Whole Xo. 003..
orough, (Ed
gecomhc County JY CJ Saturday, Jflil 30, 1836,
Tof. XZJ W 1 7.
The uTitrbnrnu$h Press"
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AGRICULTURAL.
We by before our readers to
day, a short-essay on Agriculture,
which was delivered before the
"Agricultural Society of Nor
folk County" at a lale meeting,
by A. S. Foreman, Esq. Presi
dent of that useful Institution ,and
Leg leave to call to it the atten
tion of all who feel an interest in
I the subject. We are happy to
learn that the bpnng Meeting of
the Society encourages the hope
that the Institution will be warmly
and amply supported. Nearly
forty members attended; and at the
adjourned Meeting which held its
session a few days ago, there were
presentabout thirty members, not
withstanding the inclemency of
the weather. Ve learn the Sum
raer Meeting on the first Thursday
in July, is to be held in Kemps
ville, Princess Anne County, the
friends of the Society deeming
such an arrangement preferable,
as promising greater success to
the cause by insuring it more ex
tensive usefulness than could be
realised by confining its location
to any particular place; as it will
afford a convenient opportunity
for all the farmers in the Eastern
district of Virginia to attend with
out much inconvenience at least
once every year. Norfolk Her. ',
Euaij on Agriculture,.,. Science
and Ait, which were designed by
nature as twin sisters, for the mu
tual benefit and support of each
other, have been from time imme
morial alienated and estranged by
the artifices of designing men; bu
) thank Heaven, they are becom
es happily reconciled. Science,
,lred of spinning hypothetical cob
wtbs iti secret, has at length found
Jot that she is indebted to her
deinised SistPiv nt nnlv fnr
comforts of life, but even for
the
instruments with which she
makes her
V I . OIIU lilt)
?ad,ng herself no longer insulted,
.instead of groping in darkness as
Heretofore, is now making rapid
Ranees, in the perfection of her
lbrs, as she pursues them bv the
'Sit of Science. Every branch
01 the useful arts is now assuming
improved character, as it be
8Ktobe conducted upon scien
inc principles; but in no branch
never is the knowledge of
c principles of more impor
lathan in Agriculture. -A,le
Art of husbandry is un
v"iiably the most ancient of
npture informs us. that
J was sent from the garden of
pro i ,auour or cultivate, the
ton ' Fro,n the earliest ac
Au'us ofthe nations of the East,
'culture was carried on by
"l t considerable perfection.
7 sr0n as the descendents of A-
.. naro were settled in Pnlpstinp.
p became husbandmen, from
,!e hghest to the lowest; high
'.. and rank made in this no
"IpisccUancousT"
considered as the most honorable
of all employments if which the
history of Gideon, of Saul, of Da
vid, furnishes Illustrious examples.
The- Chaldeans, who inhabited
the country where. Agriculture
had its birth, carried that art to a
high pitch of improvement. The
Egyptians, from the fertility ol
their soil, enriched by the over
flu wings nf the - Nile, raised vast
quantities of grain, for the use of
other nations, as well as for. their
own wants. In the purest days of
the Roman Republic, to be called
an industrious husbandman, .was
the highest encomium that could
be bestowed on in illustrious char
acteras witness Cincinnatus
who was taken from the plough to
command the . Roman Legions.
Honorable mention could be made
of Cato, of Phocion, and others.
It was the practice among the an
cient Persians, for the Kings once
in every month, to lay aside their
grandeur, and eat with husband
men; the precepts of their religion
included the practice of Agricul
ture; it was even a maxim in their
sacred books, that he who sowed
the Earth with diligence, and
care, acquired a greater degree of
religious merit, than by the repe
tition of ten thousand prayers.
The . ceremonious respect best
owed on Agriculture in China, is
well-known: there the, husband
man enjoys many great privileges,
while the tradesman and mechanic
are held in comparatively little es
teem. In the beginning of the
Spring of every year, the Empe
ror in person, attended by the
chief men ofthe State, repairs to
a field prepared for the purpose,
and there with his own hands
holds the plough, and turns up
several furrows, the Princes and
Nobles do the same after him, ac
cording to their rank; then the
Emperor sows the seedsf wheat,
rice, millet, and beans, and covers
them over with the soil. Even in
England, to this day, they have
ploughing matches, and the honor
of bearing off the- trifling prize of
a silver cup, is boasted of from fa
ther to son.
