The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-12-24
TUESDAY. DECEMBER 81, 1867,
N1IDDLEBURY. VT.


early hour ON MONDAYS.
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Report Of the COMMISSIONER of Agricul-
ture.
Hon. ]. w. Stokes, acting Commis.
s,aner OF Agriculture, in his report for
December, connratulatcs the country on
the great produciveness Of the year and
the prosperity of the agricultural interests
of the country And well we may find
encouragement in the relief from the d.
minished fruitfuness of preceding years,
in the renewed assurance that seed-timr
is followed by the harvest, in the gralify-
ing evidences Of the increasing interest in
the advancement Of agricultural science,
in the quickcned mental activities Of far
mers, in the disposition 10 experiment, to
tcst alleged improvements and adopt labor
saving c1pedicnts, and in the growing in-
clnation to employ in agriculture, as in
other business, capital, energy and active
enterprise.
An interesting parallel of the improve
ments in agricultural implements is traced
in the last twenty years. In 1917, the
number Of agricultural patents grant d,
was but fyrty-three in 1863 it had in
creased three hundred and ninety; in
1861 to five hundred and sixty-thrce; in
1865 to SIX hundred AMI forty two
while in 1866 the wonderful increase to
one thousand seven hundred and seventy
eight was made: and during ten months
OF the present year, the pgtent>offics has
issued TO less than one thousand seven
hundred AID scvenly-seven. Thus the
number Of agricultural inventions perfect.
ell yearly is now more than forty-fold
greater than twenty years ago.
The establishment of Agricultural
Schcols and Colleges, the interest mans
Tested in these institutions by the govern
ment and the increasing interest in agri-
cnltsCal education by the people lead to
the .ccnGlen belief that n sublime deyel.
opement Of practical industrial education,
howe7cT slowly accomplished, will at length
be realized.
But while we have so many evidences
Ief.prosperity we must not forget the great
Danger Of suffering the land to detcriorate
through neglect, want Of drainage, OF,
failure TO attend to fertilization and syste-
matte rotation Of crops, by which, some
degree Of the exhaustion consequent. upon
an annual drain Of the same constituents,
may be avoided
While in general, the agricultural in
terests OF the country are prospering, some
Of the special interests are langui,hing -
The woo'-lnterest, 50 peculiarly our own,
involving a capital of hundreds Of
millions, and unlcrl jing the agriculiu-
raj prosperity Of a large portion of oar
state, has been only just saved from utter
annihilatlon by the action of Congress in
placing duty upon the foreign article
equivalent to the internal taxation of the
d0meslics. This action was taken 50 tar
Oily, however, that importers have innict
ed heavy blow upon our interests and
caused them to languish, by inpoltations,
during the tendency Of the question, Of
more wool in a single year, than were
imported in three years during the war
1t is to be hoped that a premium will
never again be given to foreign produc-
tions either Of wool or wooens, by impns-
ing higher tax upon American than
upon foreign wool growers, and that the
present and harmonious adjustment. bare>
ly saving the two classes of producers
from loss and consumers from becoming
tho ultimate prey of foreign monopoIists,
may lorg be undisturbed, even by the
threat of agitation for repeal
The following exhibit of the sta.isti cs
gathered by the department for the pres
ent year may not be devoid of interest
and we append it.
In comparison with 1860 the table OF
numbers and prices of farm STOCK, exhibit
decrease Of six per cent IN horses. with
slight increase ovsr the exhibit Of the
previous year. The heaviest loss is shown
in the south; the most rapid recupera
ton in the west. Prices of horses have
refrigerated less than values of other stock
during the year.
Cows appear to be increasing more
rapidly than other horned cattle, as re-
suit, in part, OF the success of tho associa,
ted dairy system
Sheep, it is claimed, have nearly dou.
bled in numbers since 1860, increasing
from twenty three to more than forty
millions, and their wool from sixty to ono
hundred and fifty millions nf pounds
There has heen an increase in swine
since 1860 nrinrinallv in tho ,yas,