New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-05

as YET, tut AgTlCuiiuIG DCP1ff ~NNN 70 NV
even Bureau-it is in form but c'erkship sabor-
dinate TO the Pat, Mt Office which is i'seii suoor-
dinato 10 the Department Of the l0ten~' For
long time il was suppOrted-so far as it was per-
mite3 TO exist-by al annual abstraction fiptn The
funds Of the Patent Office. At length Congress
grew ashamed of pundering the cash-bOx Of the
Inventors, themselves for the most part needy aud
pcupiless, for the support Of an important branch
of the public service and for some years past an
appropriation of ten TO sixty thousand dollars bss
been annually made from the Treasury for the pur-
chase or production of rare and valuable seeds for
the prosecution of analytical researches into tho
structure. economy and requirements Of plants and
into the nature and habits Of insects which blast
the hopes and nullify the exertonS of the farmer.
Prof Glover of New-York. in the pay of the Gov
eminent, devoted the last season mainly to the in
sects which attack the Cotton plant, and his con-
illusions are embodied 10 the late Agricultural Rs
port The next season is in like manner to be de-
voted to the Wheat plant, on which the rayages Of
insects have in this country proved more extensive
" and persistenty ruinOus than on any other.
Should this course of observation DO patiently pur-
sued through the next ten or twenty years, and the
results duly recorded and profted by, we may ra-
tionally hope for such counteraction to the annual
deyasta,ions Of these little cormorants will
millions of dollars annually to the farmers of our
country.
Il do not propose here to comment on the con-
templated changes in the constitution and respon-
sibilities of the Agricultural Bureau. Let US see
the bill which Mr.. Holloway is undoubtedly pro-
pairing before we pass judgment on the changes
which ii proposes and embOdies. will to-day
again call attention to the fact that the disposition
TO afford some Legislative State aid to the pros
ecution and progress OF Agricultural Science is
manifestly extending, in spite of inveterate preu
dice and strongly. grounded objections. Thus Penn
syvania is now erecting buildings for State Agri-
cultural College, on q noble farm of two hundred
acres, given for the purpose by Gen. VIM lrvin. To-
Gated in Centre County, near the east end OF the
great limestone valley which runs south westwardly.
thence through that State and Maryan into Vir-
pnia. understand that the State gives $4,000
a year toward this College, while large cOntribu-
tons have been made by spirited citizens In
addition to the munifcent gift aforesaid. And now
see that Maryland has just chartered similar
institution. to which the State promises So, 0O0a
wear from the time that $50 900 shall have been sub
scrbed in aid of the enterprise by individuals. I
quote the preamble to the act as follows:
"U1ereas, 1t hath been represented to the Legsls-
ture that certain wise and vrtuOus citizens DESTROYS
of nsttutng and establishing in some convenient 10
caty within this State Agricultural College and
Model Farm in which the youthful student may espe-
csy be instructed in those arts and sciences ndspen
able to successful agricultural pursuits; and whereas
it doth appear to this Legislature that while the wise
AID learned in the present age have cultivated with
laudabe industry and applied with admirable success
the arts and science to other pursuits, the
most necessary, useful and honorable pur-
suits of agriculture have far been most lamentaby
neglected; And Whereas it is the province and duty OF
the Lit pslaue TO encourage and aid the philanthropic
and patriotic citizens in their efforts to dsse inmate
useful knowledge by establishing an Agricultural Col
lege and Model Farm which shall, in addition 10 the
usual course of scholastic learning particularly ndoc
trinate the youth of Maryland theoretically and pract
cally in those arts and sciences which, with good
ners and morals shall enable them TO subdue the earth
and elev ate the State to the lofty position its advsnta
ges in soil, climate &c, and the moral and ments
capacities of its citizens entte it to attain; therefore
be it enacted &c.
will quote one section of the act, in order to
show what, in addition to the mere teaching of Ag-
ricuture science to its pupils, this Maryland
Agricultural College" is expected to do:
SEC 6. And be enacted, That il shall be the duty
of the said board of trustees to order aud direct to be
made or instituted said model farm annually series
OF experiments upOnbe cultivation OF cereal and other
plants adapted TO the latitude and climate Of the State
of Maryland and to be carefully noticed upon the
records of said Institution the character of said expert
ments, the kind Of soil upon which they were UNDER
taken the system of cultivation adopted, the state OF
the atmosphere and other particulars which may be
cessary fair and complete understanding OF the re-
suit OF said experiments; and they shall also require the
instructor of chemistry, as far as may be consistent
with his other duties in said Institution, to carefully
anslyze all specimens Of soil that may be submitted to
him by any citizen of this State, free of charge and
specially furnish the applicant with an accurate state
ment of the result
Il have more to say on the general subject
especially on the serious difficulty Of preventing
these Agricultural Colleges from degenerating into
hospitals for superannuated politicians but this let
ter is already so long that must forbear. H.G.
CONGREss-THE ENGLISH QUESTION.
From Our Own Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 3, 1856.
Although the Naval Committee of the Senate
dsavowed any warlike purpose in passing the bill
for the construction Of ten sloops-of-war this
morning, still it was quite manifest from the char
acter of the discussion, that this precautionary
measure originated under some other inspiration
than an exclusive devotion to peace. The extern
sion of our commercial and territorial connections
undoubtedly requires a larger protective naval
force than has heretofore been necessary, and it
by no means unlikely that the demonstrated ability
of such an element of defense may be usefa in pro-
venting difficulties which still threatening Tho
recent boasts Of England, that on the event OF
war our commerce would be swept from the ocean,