The prejudices of Farmers a
gainst all innovations upon their
established habits, are as old as
Agriculture itself. In the dark
ages of superstition, a man who,
by any improved method, contin
ued to grow larger crops than his
fellows, Was supposed to use su
pernatural means; and if he escap
ed prosecution as a wizard, was
at least shrewdly suspected of
dealing with a power, whom his
pious neighbors carefully avoid
ed. Why should the light of
Science be hidden from the hus
bandman and applied to the more
learned professions, when Agri
culture requires its aid, and has
more imperative claims upon that
sublime mystery, than all the pro
fessions besides? Farmers have to
make more use of the powers and
laws of nature, than other profes
sions: they have to use the ele
ments for tools; they are indeed,
practical Chemists, for they have
to make use of the various sub-
Stances which nature has given
them; they have to combine, sep
arate, modify and change both
simples and compound; tneiriarm
is at one and the same lime a la
boratory and a workshop, and in
proportion as they operate in sucu
a way, as to afford the several ele
ments, of which the substances
are composed, and upon which
they are operating to disunite ami
to combine, will be their success;
they depend upon the vegetable
world for a subsistence; their la
bour is upon and among the
plants of the Earth; they have to
change the state of it, and adapt
it to the seasons and the crops;
thev have to "discern the face. of
theskv"and watch the changes
ofthe weather, and regulate their,
movements accordingly; . they
must use tools or implements of
labour; they must take advantage
of the principles of Mechanics, to
practical life; and in this country
they have to contribute largely
to the support and formation of
the GOernment, or upon them
depends the election of rulers and
jaw-makers; they have to admin
ister to the sickness of animals
under their charge, heal wounds
and restore health. Iudeed so
wide'is the field of his labours, so
numerous the subjects with which
he is connected, so various the
operations which he has to per
form, we verily think the Farmer
ought to be the most learned man
upon Earth, for his whole business
of life, is a series of illustrations j
ofthe principles of Science, and
his whole establishment is a scien
tific Laboratory.
You will not object to civen
learning to the man who labors
for our spiritual good -to the
Lawyer who settles our temporal
disputes, or to the Physician who
heals our maladies: then whv in
the name of common sense is it
not equally uecessary for the Far
mer? 1 would not dispute with ei
ther of these professions for the
monopoly of the dead languages,
but for the ever-living
sciences,
for Mathematics, Mechanics, Che
mistry, Botany, Zoology. &t their
subordinate branches, 1 contend,
that where a Clergyman, or Law
yer, has one professional occasion
(or their use, a Farmer has fifty.
By Botany and Chemistry, he
learns the Physiology of his
plants, the nourishment and treat
ment they require, and bv analy
sing the soil, he discerns what is
necessary to maintain atid increase
its fertility. . Zoology anof Natu
ral History, teach him the char
acters and constitutions of his ani
mals, and Mechanics the structure
and use of his instruments. Therejunder no. corroding anxiety re-
is no doubt but those who have no
faith in Book Farming will smile
at the idea of a College-learned
farmer; but how many things have
been smiled at as ridiculous at one
period, and at a subsequent time
hailed and applauded as wonder
ful improvements? The Clergy
man, Lawyer, and Doctor, bv
commou consent are made learned
professions; but poor Agriculture,
whose hand sows the seed, and
whose arm gathers the harvest and , an all ruling and all bountiful
the f vintage, -on which all our Providence. And to borrow the
earthly comforts, and indeed our sentiment of a distinguished
very existence depends, sire can't! French Nobleman: "I could wish
be allowed to teach her sous the to inspire all the world with a
most valuable of ail art! No mat-1 taste for Agriculture: it seems to
ler; we are nothing hut 'clod-1 me impossible how a bad man
hoppers:' if we have learnt our j should possess it; there is no vir
lelters, and can read our Bibles, j tue I do not attribute to him, who
what more can we want to know; , loves to talk of Farming and to
Let ' the disciples of the Old conduct it. Absorbed in this pas
School ridicule "Book Farming' sion, which is the only one that
and laugh at the idea of our sons ; increases with age, he daily over
being sent to College to learn to . comes those which derange the
hoe Corn; but, as I have intimat-! calmness of the soul, or the order
ed, the spirit of improvement is ; of Society, when he has passed
abroad. If we are charmed upon i the limits of the city, (the seat of
i ii;l l : .
viewing a gaiaen upon a small
scale, the work perhaps of a sin
gle but skilful individual, how in
finitely more charming must be
the view of three or four hundred
acres planned and laid out with
the accumulated skill of ge; and
viewed by the broad lights which
Science has thrown upon, the sub
ject, with all the beauties of the
vegetable worlc, and all the use
ful of the animal could any
earthly prospect be more delight
ful.' ., :: -, ; ' '. ;i
Although other avocations may
offer .the greatest prizes in the
"lottery of life" yet if we compare
the advantages of rural industry,
with those of any other of the
common occupations to which
men devote themselves, we shall
find that he who is engaged in
Agriculture, has no reason to be
dissatisfied with the lot which lor
tune has assigned Dvm. - Its su
periority in point of salubrity over
any sedentary employment, is too
apparent to require illustration
and it atloras more ot inose com-
mon enjoyments, which constitute
much ofthe elements of happiness.
than any other state of equal me
diocrity. The tarm yard, the or
chard and the dairy, supply almost
without expense, abundant means
lor. those qualifications usually
termed the comforts of life, besides
many luxuries beyond the reach
of people of humble fortune.
Few persons are indeed insensible
to the difference of mere animal
existence, as enjoyed by the far
mer, who passes his days in -"'the
healthful labours of the field, and
that of the mechanic or ' the shop
keeper who wears away his life at
the bench or the counter. But it
is not in these alone that the ad
vantages consist of all the feel
ings which we cherish, none is
dearer than the consciousness of
independence, and this no man
who earns his bread by favour of
the public, can be said to enjoy
to an equal degree with the Far
mer. Traders as well as those
termed professional men, are ri
val?, jealous of each other's suc
cess, and let this be what it may,
they still owe a difference to the
world, which is often calling to
their spirits; but the Farmer fears
no competition; individually, he
has nothing to . appreheud from
the success of his neighbor he so
licits no preference, and he owes
no thanks for the purchase of his
produce. His business, though
subject to more casualties than al
most any other, is yet so divided
among many risks, that he is
rarely exposed to the hatard of
total failure; the same weather
which often injures one crop, im
proves another and the very diffi
culties of a critical, season opens
a field ofexertion, by which he is
often gainer. Possessing on his
farm all the means of life, he' is
garding his daily subsistence.
He is removed from those colli
sions of interest, and struggles for
precedence, which rouse the worst
passions of the heart; and his con
stant observations of the benificent
dispensatory of nature, for the
care of all her creatures, can hard
ly fail to impress him with a deep
sense of that religion of the heart
which consists in the conviction
of, and reliance upon, the care of
uiuu pnMtai lurrupuuu iu
go and work on bis lands, or to
enjoy them, his heart rejoices at
the sight of nature, and experien
ces the same sensations on v his
lungs, on receiving the pure air
that refreshes them." -
, Nothing tends more to enlarge
the mind, and to extend the sphere
of our national pleasures, than the
contemplation of the economy of
nature; ana to tnose.wnoni i or
tune has placed above' considera
tions of pecuniary advantages, but
who set a due value on intellectu
al enjoymeuts, the study of, Agri
culture offers . an inexhaustible
fund of amusement, as well as in
struction. The same object seen
under different aspects. presents an
infinite variety of feature and
the most slender stock of appro
priate knowledge, if aided by ha
bits of observation and research,
may ;be emiuently -useful in as
certaining facts hitherto unknown
or unrecorded, and in thus illus
trating a science wjiich, however,
sedulously" it has been explored,
still opens a wide field for inquiry,
while even if not fortunate in the
attainment of any material bene
fit, the mere occupation of the
mind in tracing the origin and
progress of zny novel improve
ment, will be found productive ol
the.purest gratification. As the
soil, however rich, says Seneca,
cannot be productive without cul
ture, so the mind without cultiva
tion cannot produce good fruit
AGR1COLA.
Racoon Hunting. AH is now
m a bustle within
ana witnout: a
i i
servant
ights a torch, and off we
march to the wood
'Don't mind
the boys, my dear sir,' says the
woodsman, 'follow me close, for
the ground is covered with logs,
and the grape vines hang every
where cross. Toby, hold up your
light, man, or we'll never see the
gullies. Trail your gun, sir, as
Gen.' Clark used to say not so,
but this way that's it; now then,
no danger you see; . no fear of
snakes, poor things! .They are
stiff enough, I'll be bound. The
dogs have treed one. Toby, you
old fool, why don't you turn to the
right not so much there--go a
head, and give us light. What's
that? Who's there? Ah, you
young rascal! you've played us a
trick, have you? It's all well e
nough, but now, just keep behind,
orl'll' and in fact, the bo vs.
with eyes good enough "to see iu
the dark, although not quite so
well as an owl's, had cut directly
across the dogs, which had sur
prised a racoon on the ground and
oayea it, until me lads knocked
it on the head. 'Seek boy cries
the hunter. The dogs, pitting
their noses to the ground, pushed
off at a good rate. 'Master,
they're making for the creek says
old Toby. On t6wards it there
fore we push. What woods, to be
surer No gentleman's park this, 1
assure you, reader. We are now
1 , . I. . - l ! I
a tow uai; tue sou mmiy cm ?rs
the hard clay; nothing but beech
trees hereabouts, unless now and
then a maole. Hans: the limbs!
say I hang the supple jacks too
here 1 am, fast by the neck
cut it with your knifed My knee
has had a tremendous rub against
a log now, my foot is jammed
between two roots 'and here ' 1
stick. Toby, come ; Toby!
