The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-08-01
The department OF Agriculture.

The New York World reports the fol
lowing paper, read by Conrad Wilson
before the American Institute Farmer,
Club:
There is probably no country in tn
world where the government has NOR
ample facilities or more urgent motive
for developing its agricultural resource
and promoting the prosperity OF It's far
mers, than the government Of this cOun
try. How far lhese opportunities anC
possibilities that belong to our husbandr,
have hitherto been improved, so as to Sc
cure to our country the full measure o
its natural advantages, Is question o
some importance, and one that is Away.
in order
But without dwelling al present on the
former policy of the government or intend
ing to disparage whatever good has beer
achieved in the past, my present purpose
Is simply to draw attention to Il subject
of much interest by ohering one or two
suggestions for the future.
1t is easy 10 see that some important
objects and purposes relating TO the
farming interest have hitherto been omit
ted from the plans Of the Department
of Agriculture, which might be included
with great advantage, and which if
embraced in the programme of the future,
would add largely to the results Of our
husbandry and swell the resources Of the
nation.
1t is now generally admitted. aud is
every day clearer to thoughtful men, that
agriculture is not only by far the largest
of our industries, but, what is more i'm
portant that its results are bound Up in
natural laws, and that these laws are to
be explored and revealed mainly by
means Of sympathetic experiments. Such
experiments, whether conducted by the
chemist ii his laboratory or by the farmer
in his field, if intelIgently planned and
executed, never fail to yield faithful re-
suits even on the first trial, though their
value is of course increased by subse-
quent repetition.
So rapidly has this subject grown into
Importance that the whole science ofagri-
culture seems to be resolving itself into
Il science of experimental processes, and
it may safely be predicted that whenever
these processes are finally reduced to
complete system, the uncertainties Of
farming will gradually disappear, the av-
erage yield for the whole country will be
vastly augmented and the cost of produc-
fion correspondingly reduced.
Is it not, then, clear that this new and
growing interest everywhere manifested
in relation to experimental farming,
should be promptly recognized and
turned to account by the Department of
Agriculture? To do this would be to
give 10 American husbandry a new and
valuable impulse At the very period of
It's entry upon new and hopeful cen
fury.
Ii such a policy rs this were adopted
by the Government it could be made to
secure fer the whole country most Of the
benefits thus far realized by the expert
meut stations of Germany, without the
necessity Of reproducing their system, and
at less relative outlay. To my own
mind it Is clear that it would be entirely
possible for the Department Of Agricnl
ture, by the relation it holds to the.
husbandry OF the country and to The far
mers as class, TO inaugurate such a Sc
ries and variety Of experiments as would
more than justify the undertaking, by
yielding a larger total Of results, ut
less rate of cost and within less time,
iisAA an Il ui'tt SttibltLI has INS fCt ~
complished.
ii will hardly She denied that such
course. if adopted would have the effect
of interesting stimulating, and in some
measure educating the great mass OF
American farmers. When influences are
brought to bear upon masses Of men the
results are likely 10 be in the same pro-
portion. Experiments reported from Il
college farm in Kansas or Carolina, how
ever edifying, would be of local origin,
and possibly create but limited interest |
But ifa series Of well planned expert |
ments should emanate from the depart
ment in Washington that represents the
agriculture of the nation, the case would /
be altered. and the whole country would |
be transformed into an experimental |
farm.
To describe all the results that might !
be fairly expected from such system as
this, would exhaust the pages Of a
printed volume, and the subject cannot,
of course, be more chan outlined in the |
present brief remarks. # the topic is
deemed of sufficient interest, some of the
hints here offered may be further dis
cussed hereafter.
iii