, 1870-12-02
AGRICULTURE

F&A daZzle, IAatirR until 4 ia&a hour.
6enot Robarts and wife atAlt on thAiE bridal
our this morning,
AGRICULTURE
Repent Of Commissioner
CaPFons
.FfoHR The RaaAtxp5ou ckronicle, Npy -
From the preliminary report Of General !
cspron for tho present year ws give tho fol- |
lowing abatrset:
The Commlsaloner begins by expressing
bis gratidcat1on at being Abla to represent
the great interest OF agriculture ~ pr ospa1-
ous, although be asseTts that tho present
season haa been one to test severely the
capabilities OF our soils, Ho say8, however,
that the fact Of Increased production, In !
seaEon rem1rkible for excessive hest, In
country assumed to be Gzble to tnjurious az
nas tg q ss soe aaa sysaso ., # ss
available depth md fertility ct our arabic
lands
An examination in detail or the facts OF the
years. production, IL tie light Of enlightened
agricultural experience and Of science applied
to husbandKy, would furnish hints to in.
adopted generally would tncrease The present
value Of farm production to the extent OF
e500, 600. co., It would do nnre-it would
tend to the inc1ease Of the fertility Of the soil,
which now, II nine farrna cut Of ten, ia an
nnslly decreasing, and it would Proportions
bly, advance it's lntr1nslo as well as mArket
value.
l. ia gratifying to believe, from indubitab1e
evidence, the examples OF rational and
recuperative culture are relatively inereas-
Ing, hoEeSes slowly, and gradually
maEIng inroads upon the obstructive, ira
examples ne most numerous In tho Middle
States, are aeen with comparative frequency
in the older SECTIONS Of the West, sre found
oocaMonally in New England, and arc begin
ring to be no. ed In the Southern States; bat
theIs u 40 State IN Ehieh e1h.u.tirs .gd
the cost Of good land is lesa thsn the interest
on its intrinsic value. and its yearly income
may ba enhanced 1T the expense Of the per-
manent Investment, there ia little hope that
present necessity or ahort-sighted greed will
fail to work It's Improvement; but with high
prices, both Of land and libor. It il more thln
folly to expect remuuerative profits from
unsysteuatio and unscieuti1c culture :
After specifications, the Commissioner dis
cueses the subject Of industrial education.
he refers to agricultural colleges in existence
II nan5 Slater, md sa5s that he u confident
q vital power In the land. which colleges
weighted with 3 " curriculum Of studies Of
Classical ages can never exert; but It will be
many yesrn before their beat fruits will begin
to appear, and many mistakes will be made,
{eoIne Of them, possibly, almost fatal in their
their highest utility will occur, and inefticiency
will undoubtedly mar the beauty OF their
practical results but ultimately, when the
| grand idea Of practical educAtion in America
shall be fully c1ystalized, aud their
faculties shall be composed Of Young
thcee institutions snd under the influence Of
higher progression In phyaicsl and pract1ca!
science: then their true utility and beueaceni
influences will begin to appear. In view o1
this he respectfully suggests the importance
Of m authorization, ,by Congress- Of com
nietion, under the direction Of the Agriral
tursl Department, to examine minutelT th.
plan of organization, ths construction Of build
| mgr, management Of grounds, and genara
workings Of the industrial colleges organizet
under tho Congressional land grant, With In
structions to report to the uexs Congress- To-
Of institutions ct ni1ailz< character yet to bs
The Commissioner thinks It Il to be 70
GREETED that 80 many still adhare to the i'm
practicable idea OF locomotive traction. The
reports Of the actual work Of tho five steam
plous now In operation In this country are az
temely fsvorsbIe to the fdea Of ultimate snc
GERS In the solution Of the problem Of stean
| In r1oEinK "a An adjunct Of opr agriculture.
6nk cuitue in California hsa been attends
with crest success up to tbs present time
silk cn1tuIipts claiming that tha climate OF thu
State is peculiarly adspted to tho rearing o
s1k-wo11ns On account Of ths dr7ness I'D
equality OF tho temperature, and the rare oc
cu11enee Of sa7ere thunderstoz.nA. In Uta
experiments hare been uRade with success
feeding the wolms upon the leaves Of th
I oesge Grange instead OF the mulberry Th
silanthua, ID now perfectly aechmated: Al
breeds in the open air In Brooklyn, Philadel
phia. and other places, yet as Jet I have hear
nothing Of tho u1e Of its coeoons in msuufat
ture. Two other elk-producing worn
AAaens ydmu moi and pernyi, have bee
bred this season IN Brooklyn, but are yet to
ecarca 10 be Of any value-..
