Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-02-12
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY H. 1903.
------.s
rne Agricultural Department.

We give place below to the remarks ol oeh-
s:or Foot, upon the amendment Pfopos0o "
A. Sonato F;nonca Committee to reduce the
appropriation, for the year ending June ooth,
1884 for aoricultaral purposes, from Sl5O,OOO
., oo,,,;neJ ia the House bill, to S65 ,0Oo.-
uho question of maintaining an efficient de-
,.rtroenr Of Agriculture at Washington, for
the purpose of obtaining and disseminating in
formation upon this subject, and introducing
agricultural improvements among the people,
has been much agitated for some time past,
and long and interesting discussion took
place thereon IN the Senate last Saturday (the
3lst ut. in which Senator Foot took prom
inent part. His remarks cannot fail to be OF
great interest to all our readers, and especially
TO those concerned in agriculture, which, as
"the great paramount interest OF the country,
the interest underlying and sustaining all the
other interests - obviously should not be forgot
ten or neglected by reason of the engrossng
demands Of war.
The amendment referred to being under dis
cussion, Mr.. Foot said: .,.
Mr.. President, | am inclined to favor the
proposition of the House BILL which recon-
mends an appropriation of Sl30,O00 for the
benefit of the agricultural interests of the
country, or directly in aid and support OF the
Agricultural Department winch was created at
the last session of Congress, and consequently
am opposed to the amendment recommended
by The Committee on Finance to reduce the
appropriation from $l30, 900 to 500 900.
If there is any act of the present Congress
which has received the favor and approval Of
the countrJ more generally than any other,
aside perhaps, from those acts pertainl g di
rectly to the prosecution of the for the
suppression of the rebellion and the restora-
ton of the Government, tits the act establish
ing an independent Department of Agriculture;
and no act, [ am sute, would be received with
more general disfavor and disappointment than
that act which shall strike down, or which
shall, as this amendment proposes, essentially
Curtail and dwarf the operations Of that De-
partment. Such an act, in my Judgment and
from my information would seriously disap- |
point the just hopes aud expectations of the
agricultural class of our people, class which |
very largely outnumbers all other industrial |
GLASSES combined.
hardly need say, what everybody admits, |
and which is but repetition Of common and |
trite remark, that agriculture Is the great, par
amount interest Of the country; that it is the I
great fundamental interest which underles
aud sustains all other interests. 1t is, indeed |
the great sustaining power and resource of the
Government; and yet ask you, what has
the Government ever done directly in the way
of sustaining, of encouraging, and OF stImulat-
ing this vital interest? We are Obliged to an
swer comparatively nothing, except so far as
IL bau Of |
6cially ant sometimes prejIdicially, by the
general legislation Of the Government.
After years Of solicitation, by petitions and
appeals 10 Congress for aid, at least, for some
recognition of tne claims OF the agricultural
interest to some small share in the patronage
Of the Government, it was at last admitted, if
mista ke not, in 1889, to very subordinate
position, not 20 the position of department;
not TO the position of bureau, even but
as mere appendage to the Patent Office Bu-
reau in the Dep rtment of the Interior, and
$1,000, as has been stated by the Senator from
Maine, was appropriated for It's benefit. This
Was q st p, however though a short one, in the
right direction. 1t was a recognition of the
claims Of this great industrial interest to the at
tentIon and care Of the Government. / be-
lieve it will be admitted on ali hands that
much good has resulted from it. Its useful
MSS, however, was necessarily limited on ac-
count OF It's very subordinate position, and on
account Of the very little consideration it re- ,
celvei flom the Government, its small number !
Of clerks, ana its very stinted means Of ope-
ratiCn.
The present Congress at its last session man
ltested It's appreciation Of the importance of he \
farming interest to the country, and of it's Z
claims to the consideration and fostering care
If tne Government, by the creation of an in
dependent Department Of Agriculture. whose
operations should be exclusively rected to
he advancement Of that great national inter q
,st. This act was everywhere ceyed with
avor aud satisfaction. Much good was expec-
TED from it much good IS now expected from u
1t much good may be impaired by it TO the =
agricultural interests, and Indirectly to the in
erests OF the country, provided you give it II
he meaus for a full aud fair trial 1t NAV be $
made the agency-aud that is the object Of the =
Jepartment-of important agricultural i'm Il
'rovements; of Improvement in the quantity II
nd quality and variety of agricultural pro- q
'ucts, by the introduction Of new and varied u
'nd valuable seeds, cereals, fruits, and plants
n testing by chemical ANALYSIS the different c'
,lnds and qualities Of soils, and their peeuIiar al
da2 2taton 10 particular products and more ie
han all, by stimulating a general spirit Of ao d.
lcultural improvement among the people. p
lhls present department has already opened e'
n extensive correspondence, as / am informed.
NTH practical and scientific agrlculturists at al
ome and abroad. 1t is already receiving an st
wers IN large numbers, many of them con- at
aiming valuable and important information I'll
I Is also receiving valuable contributions in "
he way OF seeds and plants, in great variety d
nd Of rare and superior quality and our III
lrmers are calling for these they are ANXIOUS zt
try their culture, by way of experiment. W
'ome Of them, 1t Is true, may prove unproduc =
We. Many others, doubtless, will prove sue TO
eSstu and remuneratlve This depends in a ca
cry great degrees on the character OF the soil &c
nd the climate, as well as on the modes of l
tn
The article of sorghum, for instance, spe-
es OF sugar-cane, to which reference has al re
lady been made, a few years ago was intro be
ucei, through the agency of this little agri- es
llturai Off e, this attachment to the Patent WI
thce Bureau, and its cultivation tried in ma IN
Y OF the States. 1t may not prove to be = ar
lccesstul or profitable cultivation in the ey- Ia
eme northern States, but am told that tbe
'ocucton from this article alone the past on
sar IN the three States of Ohio, Indiana and
linois, was yield of forty million gallons of
Irup or molasses, of very fine and superior
lalItS, and of an estimated value of at lea.st
Cotton atd rice, and many other articles,
le cultivation and growth of which lave been p.
eretofore almost exclusively conf-1ed to the -