Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-24
THE FARMERS MEET.
THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
IN SESSION IN RICHMOND.
The Annual Report of the Commission.r-
Tho Roads Discusscd-Tho Lcgis-
lature Criticised.

The State Board of Agriculture met in
the Office of the Commissioner yester-
day morning at 10 o'clock.
The members then present were Hon.
Absalom Koiner, of Augusta. president;
Captain Orris A. Brown, of Northampton;
Judge II. L. Henley. Of Charles City;
Judge Il. II. Mallory, of Brunswick; 5. ".
Corbin, of King George. and Colonel
Whitehead. tho Commissioner.
These constituted q quorum, but as II
was known that several other mem bers
would arrive in the afternoon no business
of importance was transacted. Several
subjects were informally discussed, farm
ers institutes being given most attention
The report of the Finance Committee
was submitted. and the exhibit made was
very gratifying.
When the board reconvened last night
Mt S o'clock the additional members pres,
ent were Major Gaines, of Charlotte, and
Nr. Palmer, of Washington.
Judge Henley who had been appointed
TO report as TO whether or not the board
had authority to make an Appropriation 20
the Farmers Institute, submitted the
same. giving reasons why this can be done
under the act creating the board ana de-
fining Its duties.
THE COMMISSIONERS TEpoRr.
Colonel Whitehead submitted his annual
report, which was quite lengthy and gave
q general review of the years Work ana
| the condition of agriculture IN the state.
He reported that Ss, 100 had been coll
lected under the new fertil zer-law, and
the cost OF carrying ont tine law
was S3.03i12. leaving balance ot
| S5,0Gj.S7. which was 10 become
part of the $4,000 Appropriation 10 the
| bOard. The Auditor, be said, has decided
| that the fees from the analysis Of fertl-
| lizers must go into the treasury. de-
creasing the $1,000 appropriation TO the
| board without reference to the cost OF the
| laboratory etc. Ife AttOrncy-Generais
construction Of the law was different from
| that of the Auditor, but no test has been
| made Of any case to see which OF the ON
GERS is right. OF the $4,000 appropriated
to the board S7,S7l.G2 has oeen expended.
DEVELOPMENT or MAgL-BEDs.
The Commissioner reported on active
deyelopment of the marl-beds In Tide
water. which have been found to be quite
rich and very valuable for fertilizers.
| No appropriation was made Tor the
ANALYSIS Of the soils. but still tho work has
] been done for the small number who ap-
| piled.
Mining and manufacturing were reported
| TO be rapidly increasing, especially IN the
! Southwest, Piedmont, and the valley. he
| collection of minerals for the cabinets III
the headquarters of the Agricultural De-
partment has been so great that the e1-
| hibIt is now the finest in the country.
! There were an increased number OF visitors
TO inspect them.
| CULTIVATION OF The SOIL.
An increase in the acreage of clover and
peas for the improvement of the soil was
| reported The farmers are learning TO Ill
versify their crops, and cotton Is beng
| more extensively grown, and the COmmis-
sioner recommends that it be adopted IN
twenty counties, not as the main crop. but
as a diyersifier. Good crops OF corn ana
tobacco were reported, and the Cominls-
! sioner SAYS theacreage planted III the Iatter
| is being diminished and the quallty OF the
article improved Bright tobacco il now
being extensively grown in the Black beit.
A large increase of ensilage and sorghum
was reported. Hay and grasses are being
| more extensively cultivated, and the crop
this wear il very good. Trucking has been
fairly good aud the peanut crop the best
in many years. AS a rule the fruit crop
| has been "A failure. ,
The attention of the board was called to
the importance of the State adopting some
good system for drainage.
sToCK-RAIsISG.
| EtOch-rdlslHp buu huli JihS HiN Nu az ~
| crease in Virginia, but wool-growing Is be-
| inc decreased from the lack of dog law
! stringent enough to prevent the killing OF
| sheep.
More poultry is raised, and the industry
| is proving profitable TO those who engage
| in II.
The Commissioner SAYS since the board
| dispensed with the services of the lmml-
pration agent inquiries from the North
west as TO lands in Virginia are not SO
| numerous, but there are many nom Eng
| land. Scotland, and Ireland IN reply 10 ad-
vertising sent there.
Labor was reported in fairly good con-
dition, especially farm labor. and there
have been very few strikes IN the State.
TIE ROADS.
| The Commissioner touched upon the
need of better roads and Mr.. Corbln urged
that this point be made especially strong;
He took occasion to score the late General
| Assembly for its neglect To pass the ROAD
bill, which a committee from the ooard
took so much care 10 prepare. MIR. Corbln
said he was opposed To statutory labor for
working the public highways, asst IS out OF
date lie wanted q law 10 work the con-
yicts in making roads. and TO require the
counties TO keep them IN order alter they
are made.
Judee Mallory thought the road-laws
good enough and the only thing needed
was to execute them. -,
MIR Corbin said a person is sent to the
penitentlary for punishment and ne shoul
be made to do work that Is punishment
10 him. and this could be done IN no better
way than to put him to work upon the
roads Mr. Corbin again referred to the
Injustice done the farmers by the Leglsla-
ture and added with some warmth that an
organization Is now rising up IN Virginia
that will avenge their wrongs.
LET EACH MAN WORK HIS ROAD.
Colonel Smith thought the conyIcts were
only a drop in the bucket. The people
must be educated TO pay rOad-taX before
we can have good public highways.
The subject was further discussed by
Major Gaines and Judge Henley, ana
finally President koiner remarked that the
best solution he could see OF the VeSed
question is 10 pass law requiring every
man 10 work tie roads leading through ms
, plantation. He thought this would eause
the people TO have some local PRIDE III Keep
ING the thoroughfares in order, and one
farmer would compete with his neighbor
, | In irving TO have the best roads.
Major Games finally offered resolution
. inetructing the Commissioner To secure
some engineer to read paper 10 the
board on the good TO result from I'M
proved roads and 10 point out how the high
WAYS can be improved.
inns was adopted, and Mr.. K. II. Galne:
suggested that Colonel Cutshaw would Dt
an excellent person to enlighten the Doaro
on this subject.
TRE LEGISLATURE CRITICISED.
The report of the Commissioner wa'
finally adopted, and Mr.. Corbin moved
that the President be instructed To wrlte