Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-02
DEPsKTMENT RULLErIN.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 10, 1S72.-The
following information is extracted from the
January number Of the Monthly Report Of
this Department, now in press:
y convention Of delegates, representing
the interests of the State agricultural and
horticultural societies, boards of agIicul-
ture, and agricultural colleges of the United
States, viii meet at the city of Washington,
on Thursday, the 10Th of February next, to
confer upon subjects of mutual interest,
and TO take such action as shall be deemed
expedient for the promotion of agricultural
education, and to secure a more intimate
connection between the Department and
the several institutions mentioned. The
meeting will take place in one of the rooms
of the Department building, at 10 o'clock
in the morning. The call for this conven-
ton was issued by the Commissioner of
Agriculture after full interchange ofviews
with officers Of agricultural colleges, and
with other prominent agriculturists.
The Department is now receiving, prin-
cipally for distribution to the South, in lib
eral portions, for experimental purposes,
improved varieties Of field and sugar corn,
field and garden peas and beans, Italian
y =
mangel-wurzel and sugar-beet, cabbage and
onion seeds. 1t will also receive during
this month fresh seeds of the raInie and
iute plants, the latter Of which cannot be
grown successfully north Of Tennessee.
Oats and barley Of approved varieties have
been ordered from Scotland and Germany,
and will be distributed in ample time for
Spring-sOWing. A choice variety Of white
spring wheat, grown in Oregon from seed
imported from Australia, has Just been dis
tributed to the Northwestern States and
Territories.
The Department has also just distributed
quantity Of COoley's early white field
corn to a selected list Of farmers in the
different States, who viii make trial Of it
in their respective localities, and report the
results Of their experiments at the close of
the year. This corn is a new variety, origi-
mated by Mr.. c. G. Cooley, of Manches-
ter, Adams county, Ohio, and introduced
to the public in the fall Of 1870. 1t is said to
be remarkable for its early maturity. Mr..
Cooley states that he planted it the past
season on the Sd of May, and it was ripe
and ground into meal the 9th of August,
the time Of its growth having been fourteen
weeks. A farmer in Wisconsin is reported
to have raised a crop and had it ground into
meal in thilteen weeks from the day of
planting. Another, in Minnesota, raised
fifty bushels from one pint and half of
seed. Mr.. Cooley claims that this corn is
equal in prOductiveness to any variety in
cultivation.
AS there is much inquiry in the South
ern States for seed Of the Japan clover, it is
deemed proper to republish, from the An
nual Report for 1869, the following opinion
by the Superintendent of the Garden and
Grounds Of the Department: "LeSpeGezG
strata (Japan bush-Cloyer) is a leguminous
plant that has lately attracted some atten-
ton in the Southern States as a forage
plant. 1t is poorly adapted to any such
use, and not by any means worthy of rec
ignition by the cultiyatOr. 1t is a low,
hard-wooded annual, spreading freely on
sandy and poor soils, with very small and
scanty foliage"