The Commissioner speals Of the Ciuchot
or Peruvian bark tree n: one deserving gro
consideration. The supply Ia limited and pE
csIiour, with no MEANS Of extension BY prop
CATION Or cultivation in South American y
one or more nstional plantations It points 8
Looted On account OF their favorable cliuAt
Influences. The time IL noW opportuna i
, commencing such = work, since supply
young trees ii easily obtAinAh1e from sour
whence no real difficulty aslafug from tzsnspc
= cation Of the CinchonA has been comrnene
!, : n the experimental disiGsono{ the dep1rtme
; with highly successful reaulta: and sevel
: hundred specimens now On hand wiu be
creased to thousands whenever facilities I
!; Afforded for testing tho feaeihility Of sncee
I fu1 growth in theopen ar. The Commissio1
: granted 81 Congress for shis pp5pose.
:. Tbs Cumrniasiuuer, zfter- Tefa11tnr to I
= high order Of talent required IN the clen
force Of the department, sa5B that for q
y l1bof the most meaNe compensation ONLY
= odexed, md It is found difficult 70 obtain
~ inc1ease Of suitable seryice, md impossible
l +Fa 1r hat zfr
10 which ia found to be most Efficient and re-
= bic, wh1le that which IL practically useless
a. the purpose is offered IN unlimited ueasu
~ He therefore belieTes thAt = just and wise
: vision OF clerical salaries would greatly
~ crease the efadency Of the department
~ The work Of the past year ineludes the {
- lection Of the facta OF production and exp
:. imeut throughout the world, the pubicat
4 Of general md special reports, investigate
u + In natural science initsEelation to rural clio
81 the Introduction and propagation Of 4,
SSp md enforcement Of fam products By
~ di.se uination Of seeds and planta-
~, The Commissioner again calls attention
hs the important necaaa1ty Of establishing
y. division Of veterinary surgery In the dep
"a neut- Be e1yb tho value ot stock lost An
lily from diseaae is enormous, and threat
not only to decimate onr animals, but to
X. pose tho human family to diseAss from
consumption OF uuHholeaona meAta.
AquAfto edition Of the Espofta ar1aing Il
The cattle diseases investigation, condut
under the AUSPICES Of the department, g
Of them never before puh1Iahed, ia in Col
- ..Tns enrrespmdsnes Of tbs entomoloe
division has 1lIre1y Increased during the J
inquiries in regard to no1ious Insects hs
l.. :been reeefTcd from Ill pArts OF The coun
Tha cottan army-vntm appears TO have
1eAs destructive than usual, and 3eT 9
| n].3rts ~ 1nsa firm, other cnttuu insects
: been mAda, While insesta injurious to 4
). md vegetables have been unusually nn'
and ous and destructive It Is in contempt. y.
the to publish. whenever Suitable at1Ioo!!..
sna given for the printing and illnst1ataon, ~
sies on entomology, prepared y ne oen en smnr
Sen- insects Of each order will be sccah 1.au
M ured unon copper-pIite, znd Rhscn ~ !
e1ns declsred. by those cenpet<nt 10 1anse'
.h1s rnnst complete snd exhaustive e1os'
son- made in this direction .,,.,,a .aditj
giau Dn1ipg the 3eaz maat ,aan1 sa'uno nnder
:. =, rhsrrs al the ertomobeist, by volnntay
r. :nsa fr;hnfiops or exchange, Wataout tna ~
LIE :snv Annnopriatiou whatsTar Tor the pu1e
I1.ss nf new or rHsc Hpacanans. .
Il ~ The department hsEbst'Gn oont.n1es :, !.
81 " reire largo aecessions to its uAts1iA fof
ts.,..,c studv and ulustration Of the Fe
'ne hIs EnrdoH. The additions fof tho pr
~ ,ve.r .1rrsdv exceed four thousand spl
hasa us Tha design Of establishing It the seat Of
70 ernmsnt collection. of pI1nts ,Wortn!
~ name of 4 rational harbatluln Is thua ID
.unt eeas Of zspid accomplishment at oompaI
y 5TSa 1 hssax1 sa b.1 b. IN increased du1iiny
feV Iear bJ the collection Of eight hnndsea
tha |, fourteen Volumes, Obtained thXcugt
:tSsin !. changes md By, purchases mapy o1a Fta
= .,ll>.. X ria:y u >, Ed