Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-10-25


at Washington
tn the Senate and House of Representatives
The Joint Committee, appointed to inquire into the
expedency of Legislative recommendation on the part OF
this State of the establishment in the National Department
of the Interior of Bureau of Agriculture for the promo
on of the great interest of Agricultural Improvement in
this Union, respectfully report -
The founders of our government DESTROYS for the
organization of Home Department. devoted to the foster
ing and of Agriculture and other Industrial
Arts but it that for of proper persons organ
ize and manage such a Department. it laid aside.
AT a later PERIOD Washington recommended an organize
ton entitled ga Home Department of Agriculture" His
conceptions upon this subectike everything else eman-
atng from his practical ar-seeing mind are exactly to the
purpose, compehendng, or less directly about all
that need be said in its favor. They as follows
"It will not be doubted that with reference either to
Individual national welfare agriculture is of primary
importance In proportion nations advance in popula=
ton and other circumstances of maturity, this truth be-
comes more apparent and renders the cultivation of the
soil more and object Of public patronage Instu-
for promoting grow up, supported by the public purse,
and 10 hat object be dedicated w greater proprety?
Among the which have been employed to this end,
none have been attended with greater than the
establishment of Boards composed of proper characters,
charged with collecting and dusing information and
bled by premiums and small pecunary aid, encourage
and assist spirit of discovery and improvement, by stimuli
ating to enterprise and experiment. and by drawing
common centre the results everywhere, of individual skill
and observation, and by spreading them thence the
qohole nation Experience has accordingly shown, that
they are very cheap instruments of immense national ben
Gifts"
The methods of agriculture pursued by our fathers, in
country with virgin soil and sparse population were,
PERHAPS necessarily rude and mproviden but with rap
i'd unprecedented increase of population improvements
in tlage have advanced with corresponding steps,
generally speaking, been of long standing. BY
than half century of bad cultivation the soil of the older
States has become either entirely down, greatly
impoverished of fertility; and insects blights, noxious
weeds &c. the usual attendants of imperfect age have
increased and become accumulated to alarming extent
But the evil does not stop here Too many of our intel
lgen entepising young notwithstanding the sad cond
ton of the SOIL and trained false mpessons-suppose
that the agricultural profession instead of being open
field for the efforts of Science improve, but arena fit
only be occupied by the illerate and unenterprsng
under the guidance of blind tradition. They accordingly
press masses into other cangs filling them overflow
ing and leaving the " Art of Arts to its fate.
The same process of deterioration, which has been
nearly completed in the Atlantic States going at
the West. Although nature by long and most liberal
process has endowed the lands of that section with fer
tlity elsewhere unknown, still they be impoverished
by the hand of man. The graduation to the same climax
which has obtained in the older States may be slower yet,
in the nature of things, it must be Many of the
occupants of those generous Soils under the mis-
taken impression that they nexhausbe which possessed
the first settlers of the fertile of the Eastern States
will probably live long enough to find that, under con-
stanty depicting and careless husbandry what has been
done be done agan-These remarks of sub
jec exceptions; but they still quite generally
true.
While this rapid destruction of fertility has been going
among us several of the States of Europe have been
rapidly advancing in producveness There, Agriculture
is fostered and encouraged by Government Of the
first atanments and in the highest walks of life, devote
their time and talents to its improvement the lights OF
several sciences have been shed upon lands under the
cultivation of ages previous, have been changed within
sixty seventy years past by udcous rotation of crops
and system Of manurng adapted the soil and the crop
increase threefod in productiveness thousands Of
of lands heretofore of little value, have
been drained and under profitable cultivation
and the breeding of agricultural animals has been carried
high perfection in England and Scotland that any ohe
breeds, in the known world, may be improved by cross
with them.
II may be said that such high cultivation not be