It was
truly gratifying to see, in the reliable "Marlbro' Gazette," such a
good account of the late exhibition. It says:
"Those who visited the
Prince George's Agricultural Society in former years, must have noticed the
gradual improvement in the various departments—and in every thing exhibited at
its late meeting there was displayed more perfection than on any previous occasion.
The contributions of the ladies were both useful
and beautiful. The display of fruits, flowers and vegetables, excelled the rich
collections of former years. The stock yard was well filled with superior
animals, affording ample proof that the attention bestowed on raising improved
animals has more than compensated for the care and expense. We cannot do
justice to the fine cattle exhibited—and must content ourselves with referring
to the reports of the various committees which will be published next week. A
most interesting feature of this branch was the competition for the 'Calvert Premium.' It will be recollected that the
liberal and zealous friend of agriculture, C. B. Calvert, last year offered,
through the columns of the Gazette, to give the male calves of his celebrated
Durham stock, free of charge, to such gentlemen as would oblige themselves to
exhibit them for the premium of die Society, annually for three years. Eleven
gentlemen availed themselves of the offer, and the committee who passed upon
the calves, speak in the highest terms of their appearance. They have made an
interesting report on the subject"
Truly,
there is a great difference between giving
away improved shorthorn calves, and selling them, as in England for the last
forty years, at from fifty to one hundred guineas. It is well that something can prompt gentlemen of ample
means to take measures for the improvement of their stock; but after all, the
question arises, how far is it expedient, with a view even to general
improvement, to give away the means of accomplishing
it, unless it be to men of spirit unable to buy t
In
the general way, that is not most valued which may be had, even without the
trouble of asking; and when those who are able to buy wait to have a thing
given to them, to whom can they expect to sell? Will not the next generation
wait not only to have the best things given them, but sent them in the bargain,
with a polite note entreating them to accept? By-the-by, though we have read
with lively pleasure the account of the show, we have looked in vain for any
indication of a desire to inquire into the laws of the State that bear upon agriculture. Whether, for instance, something
might not be done to enable the planters and farmers of Prince George's, to
avail themselves of their unemployed means of raising as many more sheep as
would add fifty thousand dollars to the income of the county, without an
additional outlay on that amount of one per cent.? Are there not streams enough
in Prince George's to manufacture all the cloth that is used in the county, and
might not the county supply the wool fine enough for all purposes, and the
vegetables and corn, and fruit and meat for the operatives employed in its
manufacture, without intrenching on their present income from other sources?
Why forever persist in putting their trust so exclusively in tobacco? Suppose
even that the duty was to be reduced in England, and the consumption quadrupled
or quintupled: have we not in the west land enough and labor enough that can in
no way be o profitably employed as in producing tobacco at four dollars a
hundred? And is it not, therefore, morally certain, that the supply will forever
tread closely on the heels of demand, and so keep down the price? Let, then,
the planter and farmer of Maryland and Virginia study how—by what action of the
government—those who manufacture iron and cloth for us abroad shall find it
their interest, and be tempted to come, and, while they are manufacturing for
us here, eat the cabbages, and the turnips, and potatoes, and apples, and milk,
and butter, and veal, and mutton, that might be made in Prince George's, with
half the labor and cost that they are made in New England. Then he would sell tons, where now he sells pounds weight
of wheat and tobacco.
We see in these proceedings at
Marlbro', conducted by gentlemen of acknowledged and superior intelligence, no
attempt to agitate the question of the fence laws, and the inspection laws of
the state—though the fencing in that very county has cost more than the land
would sell for. When farmers meet, one would suppose it would be to inquire and
discuss, as merchants and manufacturers do, the bearing of the laws, and policy
of the government on their particular pursuits; but, alas! for instruction in
all that, they surrender the privilege of thought and inquiry to old field partyleaders, whose orders they implicitly obey.
The whole country may be compared to a great pyramid, the base of which, broad
and strong enough to hold all the rotten materials above, is composed of the
substantial farmers and planters of the country. The next tier above consists
of the seekers after numerous small offices, for which they rely on the
influence of the next tier above them again, composed of a smaller number, who
aspire to something a little higher—state legislators, &c, who, in their
turn, are the creatures of lawyers without briefs, and doctors without
patients, looking for seats in Congress, rising up at last to an individual
sitting in a great palace, who holds the purse-strings—who constitutes the apex
of the political pyramid, and who saves, to all below him, the trouble of
thinking for themselves; and in regard to whom it sometimes happens that still
the wonder grows that one small head should carry all he knows. Such is the
system under which the farmer and the planter allows himself to' be governed,
without any attempt at individual inquiry and independent action. Societies
seem to be organized, not to inquire into the political economy and condition
of the landed interest, but to giveaway, for large calves and fat sheep as much
money as they can collect—while those in whose names and for whose benefit they
associate, continue to pay $15,000,000 a year for military establishments and schools.
[1] American Farmers' Magazine, Volume 1 J Nash. (1848) p. 365 http://books.google.com/books?id=31hTAAAAYAAJ&dq=farmer%20pyramis%20prince%20george's&pg=PA365#v=onepage&q=farmer%20pyramis%20prince%20george's&f=false
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