New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-08

stitutiona weakness, and are less able TO endure
rude treatment in violation OF the laws OF vegeta-
BILE life. On many plantations the vital force OF the
sugar cane Is nearly exhausted; and this office IS
strongly urged to procuAVlrom countries wheref the
plant Is indigenous, and grows from the seed new
stock both Of seeds aud rattoons, for the use OF
planters In cultivating this tropical plant in dis
tricts bounding its the north much care and
some science will be found highly useful.
Both seeds and cuttings Of the best fgs and
olives grown on the coast Of the Mediterranean
should be procured through Americans consuls
resident at the different cities on the borders ofthat
sea. Figs and grapes. oil and wine" will some
DAY be rumbered among the staples Of the Southern
States.
There is reason to believe that the most in
proved varieties Of wheat grown in England and
France will be valuable acquisition to this cOun
try; pha our wheat growers would esteem il al
especial iavcr II only few bushels were procured
for general distribution With the small sum ap.
propriated for the purpose, about eighty thousand
packages Of seeds hare been put up and distributed
within the lastthree moaths With betterorganl-
cation, and greater iacilries for collecting SEEDS
and cuttings, vastly more good mi ht be done.
There are uow some 100000 copies Of agricultu-
raj papers aud periodicals. printed. which crcul ate
more or less in every Stale IN the Union. These
are doing an invaluable service 20 the county
They cannot however, enoct laws TOR connecting
aunUaly reliable statistics OF the results Of labor
tistics ioru the basis OF all reiorms-oi all pro
eress State Legislatures must aid ia this great
work If knowledge is power ignorance Is
,reokness; and the removal OF this weakness Is one
Ct the highest duties of every republican Govern
ment. Either the Assessors or Collectors OF state
and County taxes should be provided with blanks
to collect useful information, as well as money,
from the people.
VII. HOW CITIES EXHAUST THE FERTILITY OF
There been enough of the element OF bread and
meat wool and cotton drawn from the surface OF
the EARTH sent TO London and buried in the ground
or washed into the Thames, 10 feed and ciothe tue
entire population Of the world for century, under
wise sy stem of Agriculture and Horticulture.-
Down to this day, great cities have ever been the
worst desoators of the earth. 1t is for this that
thew have been SO frequently buried many feet be-
meath the rubbish of their idols Of brick, stone and
mortar, to be exhumed IN alter yea by some anti
ouarian Layard. Their inhabitants violated the
laws OF Nature which govern the health OF man and
secure the enduring productiveness OF the soil
How few comprehend the fact that it is only the
elements of bread and meat evolved during the
decom sition of some vegetable or animal sub
stance that poison the air taken into human lungs
and the water that enters the human system, IN
daily food ard drink These generate pestience'
| and bring millions prematurey TO their graves.
Why should the precious atoms OF potash,
which organized the starch in all the Hour, mea,
and potatoes consumed in the cities Of the United
States in the year $780, be lost forever to the
| world? Can q man create new atom OF potash
or of phosphorus when the supply fails In the soil,
as fail it must under our present system OF farm
economy2 Many broad desert in Eastern Asia
once gladdened the husbandman with golden har-
vests. While America is the only country on the
| globe where every human being has enough to
eat, and millions are coming here for bread how
long shall we continue to impo5erish 80 acres In a
hundred of all that we cultivatel Both pestilence
and famine are the offspring OF ignorance Rural
science is not a mere play thing for the amusement
| of erowingup children. 1t is a new revelation OF
the wisdom and goodness of Providence human
| izing power winch is destined to elevate man al
| imme asurabe distance above his present condl-
ton To achieve this result, the light of science
must not be confined to colleges it must enter and
illuminate the dwelling OF every farmer and me-
chanic. The knowledge of the few, no matter
how profound nor how brilliant, can never com
pensate for the loss sustained by negecting to de-
yelop the intellect of the many.
No government should be wanting in sympathy
| with the people, whether the object be the pre-
| vention of disease, the Improvement OF land, or
the education Of the masses Ooe per cent OF
the money annually lost by reason OF pop
ular ignorance, would suffice 10 remove that ig-
norance.
1 nave the honor TO be- with great respect,
Your obj servant DANIEL LEE.
Hon THOMAS EwBASK, Commissioner OF Patents.