The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-07-11
Col. Folks speech to the farmers
Of Fender County at Burgaw on
Tu sday, the 9th, inst

Tu sday, the 9th, inst
REPORTED By DR.. RICE, FOR
TUE FARMER y MECHANIC.
Dr.. