Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-09-11
-s--,-r For the Muscstine Journal.
Agricultural Department of tlac
United St0teS.

..a--.r..- For the Muscstins Journal.
Agricultural Department of the
United states.
FRIEND MAHlN.-I to-day have received
from our Department of Agriculture it's sec
ond monthly report of the condition of the
crops, for the month of July. 1t is small
pamphlet OF 20pages, containing condensed
and tabular statement Of our leading crops
throughout the loyal States-a most interest.
ing and valuable document, which ought to
be in the hands of every farmer and reading
and thinking men of all classes for agricul-
ture is the foundation Of our country, en-
ploying directly three tifths of its population,
its wealth, its trade, and commerce. | will
tender my services to assist you, Mr.. Editor,
in making extracts from time to time, of such
items as most interest the people, for we look
to the universal press to give us such valu-
able information as we may need. For some
years have seen and felt the want of this
information, and have often sought opportu-
mites to circulate petitions to Congress to
establish this Department. We have for
nearly twenty years had an Agricultural
branch in the Patent Office which had been
useful to a great extent, and yet it had fallen
into many errors through the ignorance Of its
managers, and political favoritism. But this
Department of our Government being more
independent, and having called to its aid some
of the best Agricultural men in our country,
we begin to see its improvement. Yet in its
beginning our government has so limited its
powers and operations, its Offices and officers
being confined to its rooms in Washington,
they have been obliged to call on the gratuit-
Gus assistance of farmers all over the country
to report the condition of the crops, their
failures and the causes, the daily statement
of the weather, &c. And after all this SER
vice has been gratuitousy rendered, Con-
gress, in their contemplate pressure upon
the la6oring classes, have refused to pay the
postage on our reports forwarded to the
Agricultural Department. To further assist
this greatest interest of of our nation l be-
lieve our government ought to have an Office
of Agriculture in every State, and this
United States Officer should be the Secretary
which should be gathered up every year,
through the census department or assess
ments.
The principal European Governments have
their Agricultural Departments most thor
oughly organized all over their countries, yet
no country has so great an agricultural inter.
est as ours, and no people since the days of
Adam were such universally reading peo-
pie. Then let US demand that this Depart
ment and its usefulness be extended.
Please make the marked extract from the
fourth page of said report.
SUEL FOSTER.
The favor given to the first monthly report
is gratifying to the Department The pur-
pose had in view meets with general approba-
ton, and letters communicating it are
constantly received. The difficnities that
surround the undertaking seem to be appre-
ciated by many, and the time essential to
perfecting the plan is accorded by all.
The aoheat crop is safely arvested, and it
is one of the best, if not the very best, ever
grown in the United States. 1t is not free
from local injuries, but this is true of every
year. A correspondent from Indiana thus
writes on the Sd day Of August: "Wheat
threshng has been in progress for ten days,
than was anticipated. Or one farm last year
the yield was an average of twenty bushels
per acre.; this year five. Some farmers put
the average below eight bushels; my opinion
is that the crop for this county will not vary
much from ten bushels per acre." Although
the threshing often exhibits injuries not be-
fore suspected by the farmer, yet the returns
to this Department ncesprng show much
less injury to the crop than usual 1t mus,
be regarded as most excellent one now, but
the returns next month, which will be based
on the threshing, may somewhat modify this
opinion. An interesting enquiry with every
farmer is, "What will be the probable foreign
demand for wheat ?" Large as was the crop
Of last year, the general activity at home in
most branches of business, and the heavy
foreign demand, assured to him rcmunerative
prices. So long as the war lasts the same
home demand will prevail, but present indi-
cations are not favorable to so great foreign
demand. All accounts represent the English
crops as very favorable, but still they may be
much injured before they are harvested
This Department ought to be placed in close
connexion with our consuls abroad, so that
interrogatories, similar to those answered by
our home correspondents, might be addressed
to them.
The following table shows the exports OF
breadstuffs from the port of New York for
the first seven months in the years 1861,
1862, and 1868, ending July 81 of each
year:
1861 1862. 1863.