Smyrna times., 1856-11-26
The Patent Office nsnort.

Report is one OF unusual interest to the farmer, "
containing fund Of information not to be found ~
elsewhere. The Philadelphia Ledger says: W
"The department spares no pains to get &C =
curate information that will assist the husband
mau in the prosecution of his labors, and ena- =
BILE the producer and the merchant to estimate
the value of the various great aples of the .
country upon which its trade depends" ~
The Commissioner proposes the &C. operation
of the several States in procuring statistics of
personal and real estate as a means of giving
greater stability to prices. and Ike trade and
commerce less speculative and uncertain in
their results.
The experiment of introducing and distribu- .
ting useful seeds, plants and cuttings, obtained
from foreign countries, as we'll as different re-
sions of our own, has been very successful. and
will richly compensate for the cost. The Turk
ish flint wheat in the Middle States has proved
highly adapted to the soil and climate, and its
quality of grain has been much improved. Its
yield is thirty bushels to the acre, which, in
theaarea annually planted of ordinary wheat,
would increase the production fifty millions OF
wealth Of the country. The King Philip or
) broom corn, obtained from an island in a New |
Hampshire Lake. has been extensively cultiva-
ted in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Virginia, and yields from eighty to one
hundred bushels of shelled corn to an acre.
The Chinese sugar cane is OF easy cultivation
: : in the Middle States, and produces seven tons
of fodder to the acre. Its juice may be con
: verted into sugar, syrup, alcohol or beer, and
} may be used for dyeing wool or silk perma-
= nent red. This plant is considered more USE
II ful than any introduced into the country since
% the introduction of cotton and wheat. The
e German millet has proved very productive the
Chinese yam, good substitute for the potato,
'e has succeeded well; the earth almond has ma
le turalized itself, and proved very prolific; so
'e the Persian walnut, the almond, the cork tree
'e Many varieties of the prune and other fruit
trees, have been successfully cultivated, that
III we shall probably supply the wants of the Union
Sc with many kinds of fruits now imported in
III large quantities. There has been large amount
:" of medicinal plants, and those used for cond
NC ments, distributed and cultivated with advan
tage, others for their fibre and for their useful
ness in the arts; but our limits will not allow
US to enumerate all the kinds aud varieties.
mere reference to them is sufficient to show III
scope which is embraced in the labors OF tn
: Department, and how useful those labors ar
. likely to be TO the country at large.
The report also contains well written an
= valuable papers on domestic animals, and th
- influences which changes of soil, climate an
ov- food have upon them; very interesting an
able description of the various kinds of insect
-, which affect vegetable growth a highly usefi
paper on fertilizers and the conversion of tt
,L fecal matter of cities into manures, by deodor
zation-a subject as important to the healt
,L comfort, delicacy and true economy of lare
cities as il is to the interests Of agriculture
Another subject, which is treated of INTEL
gently and interestingly, is that of clnatolog
r showing the benefits which abstract scenC
:. - cOnfers upon agriculture, which should remo'
:. some of that prejudice which practical farne
~ have to "book knowledge" 1t matters b
little whether a knowledge Of correct natur
:. principles is derived from hooks or from inl
.L vidual observation; they are equally true
Ala their application, and no rational mind will I
ject the experience OF others which is the rest
es," e'"0a.o ''n''"' o"u "'ou'@'' o0'e'
tions. All the improvements and perfection
art depend upon the advance of general scien'
~ and principles are as important in agrcultu
as in any other branch of human knowledge
ii