Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1873-11-01
Saturday, November l, 1873.
Address Of G. W. Button,
EDITOR OFLYNCHBCRG rIRGINIAN,
At the Opening Of the late Agricultural Far
in that City.
IndicH nnd GenlIomcl:

L0QiCS anu Geilt01tcR:
IL accordance with custom, which has now
become a law with Us, we iuaugurate our an
uual festival with thIs ceremonial, aud your
humble speaker, Us the organ Of the Lynch
burs Agricultural aud Mechanical Society i
authorized, aud instructed, 10 bid you welcunr,
Welcome to these spacious grounds, this beau
tiiul grove, and to The feast that Is here spread
tu regale the senses aud make glIl the farmer >
autumual holiday Whether you come from
oar beautiful Piedmont, t't ct Of the noun
tainS. whose broad spreading plains riya.
those OF Its Italian uamcsa6c ami have, in lat,
years been the scene oi events that will stand
out quite as prominently M the worlds histo-
~: or from that ldr-iamed Valley the Goshen
u siuia--who,e recuperatile energy is the
wonder Of our day; or lr0M that magnificent
Southwest, arraycd IN perpetual vcriure.
bounding with tucks aud herds aud whose bills
and dAlvS enchanting to the eye, conceal mjues
uf untold wrSlth on irum II4e-water where
a gracious Providence has almost supplied Oh.
means ol living without eXertIou, aud whose de-
lcous biyaves exceed Ia flavor aud quality al
that are found elsewhere ~ tie waicry world 4.
on whether YOU come from over To- border ui
beyond the sea, we bid you, welcome
10 some, know, who have been accustom-
cl to gather'here as regularly as herecurreuc,
of the season for this autumuM festival, II vii
be an occasion for pleasant reunions aud srat,-
ful interchange of thought, sentiment, and al
iectiOu Uuhke ose of Us who dwell Ia c.tIc-
aud towns, the farmer, though living, in great
part for Us Is comparatively sllatcd-re,trict
I'd IN facilities for social cujpymcut aud th.t
improvement which comes from the frequent
attutiou OF uiud with mind. lie is thrown
back upon hiusclfJud raUst draw from bis owl
resources, with but htlc opportcuit IN his
oh rwIse pleasing, solitude, 10 gather cxcep'
from books and newspapers, the views and o-
p.uouS OF others The Institution of Farmer
Assemblies aud Agricultural Sleiciies, which
are Of somewhat modern origin iu this country
WAS Therefore happy conception, siuce they
afford the opportunity, 50 much needed pre-
vlousiy, for men engage 10 the important pur-
suit of husbaudry TO meet together from wide
ly different points. to talk about agricultural
implements; 10 exhibit their superior animals
aud the products Of their skill lu farming; to
examine new implements aud subject them t.
the proper tests to compare their methods OF
cultivation and make known to each other the
effects of different fertilizers, as a>ccltlined hy
actual experience. in short todiscusS all sub
jects Of interest in this great department of hu-
man knowledge, aud to contest, with friendly
emulation, for the rewards that are offered and
which are designed to stimulate true ambi-
tion rather than to crafty a sordil lust fJr
gain.
1t is the testimony Of those who have given
attention to this subject, that great improve
meut IN the art Of lusbaudry has resulted from
the institution Of ticsc means, and trust that
even greater results are yet to be realized.
have said that such organizations are Of
recent date in this cou try, al
though they are Of more ancient origin in other
auds In l76l, there were Is Agricultural
Societies in France, and 10 Auxiliary Societies.
But agriculture lUurshed there carly in the
l7th century The ancient nations that laid
my claim to civilization, with such rude i'm
plemeats as they possessed, devoted much at
ent;on 20 the cultivation of the soil, aud there
; in-th.s country now wheat not greatly dis
similar TO some of our native varieties, sermi- .
latcd FROM seed that was hidden IN the cere-
neuts Of an Egyptian mummy three thousand
ears ago. The late Edward Everett, in Az
Agricultural address delivered some years since, .
tated that, while residing as .-nyoy Of the Uni
ed States near the British Court, he procured
md sent TO this country some Of that very seed .
One instance may be cited here in evidence
# the truth Of the assertion just made that the
,ldest no,ious Of the earth encouraged the art
# husbandry> 1t is related Of the great Latin
,oct, Virgil, that when the civil wars Of Rome
we're ended, the Emperor Augusta, besought
lim to write poem on agriculture that would
induce the farmers Of Italy to address them
elves with renewed vigor to the cultivation Of
heir neglected fields. In that poem. which is
till extaut. he apostrophizes them thus:
0, 700 happy farmors; did you but know your
blessings
And blessing it was, truly the opportunity
o 81 beat their swords into ploughshares, aud
heir spears into punins-hooks; - to study the
eaceful arts Of husbandry rather than thesci
nee of war and lesalized destruction Of life
nd property Bat we should hot forget that
his language was addressed TO men who were
OF generally lords Of the soil, owners Of the
lud they TILED Yet they were farmers never
lclcss aud il may here be mcatijacl to the