The national Republican., 1869-01-21
OUR AGRICULTURAL DEPART
MENT


OUR AGRICULTURAL DEPART
MENT.
The fostering care which our Government
has bestowed upon the Department OF Agrieul-
ture Is, In our judgment, a wise provision OF
the State, and must be productive OF immense
good to the nation. The money appropriated
and expended In this behalfout ofthe National
Treasury Is well and Judiciously appropriated,
inasmuch as It tends to build up and promote
one of the chief. II not the very chief, indus
tries OF the country.
Whatever branches OF business Il may be
important for the Government OF this country
to cherish and build up, and we care not how
numerous these may be, provided they tend
to promote the public good and national pros.
pcrity, 1t is, nevertheless, true that agricul-
ture is and must always be the great and lead
ing interest Of the nation. Divine Providence
has signalized to US as people by His gifts,
including the broad acres which constitute
our heritage, that we are-whAtever else we
may be-to be nation OF farmers aud tillers
OF the soil.
II is the province, and we are confident that
under the present management OF our agri.
cultural bureau 1t 10 the purpose, of this De.
partment to lead In that Instruction and en-
lightenment which shall best facilitate and
hasten on that future when all these broad
acres now titled by man, and those aesisasd
to be titled by him, "shsll bud and blossom
like the rose" We must be an agricultural
people, and In the production OF the cereals
alone we can furnish suffcient food for all
mankind. America, whatever other nations
may be, Is fully competent to become the
gransry Of the whole world.
We have been led to these remarks because
we not unfrequently hear persons complain
on account OF the money which the Govern.
msnt Is appropristing and expending to main
tain and carry on the operations OF this De.
psrtment. Without any invidiousness, and
without fear Of successful contradiction, we
affirm that all these objections to the appro-
priations OF money to carry out the designs
and purposes Of this Department are the of
spring ofignorance and prejudice.
Let any man just take the time-whether he
be member Of Congress or MOTTO visit the
department. Let him examine the building
and notice all the plans and arrangements
there made to promote the great interests and
Industries for which this bureau was created;
let him Inquire into the nature, the length
and breadth OF that great work which Colonel
Capron, the present popular Commissioner OF
Agriculture, 10 doingj and, in our Judgment,
he will come away satisfied that no money 10
appropriated from the National Treasury, the
expenditure Of which results In such solid ad-
yantages and eminent utility to the country
the whole country. Col. Capron has opened
a correspondence and established relations
and connections with foreign nations and So
eieties, and also with distinguished scientific
men abroad, which in itself alone, considering
its immense advantages, II Is impossible to
over-estimate In Its valuable results to this
nation.
1t is not generally known that Col. Capron
has established a correspondents with China
and Japan, with Australia, with GREAT
Britain And France, with pretty much all Of
the Germanic Statesi in short, with all those
nations and societies from which we may de-
rive important information and through
which we may receive their seeds, plants and
cereals, all of which are of immense impor.
tance to us as an agricultural people. And
besides this, the Com mmissioner 10 constantly
spreading before the country, in his monthly
and annual reports, all valuable suggestions
and information from whatever source they
may come, whether from our own country or
from abroad. 1t Is impossible to over-esti.
mate the importance Of the great work which
IL going forward under the management and
direction OF this Department.
When Col. Capron entered upon the duties
the report Of 1867. That report Is prepared
and is now In the hands Of the printer, and
will soon be given to the country.
We need not describe the building nor the
grounds, nor the preparations going on for a
greenhouse and for landscape gardening, for
any OF our readers who will take q walk any
day may see all these things for themselves,
In conclusion we may say that we do not
doubt that when the Committee of Agriculture
shall lay all the important facts In their pos
session before Congress, and that body 10
given to understand what 10 being done, and
shall realize its advantages and Importance
to the whole nation, that the Comm missloner's
request will be acceded to, and that ,ufl.
Client sum will be appropriated in furtherance
OF the objects which he has In view. Such
appropriations will be both wise and iu
dicious.
1t Ia fact worthy Of note that the present
commissioner has, In every instance, carried
oh 'he operations OF his bureau without Great.
'"s "nB'e ueheitj or In other words, he has
S eNeeeueu IN MS expenditures the amount
ot MS appropriations. His balances have al
ways ''e" oH tue etedlt side Of his ledger.
-
UNITED AID ASSOCIATIONS The huI ,.,o
duced In the House Of RepresentAtivs, vs.,.,.
Jay 10 incorporate the United Aid Association
OF the Dlstfiet OF Columbia names as incor.
Porators w. H. Wheeler, J, Brooks, J. Boldep.
W. n Wilson, j. 81 Butler, J. NJ. FerrelL !
S. Brent. J. Ebert, @. LorinR. W r poni..
min, J. Tidbail, q. Coakisy, J, Thomnson u
". Barnes, A, Jackson, ii. W. Lee, q u
Beal, .. ohristinni, d: Warner, l.. Jeffries, +
Mathews, W. Smallwood, @. Wheeler, il
TrIRs Tgi@s', n j ui5N. P5SSslasS H. Stevenson, v.
h. Allen s: Winslow, J. +. Fletcher, W, Fer.
guson, j. Berrlll, O. Thomas, l.. Garter, II,
BarEsii Z Robinson, 2. CLARK J: Jordan, j,
w. ": WSre' as wi,N NJ NWe1ster; W: Jackson, J; NJ.