New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-08
PATENT OFFICE REPORT. :. PART II.

grR: Arreeaby to year request, l have pre-
.,red. and have the honor herewith To submit,
report On the statistics ard progress Of yc1lsaro
In the United states Tor the year 1910.
The communications received in answer to the
circulars Issued from the Patent OGcs in the usual
form. number. some four hundred. No. afew Of
tbese are extended essays and all contain useful
facts or eestiuns, which have been gratuit0usy
furnished By the contributors. To publish the
whole would require tao large volumes, u place
ofoue Of moderate size aud to eject three ourths
If the matter IN hand seemed = poor return % the
many gentlemen, in almost every State, who have
kindly preferred u cir services TO promote the most
important interest 0l the republic.
Under these circumstances, it was thought not
amss tore-Vrite and greatly oondense three fourths
Of the letters and essay intended FOR the report
This labor has been great, but it has saved some
$40 GOO in printing; and il Is hoped with improve
noent to the document, ard withou. doing injustice
to any correspondent.
TIE undersigned deems it no. out Of pace, in
submitting this report, 80 offer few slgg stons IN
reference TO the ways and means now available
cr the improvement; Of American Agriculture.
T. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
Since 1873 when Judge Bnel introduced the
frat bill to establish Agricultural College in the
State of New-YOrk by Legislative aid, constant eff
forts have been made TO render the study Of rural
economy as science, not less than it's practice as
an art, popular in this country. Twenty-seven
wears have now elapsed, whole generation has
passed off the stage, and New-1ork, with her i've
huHdred Thousand cultivators Of the soil, is stlll
without the first Agricultural School worthy OF the
.sks in haffo nj
Dark as the view of Agricultural Education real
y ia il is the darkness that precedes the dawn Of
a bright and happy day. Men who have labored
for the Improvement OF agriculture, and the eeya-
ton Of Aericultarsts for quarter Of century,
with little bope and less Of pecuniary reward, now
realize the beginning Of an suspicious change in
nublic sentiment Thanks 10 Agricultural journals
and societies, the people will soon discover that
labor and capital devoted to tilage and husbandry
are az worthy of consideration as labor and capital
EMPLOYED in Mining Commerce and Manufactures.
So soon as this truth shall be fairly cOmprehended,
the long struggle of the friends OF Improvement
will be crowned with success, and the victory won
over both ignorance and its traditions
It's indeed, wonderful how long those enlight-
ened. reasoning farmers, who, like Washington,
cherish due respect for their high calling have
had to beg, and beg in vain of State Legislatures
and of Congress, for little assistance 70 prevent
the universal Impeachment Of American soils.
Whatever has been done 20 arrest the exhaustion
Of areted lands has been effected not only without
due aid from Government, bat IN spite OF mlsta'
ken policy which encouraged the removal Of all the
elements Of bread and meat from cultivate fields,
and their speedy transportation beyond the posi-
bty Of restitution. Neither the earnest recon-
mendation of the illustrious farmer Of Mount Yer
non nor the pray ers OF two generations OF agncu.
tur1ste nor the painful fact that nearly all TILED
lands were becoming less and less productive,
could induce any Legislature to foster the study OF
agriculture as a science. Happily, this term, when
used in connection with rural affairs, is no longer
the subject OF riocule.
Some pains have been taken in this report o
prove that one thousand millions Of dollars judi
ciously expended will hardly restore the one hun
bred millions OF acres Of partially exhausted lands
in the Union TO that richness of mold and strength
Of fertility for permanent cropping which they
possessed in their primitive state.
The continued fruitfuluess OF the earth is an in
terest far greater and more enduring than any
form of Government
If the % OOO OF people now in the United States
NAV rightfuy exhaust the natural fertility of one
thud OF the arabic lads OF the country, the $4,000
WHO will be there 25 years hence may properly
consume the pro.uctiyencss of the romaining Two
thirds of Gil American territory
great principle is in, Olved 10 the science oil
agriculture, which reaches through indefinite gen
erstions end forms the basis OF all possible improve
ments and of the highest hopes Of our race. All
advancemt ut is impracticabe In country that
closely spproxmates the condition OF desert.
As nation OF farmers, IS II not Tune Wat we Ia
ouire bv what means, and on what terms the irut
ness of the earth and the health and visor OF It's
invalua able products may be forever maintained, II
not forever improved
These are questions Of universal Government,
20 the careful aud rigid investigation OF which no
man should refuse TO lend listening ear gov
| ernmental policy which results in impOverishing
far 80 n ID.
nIer name il is called musthave al end 1t is only
| n ouestion of time. when this truly spendthrlit
| course this abuse of the goodness OF Providence,
shall meet its inevitable punishment To show the
necessity Of reform, plain estimate has been made,
IN the chapter on Agricultural Statistics 10 prove
| that we annually waste enough OF the elements OF
bread. without which not the first kernel OF corn
caA be formed, to produce one thousand million
| bushels Of this important staple
| The Board OF Agriculture of Ohio estimates the
crop of corn in ls49 within the limits OF that State,
at 10000 000 bushels and 1t will hardly be extra
VACANT to say, that the farmers OF Ohio, Indiana,
| Michigan Illinois and Wisconsin. export a million
tuns OF breads,ofis and provisions, where they inn
| port one tun of the atoms drawn from their virgin
soils to form agricultural products. Can It be sad,
in truth that million tuns Of bread and meat are
| produced from nothingl Wilt be contended that
The earth within the reach of good blowing con-
taius an unlimited amount Of the precise things
| consumed 70 make the ANS, "nOsv q SanlC anu
inorganic elements are taken from the soil, and
never restored II this be true, then all fertilizers
are not only unnecessary, but absolutely worthless
This cannot be so for lands that seventy years ago
produced from 25 to IS bushels Of wheat in the
State Of New York, yield only from six to nine
bushels per acre and in all the Old planting states
the results of exhaustion are still more extensive
and still more disastrous
A lack of mental culture and discipline is the
most serious impediment to the diffusion Of agricul
tural science among the mass Of farmers. Its Ian
guage is to them an unknown tongue Hence the
most sublime truths in the economy Of nature are
shut out from the popular understanding. IL Il
feared that this will ever be the case until schoo'
designed TO teach those braEches OF learning which
the practical farmer greatly needs, but does no
possess, are established and maintained through
ont the United States. So long as we refuse u
plant the seed it is folly to expect rich harves
| acknowledge.