Year: 1861

Agricultural Correspondence.


| NATIONAL, Iowa, Feb. 9Th, 1861.


"A. P. RrcnARDsoS-Dear Sir Will


your permission I propose to address few


words to the citizens Of Clayton county


concerning Agricultural Societies generally


and our own in particular. The design oi
these Societies is to advance the interests oil
the laboring or producing class of our coun.
try. To attain this end is primarily the
object of all their efforts. The first thing
is to awaken an interest among those to bc
benefited, and for this purpose Fairs have
been universally held by all societies of this
sort. Though the system is not free from
objections, yet no better plan has been de-
vised to call the attention Of Farmers and
Artizans to the subject. BY these annual
exhibitions spirit of interest and eener.
Gus rivalry is aroused-people who are con.
fined mostly to their farms are thus bro't
together, may compare their productions of
various kinds, see what others have done.
learn many new things about science they
had formerly supposed well understood by
their fathers and mothers, and enjoy the
society Of neighbors and friends. This last
item is we'll worthy Of considerations ru.
raj holiday for rural people. When people
become interested in the subject, they will
then be ready to avail themselves of the re.
searches Of our ablest and best men, to in.
quire for the teachings of science and the
result of experiment, to pave the way for
them; nomore available means can be found
than we have in our Agricultural journals.
1T Is true that the Science of Agriculture is
yet in its infancy. Who is willing to aid in
opening its way? The Union, Liberty and
Happiness of the people of this country all
depend upon the intelligence, industry. up-
rightness and prosperity of Free Laborers:
let this arm Of our Natinal defences be
strengthened and sustained and all will be
well: We must look for the prosperity of
our free institutions in the purity and INTEL
ttgesce Of our people-to promote and main.
tam these should be our greatest care, our
highest political aim.


10 speculate and thcorise upon subject
is easy compared with the prosy details and
tiresome labor Of carrying tho same theo-
rles and speculations into practice, but if
anything is ever done it must be begun. and
will give my views respecting the Agri.
cultural Societies of this county. past. pres
ent and prospective. An old adage saws.
Money makes the mare CO." and if this
be true Of the "mare," it is emphaticallv
true Of all Agricultural and Benevolent So.
c'etlcs-ln other words it requires means to
accomplish ends. The Clayton County Az
rlcultural and Horticultural Society as It
existed years ago, verities the truth of this
proposition. So long as its annual Fairs
were held at different places, and new mem
bers were yearly added, and new interest
springing up in each new location, it made
out to live; but just so soon as the Fair
Ground was permanently located in one
town, all interest in its success appears to
have died out in all other parts of the coun.
ty; one Fair exhausted its treasury and it
ceased to be for want Of funds Just as nat
uraally as person would die for want Of
breath. Had satd society been able to en-.
close their ground properly, and erected
suitable buildings thereon, so that they
could have collected an admittance fee Of
all visitors, it m.ont have been prosperous
and Aourishing to-day. Theae are but two
ways to keep an Agricultural Society alive
and useful. One is to hold the annual Fairs
at different places each year, and by so do.
ing create an unusual interest in the town
where it is held for that year, and stimulate
IN the different towns q sort of commenda.
BILE rivaly as to which shall have the best
exhibition and do the best by the socitey.
The other plan requires capital or stock to
start with sufficiently la ge to erect good
buildings and enclose suitable grounds for
the purpose Of holding Fairs, and surplus
besides to pay premiums, pay officers, hire
lecturers, establish library, &C., &C.: so
as to form sort of adhesive plaster large
enough, strong enough, and good enough to
hold the somewhat discordant materials of
an Agricultural Society together in good
running order. However much this View
OF the case may reflect upon the patriotism
OF our people, it is nevertheless true that it
requires cash inducement to move men in
these days and times, and we may as well
understand this first as last and act accord.
ingly-if we do so in whatever is done
hereafter, we shall save ourselves the dis.
grace Of failure.


Now what course is best for the future in
order to establish County Agricultural
Society that shall be useful and enduring
AS We have no funds on hand, of course
the first thing is to find where they are
coming from.


1st. In the present low state of affairs
there IS no probability Of getting donation
Of $1,000 or so from the county-none what.
ever--so count that out for the present.


I'd. There is no probability that Joint
stock company could be formed at present
with sufficient capital to locate the fair
ground and fit it up respectfully y-none
whatever.


Sd. There remains one way in which the
thing may be done. Let there be meet
ing Of the friends of the enterprise from all
parts of the county at some central place;
adopt constitution making membership
member, always men,
ber-$l 90 membership fec, first year of
each member, atterward tax not to exceed
81 90 per year, to be annually voted upon
the members by the members themselves.
Hold Fairs in different places for few
years at least. thus increasing the member
ship each year; get the benefit Of State help
get up general interest--start the thing
going, being careful not to ''locate" till we
have "pile," and feel sure that it would be
best. Leave future policy to develop itself
as circumstances shall direct.


NORMAN HAMILTON.





SINGULAR, If TRUE.-We have not taken
the pains to look and see If the following
from the N. Y. Ledger, is true, but if it is