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

other interests t!hil Dy Tho body has under
| taken tu represent.
The suite Of rooms that tho city of Richmond has
agreed ~ give TO o State Agricultural Society has
not Yet been put nj Their disposal. The dcnv in their
construction has been caused by the necessity OF the
citys occupying Tor PURPOSES OF civil aud municipal
| administration the rItr uf the building they propose
10 erect for the SD,etyI use but they will soon bc
enabled TO line thor offices, and then toe
blcd to complete the they have offered this body
mo number ni societies and clubs that have been
iornlcu wlthlh Inc past year, number much larger
than has ever heretofore existed in Virginia. attest the
interest that has arisUn; aud the connuxinn that many
desire and some have made with the S:ao Agrcuitu-
| raj Society, shows, that with few exceptions, they
arc but branches of n parent stem. 10 all such b"-
dies the committee have recommended thnl each So
cety or club, dcsring to be auxiliary IL the State So
ccty, shall adopt and include among ts standing rules
| the following:
| "Bcsdcs any other discretionary voluntary ser
vices it shall DO the especial duty Of each member "i
tho Society Tor clubl annually tO cOmncnc" md at
tempt to complete, nj least two experiments On
one Or more subjects of practical agriculture some
doubtful or disputed questions, and desgnc to throw
light thereon; which experiments shall be conducted
| carefully and accurately, to the best of the ability
and means of the cxpcrImcntcr, aud the circulsai-
ceS noted mnutely and with the results, be reported
in writing as simply and conciSey as may be- but
nlnutely and fully, at the next annual meeting, and
| whether the results be deemed successful Hnd prulia-
| bic or dscncouragius, the whole experiment be
deemed failure: and IN default OF such reports, either
Of progress comp pletun of tho experiments by each
member at each annual meeting tho dctaulior shall
pay TO the treasurer s. Tor each experiment want
| ing.
'Of the annual income of the Society not c-s than
one-half of the whole amount shall DO appropriated
premiums offered for well conducted experiments on
subjects U practical agriculture.
| Resolved, That every auxiliary county Society or
Club is requested 10 transmit to the Secretary 0f tho
| Executive Committee of the State Agricultural SOcic
~, all their completed and approved written coinmi
| loaf, ul lIpll Insir finn
agriculture, and which hns not been previously pub
lshed; which communications shall be reccI:"d and
disposed of in the manner, az if made drrc;ly 10
the State Society: and ii any such rrpor. OF expert
ncnts uf other communications shall have previously
obtained premium from the Society for which il
was prepared, II will not be the less entitled Ia conf
pete for and receive premium offered 10y tue Stuto
Society, il otherwise properly claiming aud dcncrrins
| such honor and distinction.
| Resolved, That evury such auxiliary county Sucie
~ or Farmers Club may, and isrequestc 4" send one
delegate TO the general annual meeting "f the State
Agricultural Society and eac delegate Of auxiliary
societies shall have all the rights and privileges i'll
such general meeting Of other and regular members
| of the State Society.
BY this bond Of union, simple hut strong, not work
OF Agricultural Societies in harmonious operation may
OvcrspreHd the State, And IN incaculabc amount oi
practcnl experimental knowledge become d!1us"d nj
al expense too small 10 be compared with the value
| of the investment.
| Iu their exhibitions the Executive Committee have
aimed to mpart truths of great moment by mcnIr of
nm imposing spectacle. But they cmdcavor, al the
same time, to set example of the prcccpts they
would promulge. An analysis Of their premium lis
will show that of the SShiS which they offer in
prizes, $34SO, 10 per cent Of the whole arc offer
I'd for experiments and ESSAYS aud mcritnriou- writ
Ten COMMUNICATIONS; $3.50 for crops; $3.50 iur AMI
mails: SjO for implements; SI}S or fruits flowers aud
vegetables; S6G5 for useful subjects, and few others
which pertain 10 the useful aud substantial arts and
pursuits Of agriculture.
| The proportion of premiums for useful subicc,s
here shown, will, il il brli"vcd he found 10 bOur
larger ratio to those intended for display than in any
| other premium list whatever
All the Rail Roads and public improvcUonis OF tho
State which are tributary TO Richmond have come
forward in the liberal spirit, .nd granting pre-
csely such deductions on thc- c!iarS"r us wcr" HsH
| cd at their hands by tho Executive Committee hnvc
contributed nearly il moi quite as much t" the -nc
cess uf this wears Fair az they did 10 the last, wlcn
their bcrHltv contributed cssscnta!iv 10 our
cess
The Executive Committee cannot III justice tn the
city Of Richmond, omit 10 state that by her council
and her citizens Individually, she has contributed 10
the society in land and money the sum of s5i,aOO
even than that by several thousand, if we take
| into view tho enhanced value OF the beautiful lot
which she has placed at our disposal long
choose 10 enjoy IT, and farther, Ia say that the skill
and taste of OF her most useful citiZens tMr. l.
