The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-27
Agriculture in Other Days.

ture. laws before us book published in
1918 by the "Socicty OF Virginia for Pro,
| noting Agriculture" This Society was
composed OF gentlemen from various parts
of the State, who met annually in Richmond
1t had no fair, no exhibition OF products,
animals, and implements, but confined its
labors to the collection Of information
Prizes were given for essays on named sub
jects, and the members contributed their
views and experience to the common fund
OF knowledge. $50.
JOHN TAYLOR, OF Caroline, was President
of this Society, WILSON CARY NICHOLAS
yice-president, and JOHN ADAMS secretary
This ADAMS was the famous DR.. ADAMS, for
some time mayor of this city-a gentleman
distinguished for his sterling character and
his remarkable energy. He was certainly
ahead OF his time, as may be seen now by
the scars that appear upon bluffs OF Church
Hill, which were made by his premature
efforts to grade the city and open easy COM
munication between her hills.
The assistant secretaries were SAMUEL. u.
ADAMS, JOHN PATTERSON, JAMES NJ. GAR
NETT, THOMAS MARSHALL, and LITTLEToS
WALLER TAzEwELL'; JOHN PRESTON, treas
urer: and the Corresponding Committee
consisted OF the following gentlemen JOIN
MARSHALL, WILSON CARY NICHOLAS, JOHN
WICKHAM, JOHN CoALTER, and JonN ADAMS.
What Names Men fit to be kings.
The condition OF Virginia had become.
by neglect OF agriculture, indifferent, and
the leading citizens were impressed with
the importance Of improving husbandry,
that the tendency to deterioration might be
checked and the land put in the way OF i'm.
provement. There seemed to he q strong
conviction to this effect pervading the State.
| The first citizens entered into the enterprise
OF the Virginia Society. The abundance OF
new land that had given every farmer new
fields as substitutes for those that were eN.
hausted had established O system that tended
to convert the best land into q desertap> But
virgin lands were becoming scarce, and tue
more intelligent farmers were apprchensiYe
for the future. They were right; and il sc
far back there was such good reason to at
temrt to check bad tillage and introduce
better systems. we should at this day be un
tagging in our eXertions in behalf Of the
same great cause.
Among the great men who composed the
| body of the society were Governor JAMES
P. PRESTON, Judge SPENCER RoASE, Judge
FRANCIS T. BROOKE, Ex-Governor JAMES
BARBOUR, Dr.. JOHN BEocEENBRouGH, Colo
mel JAQUELINE b. HARvIE, BENJAMIN HARRI.
SON Of Berkeley, WILLIAM STEINBEKGEN (oi
Valley of Virginia., Judge WILLIAM BROCK.
ENBRoUGH, Judge CREED TAYLOR, WILLIAM
G. RIvEs, WIN. S. ARCHER, EDWARD WATTS
(Roanoke), HENRY E. WATKINS, ANDREW
STEVENSON, General GORDON CLoYD South
west), Judge JAMES ALLEN, Judge ARcHI-
BALD STUART, Judge PETER JOHNSTON; and
at the end OF the list appears the name OF
WILLIAM OLD, OF Powhatan, who was one
OF the most staunch and pure men of his
time.
We Gull these names from long list
which contains SO many distinguished ones
that the trouble was which to reject. The
occasion was certainly potent that called out
such men. But their association was not
practical. 1t was too scattered in its men,
berships, too seldom in its meetings, and
entirely defective in the attractions of those
meetings. Mere essays and talk afforded
no substantial subsistence for prolonging
its life and stimulating its energies. The
Henrico Agricultural Society, by its monthly
sfc
lions OF farms, and examples Of tillage, is
able to do far more good in the year than
this famous Virginia Society could have
done. 1t was distinguished for ability.
ealnestness in its zeal, and its unlimited
patriotism; but it had no practical means
Of doing good and invigorating its organi-
cation. 1t met annually in December, and
seemed to be sort Of Legislative body, Sc
lecting the occasion OF the assembling Of
the Legislature to hold its session. How
long the Society lasted we do not know. 1t
could not have lasted long, and could not
have done much good. since it was alto
gether impractical in its construction.
The volume before us is one that was
issued under the plan Of the Society, and
contains essays Of several of its distin-
guished members. There are ''Artifcial
Grasses" by JOHN TAYLOR and also by
PHILIP TABB; son the Rotation OF Crops"
by WILSON CARY NICHOLAS; "on Tannin,"
By THEo. ARMIsTEAD; son the Cultivation
OF Hemp also by Dir. NICHOLAS, &C., DC.
They cultivated hemp in Virginia in those
days but really we much more need hemp
now than did our ancestors. If we had
more hemp and less penitentiary we should
have better state OF things.
The articles on grasses, especially that by
JOHN TAYLOR, expose bad system then
pursued, by which the land was rapidly de-
teriorating. The venerable JOHN TAYLOR
lays much stress upon the idea that the land
should be improved with grasses, the adj
yanntages Of which he states as well as could
any OF our agricuIturists OF the present day.
He says:
& i AN improvements OF the soil bv .tI,e on l.