The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-10
Department Of Agriculture

y
\ special reporter IF The MN, called
Ga Col l. 4. Polk - bis office .r ta
city. . IN an interview vaa t
Commissioned kindly -rAat 50. t|f.Et~t
much 10 interest concerning tine 0r--.t
zslDn. objects work ami prospects -
tie department over which he p.csl4t>
With sucA -4-4 ABILITY.
ORGANIZATION ~ rHE DEPARTMENT..
/. la reply ~ this question:. "N len
", the Department. 81 Agriculture
organized, au& how j. II constituted ta4
supported -ac sid
The Drpar men, vas org uized II
April II last year, under An act of the
Leg allure. F4~~c! III fLe last session sd
taat body. Il Is composed 81 seven
members. w thc Governor, the Pres
dent ol the University. the State tirnl
glst, the President of TIE state Aerl.
cultural Society, the Master 81 iae State
Grange, and two practical aIlIcu..urlats.
This Board elects the Commissions aua
Secretary and Treasurer. Is i SuIr
ported by a revenue derived IN 4 plits
lege tax imposed on commercial i,gtla
zers sold in the State.
ITS OBJECTS
,. Reporter-'NSnat are its specific
Objects
Commissioner Polk-"The system
is very comprehensive, much more 50
than that OF any other state, hut
among the more prominent objects
sought To be accomplished is the col,ec-
ton and dissemination Of statistical
and other Information appertalnlng to
our State, and especially such a. bears
directly on the interests 81 our farmers
and other industrial classes, the tos-
tering OF new industries, the encour-
ageInoat OF immigration, the encour-
agement Of sheep L~usOandry, the re-
stocking OF our streams with fish, the
Inveetigal ion ana analysis Of soils. FIR
t~iiIzers, &c, and the general improve
ment OF systems IN all our industrial
pursuits.
IMMIGRATION.
,. Reportei-'.In reference TO immi-
grafton, what steps have been taken,
and what prospects tor success have you
IL that re ara.
w ell. this is a branch OF the work
which Tor many reasous i OF slow de-
velOpement, bat we think the system in
au4uIated Will ultimately work out the
best results. We have luuumCrdbIe
difficulties confronting US, many OF
which eau only bc overcome by time
In ante-Ucllum days it was to our inter
est to keep the immigrant from coming
among us because his presence tended
to disturb our system OF labor. which
Tor generations had worked - sdtIsiac-
torily, and with Il changed condition
must come the change III the sentiment
OF our people which would embrace the
important fact that Immigration must
be secured, and tins / am grdtined to
say is nov the general feeling among
oar people. On the other hand not
only were men from the Northern states
and the European countries, avcrSe -
coming South, from ~prcJudlces inculet
ted by the press, the pulpit ana the
nursery, out tLey We're diverted u 9th
er States by national legislation. which
indiI ectly offered them a bonus 70 20
there. And moreover, the efforts made
by TIE Southern States since the wtr -
secure Immigration have IN a great
measure been futile, and III many IN
stances have actually operated dIcctt!
against it. for it i a fact that oannot be
denied that many OF the Land Compa-
MES chartered by the Legislatures were
not very sGIupuIous IN their dealings
with those Who Glanced t. TAIL INTO thelr
sands. The people aud our Lc-l.la-
tuTe saw and felt taat L secure lmlnt-
grafton We must eve better guarantees
of ilir dealing. hence the Establishment
of this branch OF the Department, which
is under the alrtct ana exclusive control
Of the Board. whose official position AMI
character must at once It To
the confidence o, the public. Nc nave
now registered iii this office about .J,0JU
acres. representing farming lands, mines
and water powers, located III different sec
tions OF the STATE, and a. a rule TANK
they ale offered at reasonable prices.
The party wishing = register ia my
office i furnished blanks upon A.
plication Tor a description OF
the property, price, power II
attorney. &c., when are registered.
| always Iusis, lhat the party send spe-
cimens Of the agricultural and native
products o. lis and, u &c plAcedlu our
Agricultural Mua1um for the inspection
OF those visiting tie office - examine
the Re gs.eT. Ne guard carefully
againt imposition. as would greatly
regret having the character ri the
Board involved il any transaction that
could be Justly ch4Tgeable with fraud
or dishonesty. We would rather Sc
cure one good satisfied cit zen, than
tive hundred VINO would b. dissatisfied
for il Is SAD fact and one winch lsto
be deplorel. that every Man Who ieels
that he has been deceived aGd cheated
IN the purchase oi land II ouI State, i
to-day an active. nectlve walkinS al
vertl.ement against rs. | am greatly en-
coura-ed AZ the prospect ~ procuring
GOOD PEOPLE = come INTO the state, aud
take especial care 10 let il x known
that We want 40 other kind.
The Board appointed . gentleman
who isn3w making . tous Of tie agrlcnl-
turaI districts IF the Northern states,
and he writes e~ncouragiugIy 81 hAs
work. Numerous letters are daily re-
ceiyed from al sections OF the North
and Northwest, and 1t would astoDish
our people TO know how little