Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-12-03

/ furnIs he'd TO American eutsrdrise This cau
IN MS Judgement De very property and protit.
ABLY done by suosidts - Ines OF s,e9 m4rs
slrsady esta blished, 81 a con sderation for ear.
| rylng the ocesn mails.
REPORT OF THE ACTING COMMITS.
SiONER OF AGRICULTURE.
| John w. Stokes, Esq, Acting Com % Missioner
| Of Agriculture, IN his report, expresses tn
! wish that Congress will devise some plan for
! facilitating the early construction OF 8 soi ,
canal for the rranspori alton OF western pro.
| ducts from the lakes to the ocean, or fer to-
| building OF double track railway, open 70
| all, forwarding OIL equal terms, aud supported
| by an equitable system of tolls.
The Woodworking interest," IN volving a can
| itai Of hundreds of mill ions, and underl living
| the prosperity OF American agriculture in a
degree scarcely appreciated by farmers them
selves, has been saved from threatened ami
hilatIon by the action OF Congress IN pla ciu 2
duty upon the foreign article equivalent 70
the internal taxation endured by the wool.
growers.
The unsettled condition of industry OF the
southern States requires the CIRCULATING al
and friendly recognition Of the Government
10 restore the people to a state of prosperity
ana self-reliance, so essential TO the de yalop.
ment OF the great resources Of that section.
He advocates that the cotton tax Be rescind- :
ed, as II ID disastrous and disheartening in the
extreme.
The Introduction OF Asiatics for cotton pro-
duction is TO be deprecated. Such labor is I'M
skilled, and far inferior TO negro LABOR, ana
lealousies and prejudices of races widely dif
fering In character, taste, and traditional Gus
toms.
The cattle plague or rinderpest having dis.
appeared in Europe, he advocates the repeal
or modification of the law prohibiting the I'm.
perta'ion Of cattle.
He suggests that the compensation by law
for the Commissioner of Agriculture is en-
tirely inadequate, and recommends an in
crease OF the same.
The dis rlbution Of plants, from the expert.
nary ], to May s, 1867, announced 10 ~ ig3,
reaching every State and Territory in the
country. The articles have consisted mainly
OF 0r.n me smaer variety OF fruits Of which the
purpose OF the garden, that OF testing the
respective merits OF new varieties, is still kept
sulctiy IN view, and all new varieties are
procured as early as practicable, and the
knowledge gained concerning them embodied
In the department reports.
The department building b wing been located
upon the reservation now used al an expert
mental farm, an arrangement OF the grounds
In manner more in keeping with the sur-
roundings and new Improvements becomes
necessary As farm, il has long been evil
dent that the area is altogether too limited for
the requirements Of the nation; seeds become
lntermixeo, and the products consequ ently are
Unreliable he therefore suggests that the res.
ervanon be devoted to the purpose of forming
an -srboretum Americdnum, or grand national
aTboreturn, where the unequalled arboreal
wealth OF the country may be collected and
planted in accordance with a strict ho,anicai
system, and AT the same time tx hibit the hish
tst degree OF landscape effect. This has long
been desidera'um With scientific men here
as well as In foreign countries, and it's import.
ahce mas very frequently been impressed upon
the department.
AT the experimental farm tests of seeds of
cereals and garden vegetables, both foreign
ana domestic, have been successfully con-
tihued, though the area cultivated is quite too
limited for the best results
vi inc 90 varieties included in the experi
ments there were 50 Of winter wheat ID of
spring wheat, OF winter rye. Ii OF spr ng rye.
~ OF barley, 20 OF oats, 10 Of corn, - of grass
secs, % OF sorghum, Of sugar beets, IS OF peas,
70 OF sweet potatoes, and % OF melons The
spring wheat was a failure almost necessarily
IN this climate. Tests should be made in the
norm and northwest. The winter wheat was
Picsuat+d oy storms late in the spring The
New Brunswick oats attained the best res ults
30 oosneis OF ~ pounds. The greatest Weld OF
rye was al the rae OF az bushels OF SIS pounds.
VI Inc thirfy-siX varieties Of potatoes i'm.
Guiding the most noted and popular of this
country and Europe, the results OF last wear
are substantially repeated. Those standing
niRnes. were the Goodrich, Orono, and Sama-
rltan Ihis season the Samaritan drops TO sixth
on me list IN point of productiveness and the
nrst tnree are the Goodrich, Orono, and Cole.
SIook sssdhne, yielding at the rate Of three
hundred bushels per acre.
an The chemical laboratory of the department
analyses and tests have been con family made
70 ascertain the value and utility of various
products, fertilizers, minerals and fibres the
benefits OF which the country are reaping
correspondence has been held and informa.
ZION ana advice given. on making ST gar from
sorghum. Attention has been given TO a solu.
uon OF the question, as to the extent of terrific
Tory OF the United States, in which the sugar
beet may be grown tor the mauufacture OF
sugar and IN what respects the climatic pecu
ilarlties OF the country, between $50 and 4,s
north latitude. compare with the beet growing
districts Of northern Europe
The new building for the use Of the Eepart
msht Ii progressing rapidly, and rs now ready
for the roef. The promptness and energy with
which the contractor has thus far progress sed
with the work warrant the confident belief
That At Will be completed under the terms of
the contract and within the appropriation by
ihe first day of March, or very soon there
after.
Further appropriations will be necessary for
heating, furnishing fixtures, and grading OF
grounds and walks around the building the
cost or which has been submitted in tn psti.
mates for the expenses of the Department for
Inc next fiscal year. and will be duly pre-.
sented TO Congress for consideration.
Ibe Glover M useum has been purchased
and duly transferred to the Government
Inere has been expended out OF the appropri
alton for the current fiscal year, eixty-fiye
thousand one hundred and eighteen dollars
leaving balance OF ore Hundred and thIrte n
thousand nine hundred and two dollars. to
meet the demand for The remainder OF the wear.
which IL considered sufficient for the purpose.