The national Republican., 1867-08-17
THE DEPARTMENTS.
Agricultural Bursau.


The bureau 10 now having prepared q lode.
msnt, more fitting its purposes than It's present
location, In the Easement ofthe Patent Once.
Congress, at It's last session, made an appropria.
tion towards meeting the sxpsnsss; speolhcations
have since been prepared the contract for build.
Ing awarded 10 Francis Gibbons, jr., and the
work Is now begun.
The new Department Of Agriculture, which
Il In progress Il located on the reservation west
Of Twelfth street, and between the Smithsonian
institution grounds and those Of the Washing.
ton monument It's foundations are made At The
intersection Of Thirteenth 9rset west with
line running west from the centre Of the Smith.
sonisn building. The recent rain has somewhat
washed the excavation for the foundation. but
the hrst few hours Of clear weather will see that
all Is In good condition.
The building Is to be Of brick with French
room slated, and will occupy the same relative
position In the reservation In which II Is placed
as the Smithsonian Institute docs In the old Mall
The northern or main front Of the building will
be 169 feet 10 inches long, with two wings each
33 feet inches long, which will project three
feet from the centre part. The south front will
be OF the same length, having In the centre q ~
feet semi-circular staircase projecting nine feet
The centre building will be some seventy feet In
height and the wings somewhat higher.
The basement will contain the apparatus for
supplying the building with hot and cold air;
also cellars and packing rooms. Acce. Is to be-
had to the basement BY outside doors, north and
south. The second story will contain the Agri.
cultural Museum, 103 feet long, 81 feet wide, and
20 feet four inches high In the clear Light will
be given to II by semi. i.orcular. topped windows,
feet by Is feet in size; Il will have an imposing
doorway and q bold stucoo cornce extended
around the ceiling. The wings willcontain rooms
for Offices and will each be divided into three
stories, while tho main building win be composed
Of the basement and the spacious museum de.
scribed above. The attic stories, twelve feet In
height, will DO covered with French roofs, but
will not be finished inside at present.
The eastern, northern, and western fronts Of
the building will bs Of hue pressed brick, the
base faced with Seneca sandstone. Tho doors
and windows arc to have ornamental cornices
rosettes keystones, DO, of cast iron or brown
stone The roof will be crowned with cast iron
ornamentation running along the upper edges Of
the French roofs tho slate thereon will be set In
polygons, and be colored Of two tints. Tho YES.
tibule corridors Of first story and tair.landinss
will be laid with tiles Of plain pattern. The
main stairs are to have ornamental iron rails
and will be lighted by large sized window,
furnished with ennmsled oolored glass The
vestibule staircase and museum arc to be fres.
coed In water colors, with panels, rosettes, cor.
ners, and finishes, executed by skilled artists.
Tho design Of tho building, photographed BY
Brady, exhibits Q neat, substantial structure,
well htted for the purpose to which 1t Is to bs
devoted.
Tue CRops.-The last monthly report made to
the Agricultural Bureau by Its shtieian says
Never hiss the Department been able to report
so favorable prospect for uniformly good crops
since tho establishment Of this division" For
three years past tho product Of tie wheat crop
has been about Eve bushels to each inhabitant
Iu 1850 II was Eve and half bushels to each
person. The promise for the present year is
about siI bushels. The statistical returns for
July show an improvement in the winter wheat
over last year In every State excep Texas, Ne.
brasks, and Minnesota. The average Of corn Is
unusually large, every State showing an increase
except Maine, Now Hampshire, NeZ York, and
South Carolina. In the Southern States the In.
crease ranges upwards Of lO2 per cent. Rye
shows great improvement. Barley slows from 20
to ~ per cent. increase. Oats has sfull average
In the West and South, but Is slightly less than
last year in Maine, Vermont, New Ysrk, and
Kentucky. Hay increases from IL to 80 per
cent. Potatoes show larger average In every
State except New York, Ohio, and Indiana
Sorghum falls Of, Ohio and Indiana Indicating
deficiency Of IA per cent. in acreage and 10 pe
cent. In condition. Tobacco shows ! heavy do
cline In acreage and condition. In cotton thor
Is increased acreage In North Carolita, Georgia
Alabama, and Arkansas. Tho aveiage Is th
same aH last year