The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-01-11

w Ill cAtciU COmtQe0SuTdtc Will Tile uIult6Q
powers conferred upon the General Govern
ment. ~ A - -
The end to be accomplished by the Or
ganization of an Agricultural Bureau would
lie precisely that which is sought to lie at
tanned in more prescribed sphere, by this
Society The analysis of soils in the differ
ent parts of the Union, the fertilizing agents
proper to be applied to exhausted and un-
productive lands, the furnishing of seeds
best adapted to the diversified soil and eli
mate Of our common country, the time and
mode of sowing, planting and harvesting,
the best and most economical farming i'm
plements to be used, the relative duration
and value of the different kinds of timber,
all these and many other topics Herewith
connected, to be tested and verified by re-
peated and complete experiments, would be
thus con6ded to Department specially es-
tablished for that purpose, with all the
means at command requisite to the attain
ments Of the proposed objects. ./.,.iii
The importance to the farming opera
items of the country to he derived from such
Bureau, cannot be over estimated. Facts,
and not theories embodied in the periodical
publications from that source, would pene-
trate into every corner of the Union, and
would serve to introduce beauty and harmo-
ny into field labor throughout the country,
substituting order and method for extrava-
gance and waste In an address delivered
by me in March last, before the Dakota
Agricultural Association, I adverted at
some length to the necessity Of such a Bu-
reau being formed; and indeed / have for
years regarded it as indispensable. In the
same production, mentioned the fact that
France expends large sums annually in adj
vancing the different departments of agri-
cultural science. Russia has her agricultu-
raj societies and schools, and SO have Eng
land, Austria and Prussia, also Wurtem-
berg, Saxony, and the other minor powers
of Germany We do not ask Congress to
enter into an extended sphere of operations
but we have right to expect that some
encouragement will be extended to those
who follow the pillow, and who contribute SO
greatly to the power and prosperity of the
nation.
One great evil attendant upon our present
mode of cultivation, is that of attempting more
than can properly be performed. This is doubt.
less caused by the great amount of arabic lands
to be obtained at small cost, and in some cases
by poor ambition to boast of the number of
acres we have in crop, Actual and repeated
experiments have shown that larger and more
valuable crop can be secured from forty acres
we'll titled and attended, than from double the
number wastefully and negligently cultivated.
Did we manifest one half the care in preparing
the ground, and in sowing the seed in this fer
tile region, that is bestowed in England or the
Atlantic States of our Union, the yield would
be more than we can now conceive of. There
every foot of land is valuable, and is made
available for production to its utmost extent,
while with us, the preparation of the ground
is only half attended to- and little care is evinc-
ed in the choice of seed, or in the manner in
which it is sOwn and harvested. Time will
eventually apply cure to this evil, but it will
only be after much waste of human labor, as
we'll as of the fertilizing ingredients Of the
soil.
In onr prairie region, we have yet enough of
| timber, for the greater part, for all practical
uses, was it husbanded as it should be. I'm
fortunately, the eye is too often cast over fields
denuded by the farmer of their stately forest
trees These should rather be preserved with
Jealous care, for their destruction will be q
source of unavailing regret to himself and his
descendants in after years, when they cannot
be replaced.
There are many other topics which might
properly be noticed in this paper, but they
must be left for future presentation by an ADLER
hand. Among these may be enumerated, the
probability of raising fruit among us-the
kinds best calculated to resist the rigor of our
tho ofxx UNTO nd no
proper seed to be used-the relative value of
the grain crops, such as wheat, oats and bar
ley-the mode of sowing and of harvesting
to be adopted-the kinds of stock best adapt
ed to our climate-especially the best varieties
of sheep to be introduced-these and other
kindred subjects should be discussed in clear
and practical manner-with view to subse-
quent action ON the part of this Association.
Agriculture is rapidly assuming the prom
ncnt position to which its intrinsic Importance
entities it. 1t is indeed our chief reliance, and
the surest guarantee of our national indepen-
dcncc Our commerce with foreign countries
might be swept from the ocean, our manufac-
tories closed, and yet, much as we might suffer
embarrassment and Inconvenience, we could
bid defiance to all our enemies, But with the
possession of region extending almost from
the frozen zone to the tropics, we can raise
within our own borders, every article Of the
nccessaries, aud many of the luxuries of human
life. Without the supply of cotton furnished
by our Southern States, the operatives of
England would starve, and in seasons of search !
ty it is from our granaries that she must draw
daily bread for her suffering people. 1t is to |,
the ranks of the agricultural class, which COM
poses the large majority OF our population.
that we must look for the perpetuatiOn of our
free institutions. Dwelling far from the corrupt
ing influences of city life, they watch with vigi-
lance the workings Of our political machinery,