Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-02-20

THE MEMORIAL
! Of the Maryland State Agricaltura'
/ and Mechanical dissertation to the
. General AssemJly Of Maryland, on
. the subjects Of Labor, Immigration,
/ Sheep Husbamdry, Eagrant Stock,
and COHnty Roads.
The undersigned, a Committee APP
pointed by the Maryland State Agri-
cultural and Mechanical Association,
Body incorporated by the State OF
Maryland for the promotion OF Agrl-
cultural knowledge and improvement,
representing in its membership the ag
ricultural interest of the State, respect
fully represent your Honorable
Body that they were unanimously in
structed, by the said Association, at a
meeting held at its Rooms in the City
Of Baltimore, on the 18th day of Jan
nary 1874, to memorialize your Hon
orable Body, for immediate legisla-
ton on the following subjects, wiz
LABOR, IMMIGRATION, SHEEP HUs-
BANDRY, ,NAGEANTS STOCK, AND COUN-
TY ROADS.
Labor and immigration.
Agricultural labor has been for a
number of years entirely inefficient
and unreliable, both in quantity and
quality, and that too without regard to
rate OF wages. Laborers are hard to
get at any price, and generally worth
less when gotten. Their contracts are
ha5itually violated with impunity. so
that the farmer can never know, if he
sows, whether he can cultivate or reap.
1t appears highly important then that
some means be devised to enforce the
obligation of labor contracts, and to
that end your mcmorialists would sug-
gest that your Honorable Body con-
slider the expelieucy of giving both
parties to such contracts the right to
recover for violation thereof. bv pro-
ceedings in the nature Of Attachments,
from the effect of which. after regular
Judgment, neither wages or any other
species of property or credit shall be
exempt. Your memorialiSts believe
that legislation of this character will
tend 10 correct the evil, and III the ab-
Seucc of ANYTHING better may be wisely
adopted. Your memorialists, howev
er, see the surcst remedy for inefficient
agricultural labor in Immigration of
farmers, and farm laborers and their
permanent location in the State. The
statement Of this proposition is the
statement Of the unanimous opinion
of all who have given the subject Il
thought, and the pre-eminent import
ance therefore of securing such immi-
grafton admits of no question. The
chief, and perhaps only requisite, is to
bring fairly To the knowledge of immi-
grants the advantages which We can
offer them. This can not Dc done ex-
ccpt IN accidental instances, after the
Immigrant has arrived in this country.
The Immigrant, unless fugitive from
justice. does not leave his old home
unless his new home Is fixed, conse-
gucutlv, his choice of location can be
influenced only before the old home is
abandoned.
To place before the foreigner in his
own country, proper information rs TO
the resources and attractions of our
State. is obviously the duty Of the State
,tl..lg y, ;,li,;I,,al ~. ,-s,.io,,l ,r
fort can avail. because owing to past
experience of immigrants, such effort
can not be freed from suspicion of foul
and hcartlcss speculation. But the
state. through her constituted author
tiles, can stamp her invitation with
such dignity and truth rs will secure
confidence.
Your memorialists are fully convinc-
ed that a fair and practical presenta-
tion of our resources and advantages
70 foreigners in their own homes, by
honest and capable State agents. duly
accredited, will secure to our people
all that can be desired in the way of
immigration, and that without such
action on the part of the State. immi-
grafton will be of little benefit to us
for Years to come.
Your memorialists respectfully press
this most important subject upon the
attention of your Honorable Body. and
ask that proper action may be taken
without delay, in view of the unprece-
dented organizations, especially III
England, lately made for immigration
to this country.
sheep Hushandry vs.. Dogs.
OF scarcely less Importance is the
matter of Sheep Husbandry. 1t has
been said that "Shcep are the sheet an
chor of English agriculture The
statement is applicable to, and emf
nently true of agriculture everywhere.
Certainly, no Maryland farmer would
question it, whether sheep be consid-
cred us source of profit or a means of
improving land.
Nevertheless, in many parts of our
State, sheep raising, owing to the raw
ages of dogs, is impossible, and even
where it survives is encountered with
such trouble, expense and loss, as to
greatly impair its profits. 1t will be
generally found that sheep killing
dogs are without responsible owners,
who oar ba mo6a to nav ,]amauac and