The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-10-26
The Petersburg Agricultural Fair.
CONTEMPORARIES or. THE DIsrArcH.
PETERSBURG Oct 25

ing the one here. This fear, however, has been
dispeiled. At an carly hour to-day, the people
were out in crowds and the gay dresses of the wo-
men, give cheerful appearance to the streets
indeed, to-day, might more properly be character
ized as the opening day of the exhibition than
tuesday. The road to the grounds was very
muddy and every sort OF vehicle was called into
requisition, not excepting Bill Dukes fast team.
and the Omnibuses sent over by Wright, from Rich
mond .
saw no articles of interest atlthe Fair which
nave not been mentioned in your paper and, in
deed the crowded state of the exhibition roomn
would have prevented inspection of them, if
they had been there FstE4
During the morning the Cadets from the Militia
ry Institute attracted much attention by dress pa
rade on the Fair Ground Their maneuyres were
executed with precision and rapidity, and excited
admiration and surprise. AT II o'clock they were
dismissed and the visitors dispersed over the ground
to see what was to be seen.
AT noon, Mr. James G. Bruce, President of the
Society, occupied the stand for the public speaking
and introduced to the vast assemblage the Hon
Thomas 8. Flournoy, who delivered the annual ad-
dress lHt ~
MI. f. was received with demonstrations of de-
light by the audience, which numbered fully 1000
persons. He said that they might well imagine that
for him. whose life had been devoted to other pur.
suits to address society of practical farmers on
matters appertaining to their profession was deli
cate undertaking, and he felt that was such. He
had no apology however, to offer save the fact thai
he had been invited by the Executive Committee to
do SO.
1t was gratifying to see so large an assemblage
before him. for betokoned the deep interest felt in
the success of agriculture, and especially was it
pleasing to observe so many of the Ladies present,
which he considered pledge of success-for, de-
Tended by the shield of woman's virtue mans eou-
rage Is untaing. 1t is such occasions as the pre-
sent that perpetuates agricultural discovery. The
knowledge of the farmer longer dies with
him; but by such reunions as these bringing about
mutual interchanges of opinion it is impaired to
posterity. Our country has been marked with M
usual progress, and while in that progress many or-
rors have been committed, we should not look back
upon them subjects for lamentatiCn, but rather
as warnings for the future little more than half
acentury since we were in our infancy, and our
country had just started on her career under the
most glorious government ever founded. Our pro-
gross has been unprecedented and the vast lands
in possession have called forth every energy Of
our nature. In former times these energies were
applied to cutting away forests and to tiage on a
small scale. Our ancestors had wilderness to
subdue; they tanned it and left it 10 us.
We should not be unmindful of the trust When
our republic was formed it contained but g. 600 900
of people, and now it is the rival of the world -
We now possess over 5000 miles of railroad and
10000 miles of telegraph, and progress in eve
ry respect, has been startling The grain fields of
Europe bear witness to the triumph of American
genius in their improved implements. While the
past shows errors, our present position gives great
cause for satisfaction. The past belongs neither to
individual nor nation except to take lesson by it
TO the future and if we are wise, and make that
use of experience we should great prosperity lies
before u.s. 1t becomes question of deep interest
how to improve the past! Nothing tends to
that end more than enlightened scientific agri-
culture. The toiling millions must become the
thinking millions. The treasures of the mind must
be brought to develope the treasures of the SOIL
We must elevate and dignity agriculture. As an
art it has made progress but as science, it is yet
in its infancy
Notwithstanding the high price of labor in this
fnfio ha atl
nowhere else cheaply. In 1850 the value of the
agricultural implements manufactured in this coun
try was $l50,O0O,0OO From lS40 to 1850 our pop
uation increased at the rate OF 30 per cent, and
our products increased at the rate of so per cent
Our annual corn crop is 60O,0O0,0O0 of bushels
But with this profusion we take care for the
row, and with full barns care not for exhaus ted
lands. The luxures of the past the necessities
of the present The effort for large crops such as
we now make, impoverishes the land and such
farming viii inevitably consume the soil. Our pro.
gress in railroads and telegraphs has been more
astonishing than in any thing else, and it may be
that during the next year engines may travel across
our continent and electric messages be sent from
the Atlantic shore to the Pacific. This will re-
duce vast country to a manageable size and
bring it within CONTROL thus adding to pros
perity But this prosperity will be of short dura-
ton if we continue to tax the soil to its utmost ca
pacity and give it nothing back. We must have
an analysis OF the soil and know its capacity The
agricultural mind is steadily moving towards the
reQuctlOn OF agriculture 10 a Scltncc. Inc u1teu
States contains agricultural journals than
all the world beside. But almost every journal has
different theory. We want experiment to de-
monstrate the truth of these theories.
We want experimental farmers and agricultural
colleges. In the decay of nature no new element
is brought into existence. The dying elements
must be restored, and want instruction to aid
man in that restoration. Agricultural journals
and societies fail in accomplishing this. From them
we have conflicting accounts. We want system
hy yyh " ma
the wrong. How can such drain upon the Soil be
producedf How can restitution be made Z Be-
fore the close of the present century the population
of the United States viii be 50000000, and in the
same lenth of time, under our present system Of
culture, country will be impoverished This
thing should be stopped. All intended for farmers
should receive an education which would qualify
them for their profession There is not an agricul
tural school in the u States, and to this Society is
due the praise of establishing model farm. 1t is
true that colleges have established agricultural
professorships While this is an admission of the
great importance of agricultural education yet a
professorshp in college is calculated to effect but
little good. Agriculture should have its own
schools.
The education of farmer should fit him for any
station. A young man educated at one of these
schools, would have great influence on the neigh
borhood Their sklful mode of farming would be
followed by the uneducatad I'd and the benefit of such
inst ttions would be felt indirectly by the whole
country. Why should not farmers be educated for
their profession? Those entering other professions
are properly educated, and why not the farmer.
Young men intended for farmers, spend at first a
few years college, which is to render him accom-
plished He then enters his profession, but to be
laughed for his ignorance and reaches the age of
50 years before he becomes barely respectable
farmer.
All other sciences should be made contributors
to Agriculture, and yet how few who are farmers
are familiar with any of them. The harvest stands
in ratio to the mineral plant food added to the mr.
nure How much would the harvest be improv l
by the possessor of such scientific knowledge as
study at an agricultural school would insure. Sue
cess in farming leads to universal adoption of the
mode and failure proeures for it the appelaton of
"humbug;" but how few can explain the cause Of
the success or failure. To establish such a school
State aid would be necessary. The State has en-
dowed seminares and colleges but has done nothing
for the cause of agriculture This power has been
singularly neglected 1t has asked and expected
nothing, and has not been disappointed 1t pays all
the taxes of the State and its prosperity viii in
crease the prosperity of the State.
The speaker happily alluded to the combination
In the agricultural cause of Virginia and North Ca
rolina-the two elder sisters of the Union. He
would not speak of the great cause in a narrow
view. The whole Union would be benentted py
the advancement of agriculture. Under such gen
eral Improvement as would result therefrom, the
causes which threaten our Union would disappear.