There I stood, perfectly shackled,
the hunter laughing heartily, and
the lads glad of an opportunity of I
slipping off. I oby arrived, and
held a torch near the ground, on
which the hunter, cutting one of
the roots with his hatchet, set me
free. ''Arc you hurt sir" no, not
in the least.
Off we start again. Theboys
had got up. with the dogs, which
were baying a racoon in puddle.
We soon joined with the light.
'Now, stranger, watch and see!'
The racoon was all but swim
ming, and yet had hold of the bot
tom of the pool with his feet.
The glare of the lighted torch
was doubtless distressing to him;
his coat was ruffled, and his roun
ded tail seemed thrice its' ordinary
size; his eyes shone like emeralds.
With foaming jaws, he watched
the dogs, ready to seize each by
the snout if it came within his
reach. -They kept him busy for
several . minutes; the water become
thick with mo; his coat ,now
hung dripping, and his draggled
tail lay floating on the surface.
His guttural growlings, in place
of intimidating his assailants, ex
cited them the more; and they ve
ry unceremoniously closed upon
him, curs as they were, and with
out the breeding of genteel dogs.
One seized him by the rumpj
and tugged,. but was soon forced
to let go; another stuck to hisj
side, but soon taking another bet-i
ter directed bite of his muzzle1
than another dog had just done of
nis tan, coon made mm yeip, ana
pitiful were the : cries of poor
Tyke.; The racoon would not Jet
go; but in the mean time ihe oth
er dogs seized him '.fast, and wor
ried him to death, ei to the last
he held by his antagonist's snout.
Knocked on the head by an axe,
he lay gasping his last breath, and
the heaving of his chest w as pain
ful to see. The hunters stood
gazing at him in the pool, while -all
around was, - by the fire of the
torch, rendered doubly dark "and
dismal. It was a good scene for
a skilful painter. We had now
two coons, whose furs were worth
two quarters of a dollar,- and
whose bodies, which I must not
forget us Toby informed me,
would produce two more. 'What
now?' I asked. 4 What now?'
quoth the father, 'why, go after
more, to" be sure.' So we dicf, .
the dogs ahead, and I far behind-.
In a short time, the curs treed an
other, and when we came up, we
found them seated on their haun
ches, looking upwards and bark
ing.' The hunters now employ
ed their axes, and sent the chins
r
about at such a rate, that or.: of
them coming in contact with-my
cheek, marked it so, that a week
after, several of my friends asked
me, where in the name of won
der, 1 had got that black eye.-
At length the tree began to crack,
and" slowly leaning to one . side,
the heavy mass swung rustling
through the air, and fell to the
earth with a crash. It was not
one coon that was surprised here,
but three ay, three of them
one of which more crafty than the
rest, leaped fairly from the ir.aiiV
lop, while the tree was staggering.
The other two stuck to the hoi lot? :
of a branch, from which they were '
soon driven by the dogs. Tyke
and Lyson, having nosed the cun
ning old one, scampered 'after
him, not mouthing like the -well-trained
hounds of our . southern
fox hunters, but yelling like furies.
The hunter's sons attacked those
on the tree, while the woodsman
and I, preceeded by Toby, made
after the other; and busy enough
we all were. Our animal was of
extraordinary size; and, after some
parley, a rifle ball was sent
through his" brain. He reeled
once only next moment he lay
dead. The rest were despatched
by the axe and the club, for a shot
in those days was too valuable to
be spent when it could be saved.
It could procure a deer, and there
fore was worth more than a coon's;
skin. Audubon's Ornithological"
Biography.
.Egr.-Signor RpssellMjV a
late traveller in Egypt, has- dis
covered monuments there, ivhicU
the Jews adopted ro rafbking
bricks, and which he says is alone
worth a visit to Egypt. From aa
examination of : mummy cloths,. .
also he is convinced that theyr are
of cotton, and that the ancient
word bysus means that plant.
Baltimore Trans.
The C ro uji L Dr. . Fishe r, in
the last number of tle Medical and
Surgical Journal, recommends to
mothers and nurses, when a child
is seized with that dangerous dis
ease, the crovp, to apply immedi
ately and perseveringly, until me
dical aid can be obtained, to the
throat and upper part ofthe chest,
sponges or napkins dipt in water
as hot. as can.be borne, and wrong
out so that the water may not ooze
from them. The remedy 'was
first suggested by a German phy
sician, and has been practised
with decided and uniform success.
(7A question for pedigree
mongers, humbly submitted for
consideration by Samue' Seales,
Alderman of the No-mistake
Ward: "If your mother's mother
was my mother's sister's aunt,
what relation would your great
grandfather's uncle's nephew be
to my elder brother's first cous
in's son-in-law?" 1
;f
i
ict'.on; for Agriculture was
i
I