Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-28
a CRYING NECESSITY FOK THE

A CRYING NECESSITY FOR THE
FGC 2 STATE. -
When Commodore Maury first proposed
his vast scheme for the simultaneous .obser-
walton of the weather throughout the civil
lied globe, and collection of crop reports,
the very magnitude of the task appalled,
the ordinary mind. To philosophers and
statesmen it appeared feasible, and from
Scotland, England, France, Germany, Rus
STA and various other European States an
swers were received from their best men
fayoring the project and expressing a viii
lingness to follow the lead of the United
States In the matter. But the men whose
duty it is, by reason of their office, to ex-
tend such researches as will be beneficial to
agriculture were the first to discourage it.
just in the same manner did Burr ughs,
the Comptroller of Queen Elizabeth's navy,
when called upon to give bis opinion as to
the value of the cylindrical chart, now used
universally, sneer at it as a thing only fit for
land lubbers. Redfeld met with a like
treatment when he announced the law of
storms. Fulton was reyiled for attempting
to make steam do the work of man; and it
has been the fate of all great men in their
gigantic enterprises to be least encouraged
among those to whom they should naturally
look for the greatest encouragement.
The government of the United
States should, above all things,
seek to promote and foster agriculture, and
in no way can this be more effectively &C
complished than by carrying out the scheme
of Prof. Maury. Let US look at it from
practical point of view. We know that
the home demand for wheat does not great
ly vary from 24O,OO0,CO0 bushels. Sup
pose those returns show a deficiency Of
100000, then wheat is bound to rule
high, and no artful tricks Of scheming
Spectators can deceive the farmer. lie
would realize the reward justly due him
for expended toll. If those reports on the
contrary, should show a surplus Of 20,00O,-
900 bushels, then the price of wheat would
be dependent upon the export demand, and
that could be determined from the same
crop reports. The farmer would then rely
not upon the speculations of the wheat and
| flour dealers as estimates of the crop, but
he would have something accurate, reliable
and substantial upon which to base his
transactions.
During the part year the farmers Of the
county of Hickman, in this State, lost S75,-
900 by an overestimate Of the peanut crop.
Upon the same crop, the farmers in Perry
county lost 100000, and in Dickson
$4,000, aggregating in three counties and
on one article alone, a loss of 100000,
which could have been saved to the pro
ducing class. had provision been made by
our Legislature to collect and publish
monthly these statistics. Take the cotton
crop. Since 1929, ten years may be selected
in which the loss to the planter from sales,
based upon an overesGmate of the crop,
amounts 10 1897, 100000. Upon all other
crops an immense loss may be summed up.
The carrying out of this scheme does not
iniure legitimate trade. The regular bust
ness man vastly prefers a certain profit to
the risks of an uncertain speculation. lie
is Injured in his business by an influx Of
Bohemian spectators, who, paying for adj
vanced information, often make large sums
that ought properly to be divided between
the regular tradesman and the farmer. The
whole tendency of the present mode of
gathering information of the crops is to
ILL the land with spectators, discourage
! systematic habits of industry and IN
settle the very foundations Of trade.
We are sincerely desiroUs of seeing the peo-
! lie of the State wide awake as to this gues-
ton. Enough is lost every year to pay the
cost Of the monthly publication Of crop re-
ports several hundred times. We want TO
see our farmers protected. We do not
want to see another come in atthe eleventh
hour and get as much as the farmer who
has been toiling through the whole twelve.
This question should be taken up by the
Farmers Clubs throughout the State, and
resolutions should be adopted instruCting
the Legislature to make provisions for the
collection and publication Of these reports.
The Bureau of Agriculture is now arTang-
! ing its machinery so as to got reports Of
crops, but it is cramped for want Of means.
| The appropriation made TO carry out its
purposes is parsimOnious in the extreme.
At a recent meeting of many distinguished
! agriculturalists at st. Louis, after receiving
an explanation of the subjects sought to be
accomplished by the Bureau, astOnishment
was freely expressed that scheme which
promised so much benefit to the State
should be so poorly provided
for. We trust the next Legislature
may have a higher appreciation Of
the necessities Of the State and be willing
to opay a penny to save pound"
Our people need more legislation looking to
the development Of all our industrial enter
prises, and the State can never stand far
advanced in material prosperity until her
law makers give more attention to the
multiplication of her products and less TO
the multiplication of her law suits.
MARINE CYCTnNOEOGY.