The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1878-10-26
DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE
YEARLY REPORT.

reference to the confirmation or
weakening of our well-known views
on the worth of that department, the
merits of the work done by that de-
partment the past year, and the eff
cheney of the present head, VIM. G.
LeDuc. 1t is the legitimate function
Of a newspaper, having every means
for forming correct opinions and
presumably the fitting capacity, to
Law before its readers for their con-
sideration, the conclusions which il
has reached by careful study of sub
jects within its province.
We have always held that the ag-
ricultural department should form
an integral part of the government;
that its head should be a cabinet
officer, and that appropriations
should be made for ii commensurate
with the dignity and vastness of the
agricultural interest. This view is
founded on general principles, and is
strengthened by each additional re-
port of that department.
A careful consideration of the pres
ent volume affords gratifying evil
dencc of the work done by the ag-
ricultural department last year, both
in kind, character and method.
Ofkmd, subjects selected for study
and experiment were: the Sugar.
cane industry, the Rocky Mountain
Locust, Cattle Improvement in the
United States, the Chinese Tea
plant, the Olive, shipments of Fresh
Meat to Europe, diseases of Domes-
tic Animals, the cultivation and con-
sumption of Oranges and Cranberry
culture.
In Chemistry, the work of the de-
partment prosecuted, consisted of
analysis of Lime Marls, examination
of Soils, analysis of Bat guanos from
the Uvalde bat-caves of Texas, analy-
sis of sugar from Amber sugar-cane,
estimation of sugar in Beets sent to
the department, examination and
report of an experiment in beet cul-
turc in New Jersey, experiments on
Petpone forming ferment in the
roots of plants, investigation of
American Sumac, investigation Of
the physical and chemical causes
tending TO the production of Mildew
and Rot.
In addition, long and laborious
collation. of statistics on productions
of agriculture, imports and exports,
state of markets at successive periods
of the year, &C., &C., &C., together
with contrasted European agricultu-
raj statistics. In addition, vast cor
respondence with agricultural socie-
ties and departments throughout the
world, individuals and societies
throughout the United States on ex-
periments, and observations of agri-
cultural interests; and further ex-
periments with new plants, grains
and trees carried ON in the govern
ment gardens and grounds at Wash
ington.
That the character of subjects is ju-
diciously selected, is shown from the
fact that while the Olive, the Orange,
the Tea-plant, and Cranberry, re-
ceived the attention of the depart
ment, it was on scale with their re-
lative Importance, the experiments
and reports ON them embracing only
so pages, while those on Diseases of
Domestic Animals, the Sugar-cane
industry, and the Locust, subjects of
and general Importance,
include 1856 pages of the 60o-page re-
port, In other instances it will be
found that while pursuing the theo-
retical, properly the main work of
the department has been ON subjects
of immediate practical Importance.
Of the quantity. Speaking from
an intimate knowledge of the nature
and amount of work required in all
sciences, especially of
Chemistry, we consider the amount
of work done by the department
with its limited number of persons
and its meagreness of appropriation,
as remarkable. Industry character
lies the department throughout and
every dollar spent has been earned
five times over as compared with the
remuneration of scientific men in
other fields of labor.
or the Method. We have already
spoken of the judicious apportion-
tionment of time and labor in res
pect TO the relative importance of
the subjects studied; 1t remains to
remark upon the method pursued by
the department.
Agriculture, as we have again and
again asserted, is purely an expert
mental science. AS such, IL is clear
ly apprehended by the department.
and the experiments made and the
information collected from observa.
tions, are made the basis of the work
dona and tho rpnorfa thareon IL