Demoine courier., 1855-01-25
the society placed upon a sure and per

marent basis.
In behalf Of this society. therefore,
the committee would invite your earnes,
attention and favorable consideration Of
our respective bodies, referring you to
The wisdom Of those enscrmen,s which
animated The Legislators of other States.
And the COMM tee would feel tina,
their duty was but half performed, if
they omitted to suggest another method
besides direct appropriations of money,
which, IN an important sense, would be
a very great auxiliary. not only in giving
to county and State agricultural societies
their greatest utility, bu, which would
bes,ow its benefits upon every farmer of
the State, and indirectly upon every cit.
lzen of The State. And this Is the es.
,~ablishnen, Of an agricultural bureau a,
the capital Of The State, with a secretary
and other officers attached. whose duties
should be defined aud prescribed by law
Such a department Of State may mo- be
dIssimilar in its objects and purposes to
the same bureau connected with the
Patent office department al Washington
city. Connected with this bureau, as
an indispensable adjunct. should be one
or more State ~geologisls and agricultural
chemists. who should be constantly in
The field. making their experiments and
observations. To ,his branch of the
bureau might be referred every scieu,ifc
question calculated to meet The progress.
sive demands of agriculture. such as The
analy sis OF the soils, and of the different
fertilizers or manures, the food upon
which every plan, mus. live. from whence
obtained, whether from the earth o, air;
The deficiencies Of the soils to the growth
of particular plants, the causes of ex.
hauslion OF soils, the means Of restora.
lion, when nature will supply the def.
ciencies, and when man must DO II for
her; the principles upon which alone a
J"dicious rotation of crops can be ap.
piled to a given soil. The office or mis-
sion OF agricultural chemistry is to ex-
plain the whole process OF vegetable life.
and 10 furnish to The lillers of The soil
every useful fact or information which
bears upon the economy Of field labor
or general husbandry.
The Iowa Farmer wants TO be adver.
tised Of the newest and best mode Of
culture IN his own STATE. climate ard soil.
IL should be The business of this Depart.
menl OF State to supply this Information
IN the most authentic and reliable form;
also to gather up The practical experience
of the best farmers in The world, and to
circulate the same quarterly or annually
in the form Of cheap tracts, broad cas-,
over the State.
The result would be, first, greatly TO
elevate the standard of agriculture, in.
crease production, and add 10 The wealth
Of the State. Second, TO prevent an
early deterioration of the soil, under the
present forms Of CARELESS and random
cultivation, by giving back to il. under
the directions OF science. those ferlilizing
agents which each successive crop alb
siracts from the same. Lastly. the a.
chievements of agricultural and organic
chemistry. in lis due application to the
business of hu%sbandry, will ultimately
'See ~ nv VI d2IiCutkuId
schools. upon experimental or pattern
farms, where the whole circle of the nat
ural sciences will be taught and practc.
ally applied, without which il is qdiie
safe to say that the highest capabilities
Of land culture, horticulture, and stock
raising can never be elected.
The proprieiy, then, Of establishing
an agricultural bureau, with suitable
functions and officers TO aid in working
out The great practical problems of agri-
cultural science, is respectfully submit.
ed for The consideration of your honora.
BILE body. believing that you appreciate
The importance Of exhibiting an example
Of correct and successful iiIlage in all our
borders. and tina, a high degree of cult
vstion will ever find It's material elements
in an educated hasbandry.
GEO. McCLEARY.
r. g. LOWE.
GEO. S. HAMPTON.
GEO. GIILASpY-