of funds at the socie
tvs disposal. Nor is it meant to convey the
idea that any serious deficiency is expected
to result from the hardness of some gentle
men, and the defaults, if there shall be any,
of others. So far from it, it is expected that
particularly of some on the South Side of
James river, will nearly if not quite atone for
all such delinquencies.
The whole permanent fund has been in
vested, first in the Savings Banks of this
city where each deposit drew its amount of
interest, and afterwards, as successive accu-
mutations made it necessary to do so, in stock
of the city of Richmond according to an Or
der of the executive committee which re-
fbn 70, r
the city of Richmond, or of the State of Vir-
giuia preSering the kind for which the low
est premiu,n was required by the then exist
ing market rates, and having due reference
to the time Which such stock might have to
run.
AS these Investments have, for the most
part, been recently made, very few of them
have as yet r oduced any revenue to the So
ciety; and IL . executive committee having
an eye to cur ent and accruing demands have
not felt authorized to invade it for purposes
to which, otherwise, they would gladly have
appropriated it.
In addition to this source of Revenue, there is
the still more uncertain supply furnished by the
contributions Of annual members, now amounting
TO more than I'VE thousand, who pay each s., the
first year of cir admission to the Society, and
81 90 for each rear thereafter, SO long as they re-
main members OF this number many owe more
than the annu,t contribution very few owe less /;
but what each .Sves and what is the aggregate OF
the whole, cann now be known. After consulta-
ton as TO the be mode of collecting these sums
the secretary WI directed to employ the sheritfs
of the different \ unties, where l o more suitable
agency could be- obtained, to collect at rate of
compensation MT TO exceed ten per cent rate
deemed 30 small hat it was in every instance of
application, acco spanied by an appeal to the pub
lie spirit of those1 Ulcers The accounts have go
far been sent to ass nany of these officers have
siguiied their will .1gness to undertake the collec
tion upon the term, proposed. But it is to be re.
GREETED that In Is xee proportion OF the Counties
the sherifs have 4 W to this time repliG1f to
the circulars addres1 i t, them, and have lRd Au
thorsed the inferer that they decline acting al
together, whilst the AecI stary from want of infor
nation, except in few rlaces has not been enable
to select any other agent and the payment of dues
from them cannot be expscted to any great extent
What the sums thus t. be collected may amount
to cannot now be told from the facts ls that in the
hurry OF recording the Ilrnes of the numbers tn at
| applied for admission lat fall many mistakes were
| made which the ndivid ials themselves can alone
correct and I'd, that II sheriffs will hardly make
returns until they collect their taxes. But it is es-
tlmated that the whole amount to be collected the
| money expected from new annual members and
| what may be taken in a. the gate during the fair
VIII not much exceed, ii at all, the expenses OF the
\ exhibition and the demands of the premium list
Anxious to obtain means which should enable
them to enter upon the discharge of their duties on
| becoming scale, the Executive Committee. as
| soon sthe Legislature granted to the Society a
charter, which merely gave it the necessary vitaIi
| ty OF corporation, applied to that body for endow
ment OF hundred thousand dollars to beinyested
In the stock OF the State and granted on terms and
with limitations which il was thought would ensure
its success. But though bill to this effect passed
the Senate with dissenting voice of those pres
ent, degree of unaniriity believed to have been
attained by no other new measure yet it never was
reached on the calende ia the House of DELEGATES
but with every reasonable assurance of its passage
il it had been taken up 1t was lost through the I'M
fortunate dissensions % to other measures which
are known to have ariisn in that honorable BODY
In the month of Mar b last, Mr. Edmund Ruffin
was appointed by the Unanimous vote of the mem.
bers present, Agricultural Commissioner for the
period OF eight monthtA Soon afterwards he en-.
tered upon his duties, id has gratuitousy perform
ed sundry valuable services, which will be foupd
in his report to the xecutive Committee. which
VIII at proper time {, communicated to the So.
ciety.
IL Is to be reg7ad that no means have
oeen devised TOR pub ling the transactions of the
society The rates which all publishers pro-
posed 10 print them Vrbade the publication; and
aiter proper enquir' all design of doing 30 was
suspended ior the pr sent Yet the hope is enter.
.aineo lnat some mig 70 will be speedily devised to
accomplish this im1 tant object
~ Arrangements fo opointing an Agricultural
shem,st 10 tne Soci VT for connecting the Soce.
y WIN some one more of the Colleges of the
S'ase' were nor pry eeuted to completion for the
SAINT want OF meauv and 1t is questionable If any
pan Oh that KIND CT. be judiciously and scientf
cary carried out arfii the Legislature by endowpp
the society, or o. Its own direct action In the