New-York daily tribune., 1865-07-15
|Deparsaseus'sf Agriculture tts Monthly
Rcports.
To "a. Edit, Of tn. NJ Y T,ib.ns

SIR: From time to time there have appeared
taneously in certain newspapers such compliment
sry foreshadowings OF q forthcoming number of the
above ed serial such highwrought praise OF
one lust Issued thet Lave been niuced 10 obtain as
many numbers as could be procured OF publication
represented to he valuable As carefully peruseJ
these pamphlets II was difficult to realize the feet OF
their being the reports complimentary referred TO-.
until upon comparing them with tue notices 1t became
evident that the latter represented he substance OF
thi 20 hoped fOr-the evidence Of things not seen;
that they invariably the work of the same pen,
and that Of who better understood tie contents oil
their reports than their quality In truth, OF one who
figured first In their prepsrationnot one OF the notices
having been prepared outside the Department OF Agr'
culture. Having thus disposed Of the newspaper puff,
by which was deceived, and critically examined the
reports am prepared to state incontrovertibe
TRUTH Of which contradiction Ia deed that these pub
lcations are SO far beneath that dignity Of style and
Of expression which should attend official
publications. their contents so ordinary. incon'
sistent. ard Trustworthy a. TO render them
Of positively perncious tendency, While the
giarng defects In grammar tho evident want of scen.
to or practical knowledge Of agriculture in tso com.
pler the absolute ignorance displayed OF the first rudi
ments OF political economy and common arithmetic,
sink ttcm inoomparnby below mediocrity. When We
see pretcutious inculcaton Of wisdom combined with
such Q mass OF puerile ahsurdiy. impaired through
crude ard common place mi1iIls affecting knowledge.
to the corruption Of good tSte and tho disperagement
OF scieLce. tho spectacle becomes ludcrous Cordially
asserting 70 the nxiom that "unlearned men who
make no pretensions to knowledge II they show them
selves modest In what they profess are not to be des
pissed udervaued for the want OF learning. and are
not subjects of criticism Unless they assume to be
snthors and write for the public" II Is far from my wish
to reflect personally upon IT,. compiler OF these reports
who Is altogether unknown to me- even by sight The
pablic however. Of which form part, has no sym.
patty with o5trusive ignorance emanaling from
positions which require nigh order Of scientific
and when men assume snch responsibilities and lrnns.
cend clearly defined duties TIE performance OF which re-.
qures all their capacity and pre'une 10 Issue to word
crude and erToLeous tfeorics Of political economy,
science which the wisest comprehend WIN dnhculty,
when with unbushing ofroniey In sentence e1pres'
sve o ignorance They proclaim their fitness to iusrete
and affect ability 10 direct the great commercial ana
industrial interests Of this country it should not be OK.
pectrd that official y, salon viii forever can0nze fher
errors supposed that sooner or later essays which
have become public property viii not be represented In
all their assumption and absurdity
The condition Of the agriculture In the United states
the Southern portion erpecinly-depands something
beyond pur lie pnDlehtlohs anhlt tno ,nat "nhe,
cannot stand the OF far criticism should he amended
or al aied Tue lureau 81 Agriculture shonld issue
something worthy the cOmmendaion OF The independ'
ent agricultural press and worthy the dignity of TIE
country something to command other than selWrltten
praise ihe compliments Of an Austrian newspaper. or
the enooninms o newspaper corrc.pondent purchased
MI the expense OF the public gardens.
In conclusion. propose TO make good the truth OF
every segston In this communication. II my state
nents shall be- gsnsayed. hy simply quoting e'racts
from the numbers Of these reports In my possession
q nj IA
Judge from tho beautiful collection OF eXfec's the
moderation VI ORATOR