Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-04
wEATMER AND CR0P REPonrs-
CON. mAURY,s ADDRESS.

COM. MAURY's ADDRESS.
One Of the most stupendous projects Of
the age is that proposed By Commodore
Maury of system of international crop |
and weather reports. The proposition has
been received with favor both in this
country and in Europe The Scottish |
Meteorological Society, whose Secretary, |
Alexander Buchan, is the most renowned
meteorOlOgist in Great Britain, has signifed
its readiness to act in the matter just SO
soon as the Government at Washington
takes the lead. Holland, Belgium, France,
Rome, Russia, and some others
are ready to engage at once in the task. A
great number Of the Southern States have
by resolution instructed their representa-
tives in Congress to go for the Conference,
while many of the leading journals Of the
North are urgent in recommending Its
adoption at once by the Government. A
contemplate jealousy or sublime ignorance
has kept the Secretary Of State from issuing
an invitation TO other powers to meet in
conference on this subject, and no one ex-
pected the "enfossiled incapable,' who
would with more fitness preside over a de-
partment devoted to the fossil fora of a ccal
field than over the department of liv-
ing agriculture, to give any word of
encouragement;to system so vast, benef-
cent and so progressive, and fraught with
so much possible good to the farmers of the
country. For the sake Of the agriculture of
the United States we could wish that the
present Commissioner were better aequaint-
ed with his duties. As the Department is
now conducted it falls far below the good
which is accomplished by State Boards of
Agriculture. 1t, indeed, stands in the way
of progressive thought, and there are really
but two branches of it that are entitled to
any respeet-one Of entomology ard the
other of meteOrology; and we learn that the
last is to be discontinued through the order
of the Commissioner.
This plan of Commodore Maury, as our
readers are already aware, proposes to col
lect statistics in regard to the growing
crops, and to forecast the weather by Sc
RES of synchronous meteorological observa-
tons throughout the world. "Every move
ment," says Commodore Maury, in his ad-
dress before the National Congress, ''that
takes place in the atmosphere, from the
zephyr to the tornado, is traceable to the
sun. BE it is that pumps up from the sea
the water for your mighty Mississippi river,
transports it through the air, aud showers
it down upon your glad hills and smiling
valleys. The quantity of heat annually
dispensed by him to the earth is constant
The dimensions of the;ocean are permanent
The volume of water annually taken
up from it as vapor and let down again as
rain, hail, snow and dew is also constant.
But the quantity of it that that is dis
pensed to you year by year, is variable.
Now when we come to discover-as this
system of research will surely enable us to
do-in what parts of the world this precipi-
tation is going on In excess, and in what
parts N deficiency, who shall say that we
may not be able to forecast the seasons,
and to tell the farmer in time for him to
profit BY the information, when to expect
drouth, when wet season; whether the
next winter is to be mild or severe, whether
it is to be such as to favor abundant har-
vests or short crops?" all industries,
whether in the field, the forest or the work
shop, depends upon the seasons to
some extent and the foretelIing of
the seasons viii be the means of prevent
ing large lossee and securing large gains.
The practical benefits which would result
to the farm er in knowing the condi-
ton Of the crops in the various countries Of
the world would be inestimable. 1t would
secure him against the tricks Of the specu-
lator. It would insure him a remunerative
equivalent for expended toll. 1t would
place him side by side with the merchant
and make him in his log cabin just as well
acquainted with the markets and the price
of bis products as the brokers on the corn
exchange in Londoa. The information
will be reliable, trustworthy and impartial,
and such as bus mess transaction may be
! founded upon without detriment to the sell
Ter or buyer. And the indirect benefits to
society would be quite as great. Specula-
ting and trade gambling would be discour-
| aged and checked; combinations of capital
to defraud the farmer would become
less frequent and systematic habits of indus
| try would take the place of speculative
manias. Men would he more honest, be-
cause the premium for dishonesty would be
less. Merchants would pursue their legiti-
mate business without being tempted to
outside business, which so often prove the
rocks upon which they are stranded. The
price of money would be more equalized;
and the demand for it would be more con-
slant. We would hear less seldom of
stringent money markets and oppressive
rates of interest. We would hear less fire.
quently of deeds of trust. We should see
more young men pursuing the farmers vo-
cation and fewer idlers about streets taking
the chances Of making a few dollars by
watching the markets and so earning pre-
carl GUS and uncertain livelihood.
The cost will be but SMALL, as the means
and appliances are already at hand, and
have only to be gesred for the purpose.
The agricultural bureau, the signal stations,
the telegraph and the ocean steamers can
all be made su0servient to this, and with
very little additional cost. But Suppose
argues the Commodore, it does cost a great
sum, the accruing benefits to agriculture
! will be great, and that business receives less
now from the government than any other.
The Commodore says:
SIT is taxed directly for the benefit of
! them all, for as agriculture is the main stay
and prop ofthe country, all the other interests
that receive support from the government,
derive that support, first or last, from agri-
culture; and the most the government has
done for agriculture may be seen in the Ag-
ricultural Bureau and the land grants for
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