New-York tribune., 1867-06-24
THE DEPARTMENT or AGRICULTURE


THE DEPARTMENT or AGRICULTURE
The death of the Hon. Isaac Newton, Com
missioner of Agriculture. is announced. Whatever
may have been his deficiencies. he was an ama-
BILE gentleman, his personal friends were many,
and he had the proud consciousness OF having
acted TO the best of his ability. lie laborei
under the great difficulty of being Obliged to
organize a department entirely new; neither
our own, nor any other Government, had iur-
nished a model, and the greater part OF MS
term was during the war now 80 happily closed.
Under such circumstances, he must have disap-
pointed many. even had he been emincntly
onahfcd. During the last year, decided mn
movement was dscerniblc, and, undoubtedly,
Mr. Newton had marked out plans for still
greater efficiency. But whatever these may
have been they still would have fallen, not 50
much perhaps below what the majority ex-
Dected as below what the country needs. Upon
the meeting of Congress this department should
at once I've made a part OF the Government,
and the Commissioner might, perhaps become
member of the Cabinet National prosperity
il founded upon agriculture. Whatever may
be the trumphs Of science, OF art, commerce.
or invention, agriculture must take precedence
The future Commissioner Of Agriculture
should have no sectarian mind. In the wants
of New England of Illinois, OF Louisiana. and
California, he should be equally Interested IL
is of still greater importance that he should
know what those wants are. ALREADY Tor
want of this general knowledge. the science ot
agriculture il becoming confused. Rules proper
to New-York are Of little value 10 kentucky,
aud still less to South Carolina. IL Is necessary
TO recognize that our country has distinct
climates not only on lines of longitude north
and SOUTH but also lines of latitude east
and west. No country in Europe, including
Russia and Siberia, has such a variety OF
climate as ours In other lands these diyersi-
ties would make distinct nations aud races.
Now, if we wish these various aud remote
sections to harmonic and "a be equally pros
perous. the foundations must be laid in develop
ing their peculiar capacities for producing food.
All efforts will be in vain unless the majority
OF the common people can bc wen Tel ana
clothed There il no doubt but we lave some
sections where the people do not under
stand what their soil is best capable of
producing. The inhabitants of such, coming
in competition with those of other sections
more favored will be oppressed by the natural
poor and degraded From this cause, nations
have sunk into barbarism nor can the down
ward tendency bc avcrted by knowledge or re-
ligion. In other and in wide sections the soil
is naturally thin, and, beside it is subject to
immense damage by washing in heavy rains;
and here, too, similar results must follow, un-
less the knowledge of new and better sys-
TEN shall be impaired. Other sections, though
possessing fertile soil, scarcely can be made
habltable for the want OF timber and fuel.
Even in some of these regions though the eli
mate and soil are favorable for choice anu valu-
able productions, still they yield some of the
staple articles of daily food so reluctantly
that the people are put to great loss in making
exchanges; and yet, by proper management,
they could be supplied with the needed anti
cles at home.
We cannot afford to let one part of our ma
ton fall behind another part for the want
either of means or knowledge TO make il equal.
In self-defense, and to carry ont the grand
scheme of giving liberty to a continent of men,
and of difusing knowledge, we must reorgaD-
ize the Department of Agriculture on basis
broad enough to meet the demands of this
progressive age on free American SOIL We
cannot too strongly realize that what was
proper for an age passed away, and which in
no respect was remarkable, Is insufficient for
this. Were there no other consideration the
rapid increase Of our population demands all the
knowledge and skill that we possess that the
| supplies of food and clothing also may increase.
| 1t is true, we can go on n few years longer;
| but the time rapidly approaches when every
acre of land must be brought into cultivation.
| Then, TO feed and clothe our people as we are
now doing, to preserve the comforts and the
| purity of homes and our cherished institutions,
we must have a development In all the various
branches of agriculture and horticulture far
superior to anything how known ON the face
of the earth. e~ .l
With these views before us, we should lay
broad foundations, and select the best man in
our nation to ill the vacancy recently made.
still, we must not look for every quality TO be
| united in one person, but he should have cor
rect general ideas, and he should possess enough
| sagacity and executive ability to select and to
employ fit persons to carry out his instruc-
| tions
t., tha bal; of