Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-06

work. that tho competition in the plow and
churn manufacture, together with the good
sense of the people who use them, will settle
the question of superiority without the in
spection of the Secretary who makes his
model from theory and not from practice.
And so Il would But would not this guar
antee of the Professor" If II had any effect,
tend to discriminate between men pursuing
the same legitimate business, and make the
State Board of Agriculture indirectly party
specially interested in fostering the interests
of one party to the exclusion Of anotherp
Was the State Board of Agriculture instituted
for that purposeP Are such the duties OF its
learned and accomplished Secretary
We do not understand that Professor
Collier, in what he has done to respond to
the general call of the farmers for better
and more reliable superphosphate, has acted
in his official capacity at all. In the course
Of his official duties be became aware Of this
demand, but it is simply as practical chem
list that he has responded to il. He has done
no more in this respect than the State Assay
ers of Massachusetts, have done for the man. |
ufacturers of fertilizers there or than the
assayer Of the United States Mint in Phila-
delphia has done for similar manufacturers
in that city. If the Secretary, instead Of
being a frst-class chemist were 6rst-class
dairyman like Mr.. Mason, Of Richmond, or a
scientific ploughman like Governor Holbrook,
we should equally see no objection to his do
ing his best in the same way to provide the
farmers with good churn or good plough.
The point sought to be made by the Ar
ns evidently is, that because he is Secretary
of the Board of Agriculture, Professor Col
lier ought not to use his knowledge in his
special profession for the benefit of the farm
ing community But we think that 1t is
Just because he can do this, that the farmers
are glad to have him where he is, and will
endeavor to keep him there.
At present, there is but one manufacturer
Of superphosphate in the state Should 9TH
ers enter the business, there is no doubt that
Professor Collier would analyze and guar
antee their products on precisely the same
terms as he does the phosphate made by Mr..
Beckwith. The same is true in regard to
fertilizers made in other states, or imported
from foreign countries. As Secretary Of the
Board, il is his duty to analyze all fertilizers
for, if he were not Il chemist, to have them
analy zed by competent PERSON. which are
brought into the state for sale, and to publish
these analyses impartially in his Reports.
This Secretary Collier has done, and there
his official duty in that respect ends. But
as chemist he is at perfect liberty to follow
his profession in all legitimate ways, and
none can be more legitimate than the devils
ing of improvements beneficial to the agri-
cultural. manufacturing or other industries
, of oar people. The Secretary Of the Massa.
chusetts Board is an expert in stock.bTeed'
ing. Would the Argus deny him, on ac'
count of his Secretaryship, the right Of ex'
I pressing his opinion as an expert, in regard
to the merits of different breeds of dairy
stock ? The Secretary of the Maine Board
g is, like Professor Collier, a chemist, and also
the President of manufacturing company
engaged in making valuable fertilizer No
body sees any improperly in this. Th'
farmers of Maine are glad when the phos
= phate makers are so DESTROYS to deal honest
" with them that they are willing to submit
+ their products to the judgment and contro
~ of the very man selected by the farmer
= themselves or their representatives, to lea'
- in the promotion of the scientific and practi
n cal interests of the agriculture of their state
:. If the Argus, more sharp.sghted than tn
:. tabled being from which it takes its name
4 can see any valid objections to this, we shou
/, be glad to have it let us know what the
" may be.
= 1t is hardly worth while to notice the pei
i. soua sur in which the Argus INDUCES itse
/. in this connection. These personalities are tn
10 trade mark of Mr. Atkins's editorials, " with
~ out which none are genuine" They assum
r. this time the form Of "quere p" Di
{. the recent appointment Of the Editor of Ii
al FARMER, doubtless on the slate for son
20 time past, as a member of the State Board 4,
#. Agriculture, have anything to do with h
zal in defence Of the Board ?" The reade
We Of the FARMER have probably not notice
h any increase Of zeal for the Board in its co
ri umns, over what has been shown ever stint
III the Board was established. The editor
m the FARMER has never desired membersh
50 in it, and his first intmation that such a thin
bo had been thought of was in the remark, co
90 tanned in business letter received short tin
cs since from gentleman whom we never sa'
f.. and who is no way connected with the Boar
"A that the writer had mentioned us to Cover
= or Converse as desirable member. III
ao next week we published an editorial in iav
II of depriviug the Governor OF the power
20 appointing the members Of the Board. III
n. is probably enough to say about the matte
%. but we will add that we took so much sto
Co.. in what the Argus has said about the impC
90 sbility of a democrats being confirmed
ret any state Office by the Senate, even VIII
10 nominated by the Governor that we had n
he the least expectation of receiving the a
N. pointmeut Isn't it slightly ungracous, N
me Atkins, after railing because the Sena
no would not confirm the nomination Of den
err. Gratis to non.political Offices for you to pit
~, into the first case to the contrary in tn
oh style? How much do democrats in genel
,ve have to do with making up " states
mr.. Montpelier
:, WASHINGTON NEWS.
mt, Meeting OF COngress.--The Presidents MI
iii. s"ge'--heSoIuon :" no' =, "' VT