Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-10
NUMBER 50.
WASHING TON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, April 26, 1866.

fully realize the great Importance OF the
department of Agriculture ? Do they all
know what the object of it is Presuming
that both questions are answered in the
negative, propose to give brief sketch
of it, and the purpose of its establishment
Prior to 1862, all there was of the De-
partment, was rather insignificant divis-
ion of the Bureau of the Patent Office, and
though its work even then of assisting the
farmers, horticulturists, stock growers &c,
of the country was considerable, Congress
saw the Importance of establishing sep
arate Department. devoted exclusively to
Agriculture and it's kindred sciences.
In May of that year. law was passed
creating the present Department of Agri-
culture the general designs and duties of
which are, in the language Of the act, to
acquire and to diffuse among the people
of the United States, useful information on
subjects connected with Agriculture in the
most general and comprehensive sense Of
that word, and to procure, propagate and
distribute among the people new and val
liable seed and plants" The design con
templated by the act is being carried out
to the almost incompatible advantage to
the various industrial pursuits of the coun-
try Many rare and choice grains and
roots have been by this Department, which
extensively cultivated now, might not for
centuries have been brought to our country
but for this plan.
To illustrate, will just mention the sin
gle article of Sorghum which was impor-
ted and distributed throughout the country
by the Department (then only a small cor
ner of the Patent Office in the year 1854
And now see Of what immense value to the
country and its avenues is this simple pro
duction In 1864, the ammount Of Sorghum
molasses raised and manufactured in ten
Western States was l5,630,25 gallons,
which at go cts. per gallon, low estimate,
amounts to over nine and a quarter mil
lions of dollars The State of Pennsylva-
MIA the same year produced 49, ,2l0 gallons.
The product is now permanent and prom
inent part of Western agriculture, and the
breadth of land devoted to its growth is
rapidly increasing each year.
A great many varieties Of choice foreign
fruits have, under the supervision of this
Department, been imported and tried and
added to the fruit growing wealth of the
United States. Stock raising and sheep
husbandry have been equally promoted by
its experiments and aids. In the Propaga-
ting gardens of the Department are tested
all sorts of plants, vines &c. The seeds
and cuttings are also distributed through
the country from Maine to California and
from the northern Lakes to the Gulf and
placed in the hands of persons engaged in
the various departments Of farming. These
experiments bring out the merits and de-
merits of the many kinds tested, and the
same is reported to the Department. This
system enables the Department to answer
almost any question in reference to the ad-
aptability of different kinds to the several
soils and climates in which the experiments
are made. This information is imbodied so
far as practicable, in the monthly and an
nual reports.
Mr.. VIM. Saunders, the Superintendent
: of the propagating gardens, is a man every
way qualified for the position he holds IL
his selection, the commissioner has shown
first rate discrimination, for Mr. Saunders
knowledge of al! that pertains to the veg.
etable world, is probably not surpassed in
this country The Department has Lab
oratory for the purpose of chemical analy
} sis
The Museum of the Department of Agri
culture is a very important feature of it.
D have not space here to give anything like
e full description of this very useful coIlec
tion, but will merely mention few of it
prominent points. Here are to be seel
. many models of different kinds of fruit, al
I ranged in such manner as to show tn
e effect of soil, climate, and cultivation upol
o their size and quality. There are a larg
Z number of insects carefully engraved O
b copper plate and colored By referring to
IF book containing an index, whose figure
e correspond with the numbers on the plate
u at each insect, the character of any of th
~ various species of butterfly and insects ma
# be ascertained For instance, if farms
discovers a certain kind of butterfly in h
le orchard, he can, if apprehensive of DANCE
= send specimen to Prof. Glover* who, b
a. reference to his index and plates, can a
N certain at a glance whether or not tt
worms hatched from the eggs of the pa
ticular butterfly, are injurious to frui
A. Whether they are or are not his enemies
nd and by further reference, the kind of bir'
destructive to the particular insects al
fe worms is ascertained The forms, habit
and characteristics of different kinds of
ed sects, enemies of the farmer and hortio1
turist may be learned at glance from t
ne colored plates which hang on the walls a
the catalogue attached thereto Two sid
of one of the rooms are devoted to birds