New-York tribune., 1874-11-17
TIE hGP}CUL7URAL VIEW OF II.

been left to the Hon. Frederick watts, the
venerable Head of the Department of Agricul-
ture. to disclose the true theory of the late
disasters to the Republican Party. This dis
tinguished statesman has not thrust his views
upon the press or the people, but he has
driven Government horses, and ridden in Cow
crnment carriages, and been waited upon by
Government servants, and occupied Govern
ment house, and drawn Il salary from Govern
ment for several years, and has distributed
more seeds to the people Of the United States
in cotton bags and paper packets than prOba-
bly, any other man in the country lie
says in that document for which the
,, country has waited SO long, holding ont
its hands like children for Sherman's
Worm Lozenges-the Annual Report Of
the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1S74-that
q great mistake has been made in not pub
fishing more punctually and distributing more
lavishly his Annual Report. "There is no in
"cidcnt,r he remarks in his quiet way, convey
ing at once information to the public, repri-
mand to Congress, and a rebuke to the Pub
lie Printer (Which SO cripples the operations
"of this Department as the want of the
"punctual publication of its Annual Report"
i
wears, and notwithstanding Congress ap-
"parentIy made the effort" to order the pub
ljcation of the Reports of 1872 and 1873,
"in the opinion of the Public Printer it
failed to attain its object" With great dig
nifty he adds that he does not concur in the
opinion, and expresses his regret at the cir
cumstance because he believes it "a matter
"of great political importance that these Re-
"ports should go directly from the repre-
SENTATIVE to the constituent"
II is OF the defects OF Government" he con-
Times "that II is far removed from the attention OF
the people In my Judgment 1t would be well II they
were more frequently reminded that they had repre-
sentative here who constantly cared for the interests Of
his constituents that they had part In the admins
raion OF the country and IL is not less worthy OF re-
mark that the representative better knows who would
appreciate this document anxiously sought after"
This Report bears date Oct. 2G, and so
does not purpOrt to give reason for the
disasters of November But is it not pos
sible that this eminent agriculturist builded
better than he knew. and in this pregnant
paragraph anticipated tho event and fore
stalled public opinion as to its causcs9 The
amount of information which Mr.. Watts has
put together in the two Annual Reports which
Congress undertook to order printed and the
Public Printer thinks failed to accomplish it.
and which now lies in mildewed condition
in the archives of the Department. must be
something incalculable. A proper distribution
of it by the Representatives might have
saved the next House and possibly reelected
Butler This very volume fairly OverflOws
with reading matter of the most entertaining
description. 1t should be in the hands of
everybody. For really this is one of the things
which in the language of the venerable Head
of the Cabbage Department, are too far re-
"moved from the attention of the people"
And as for the monthly publication by the
Statistical Division" of the Department, for
varied and useful information of high order,
in the language of the worldly, it fairly
claws over" both the Great Dictionaries. BY
this publication, the Commissioner says, call
Legitimate parties are protected from the
rapacty of the speculator." And in little
burst of enthusiasm he adds:
when we consider the sources OF this information.
composed Of thousands of minds of shades OF
sauguine and dispirted temperament and Of extensive
and limited knowledge, and when add to this the
varying OF heat and cold wet and drouth II is
only wonderful the degree OF accuracy which charac
terzes estimates Of final results Such Is the effect
by TINS markets OF the
country that is most carefully guarded up to the
ment of its publication to the world at large"
To this might be added that even after
publication these reports are carefully kept
out of the reach of engineers of locomotives,
steamboats,, and stationary engines for fear
they will get so interested in them as TO neg
lect their work and imperil human life by
boiler xplosions-engineers as class being
known to be /" of various shades of sanguine
and dispirted temperament
This sort of thing promptly printed and
freely distributed could not have failed to IN
fluence the late elections, and who shall say
it might not have changed the result. But
the document has literary merit as well as
political Importance. The Commissioner says
at the outset:
"A territory so extensive ours possessing every
variety OF fertility and every diversity OF climate
which are congena TO the productions OF the EARTH and
with population whose habits manners. customs, en-
ioyments. and wants differ much the climate In
which they live or the countries from which they come,
requires supervision which shalt adapt itself as much
as p0ssible " tbe apr ,.s1 ". ,-.' condition. meet