The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1877-11-08
To the People Of North Carolina


dience to a provision of the new
consultation OF our State, the recent
session of the Legislature passed a
bill establishing a Department Of
Agriculture. immigration and Sta
t%istics, and for the protection of
sheep Husbandry. Early after the
adjournment of the General Assem-
bly, the Board of Agriculture was
organized. They elected a Com
missioner, Secretary and Treasurer,
opened an office and museum in
this city and went earnestly to
work to carry out that wise provis-
ion Of our organic law. Innumer-
able difficulties beset our effort by
reason of our inexperience and the
absence of a hearty and %appreciative
cooperation on the part of many of
those whom we desired to benefit;
and yet we have met with a success
SO far. which is most encouraging.
In the first place the Commission
Ell has established a corps of reliable
and intelligent correspondents IN
every county in the State, mostly
farmers, who give trustworthy re-
ports monthly of the state of the
crops, the weather, the live stock,
and all other kindred topics; enab-
ling an intelligent man at any mo-
ment to make a fair estimate of our
natural cOndltlOns
In the second place, W. have es-
tablished a laboratory at Chapel
Hill, and secured the services of a
skilled analytical chemist who has
been actively engaged in testing sci
entifically the various kinds of arti-
fetal fertilizers which have become
so extensively in use among our peo-
pie, and in the ignorant purchase
of which so much imposition has
been practiced and so much money
wasted. Many of the more worth
less brands have been driven from
the market whilst the good have
been made still better, and the
commercial value of all more gen
orally understood. He is now en-
gagged in analysing sugar beets.
grown in various parts of the State
to determine the quantity of sacha-
rine matter they will produce III
this climate, with a view to the es-
Enlistment of sugar manufactures
if found to be favorable. He is
also ready and prepared, under the
Board, to analyse all soils, mineral,
and substance whatever, hat NAV
be deemed of Importance to the IN
terests of agriculture.
In the third place, we have inau-
gurated the artificial propagation
of fish, with a view to restocking
our waters, once so full of food and
pleasure to II people. Too late
to make the most of the past season.
we yet may be considered successful
in progress made in this direction.
More than half a million of Young
shad were obtained and cast into
the Tar, Contentnea, Neuse, Cape
Fear, Yadkin and Catawba rivers:
and we have now a quarter of a
million of the eggs of the Califor-
MIA salmon in the process of hatch
ing in our establishment at Swan
nanoa Gap in the Blue Ridge.
These are to be distributed in the
cool waters of our river heads among
the mountains. Should their adap-
tation to those streams be estab-
lished, the quantity can be multi
piled indefinitely, and an awakened
public sentiment can no doubt be
made to influence the proper legis-
lation to secure the clearing out of
distractions in the rivers.
Time and space forbid that we
should attempt to tell you what the
Board have tried to do IN the way
of obtaining statistics, inducing i'm
establishing a museum,
and many other matters. Suffice it
to say, they have attempted much
and accomplished something in
each direction; and n Of the
greatest of their accomplishments
has been the renewed interest which |