I. Giles have adorned the grounds and fitted them
for aud reception as no other grounds IN the
Union are fitted up. 1t is to be hoped that this lib
raitv TO an institution whose benefits are but second
AIRY her, will not be without s influence on those
whose direct interest il tp fn-ier and promote il.
| Before closing their report, tho Executive Commit
tee cannot, in Justice tu their own trrlinSs hnd 4"
those of many in the body Of tho snciety, omit trb
ute tn Of their late assocutcs. Inc hand o death
has snnlrled from amongst III the very stnnirst "t
our little baud, and il could no; have thkcn from III"
Stato man esteemed by his friends, or who ud
been moro useful tn the public than General Bernard
| Peytou. During n To- period al his htr Il merchant
part of his iic soldier, he at all times nspirrd to
the dignity of rural fc and cxul,cd IN the calling and
the name of farmer: and meeting death III the very
field Of hs nbors, he left fcw stronger heads md
| purcr hearts, behind him.
| Tho Executive Committee aro fully conscious TINT
for the want of adequate means they lavc h"rn I'M
able carry out many inportnnt measure" which, IN
the aror OF their ZEAL they had fJndly hoped to
cOmplish. Yet, so far from being discouraged, they
cannot on reviewing the brief history Of thus S"rei,
| repres. feeling of qualification at the eminent -uc-
cess of their labOr5.
Ii in believed that the records of similar nst.tu.
ton in the world, exhibit instance Of s.rrcss ut
| once 80 speedy, complete and brilliant L"1' i!a:
three years ago, when all former efforts (" sstnhish1a
| State Agricultural Society had sgnaly iHli"'k uo
| dark and gloomy winters evening, small hnnlR
| determined patriots, numbering little more thnu o
hundred, still hopeful aud uudismaycd, ass"mtJ"d
the capital Of their State, to make last "'l"ri I"
tho dormant cnergies of Virginia, and ts"t'a'e
lish Society that should he worthy Of the Iit.li
genco OF her farmers and the ancient Of th
| noble Commonwealth. The meeting was contitup,d
from day to day, constitution adopted, officers
elected, and the Sncc,y put III successful npcra'o!;.
It's members and resources rapidly Increased. New
zeal infused into tho agricultural community, and
aided by the magnificent liboray ot the city of Rich
mond, we were enabled before the close of the ID
year of its existence o hold the first annual exhibit
ton of the SocicyHn exhibition which, taste and
mngnifccncc hnH scarcely been oqualod i'll any par:
of the world and which not only gratlfed State
pride and interested our own people but attracted
the attention of the whole Union to the vast unde-
velopcd resources Of tho Commonwealth, and called
forth the admiration of enlightened strangers from all
quarters at the moral physical, and intellectual sub
Unity Of the spcctacl0 Tho farmers Of the Stalc
and the citizen. ni Richmond seemed 10 catch inap-
ration from the scene, and promptly contributed from
their sum sufficient to place the Society
on permanent footing.
Since that memorable meeting the effects Of which
on the fortunes of the state estimate, much
practical information has been dfused through the
nstrumcItalv Of the Society: zeal for improve
ment had been awakened; and, notwithstanding Il
partial failure Of the crops Of tho Sntc through Pro-
vdenGl visitati"ns the resources of people nrc
considerably incrcGscd; em grafton has ceased, and
Immigration has commenced the price Of lands has
rapidly advanced our schools and colleges crowd
ed TO OvcriowIng that il mHy probably be said
with truth that Virginia has now in proportion to
population youths in OF thorough c,lr-
cnon, than any 9th II State in the Union. Over these
benrfcent results, i'll part nt least 10 be attributed 10
the SUCCESS of Society, have Just cause TO re-
ioce. The close of another Year finds liz on the eve
of s,ill lrunder exhibition With our grounds great
" enlarged md improved, most liberal premium
list jealous preparations for extensive exhibition
mud n vnst throig of our enlightened farmers in at
tendance from every part ofthe Commonwealth, num-
bering thousands beyond those present the former
occasion, have every reason To expect most bril-!
liant and attractive Erc:nclo With these cheering
evidences in the pnst, how doubt our future |
success Let the farmers OF Virginia up to the
annual exhibitions with ,her~yove offerings. forget
ting all locnl und party stnctons remembering that
they have common home aud q common destiny, !
and cordially and harmnuiou.y cooperating in our
glorious cause and the hcncccut effects of our labors
will descend to distant generations, and orr latest pos
terty will have cause TO bless The day that inaugural
ted the Virginia State Agricultural Society.
Slrnrt nf EnirGlr lhn cnnir thu rn,nr.a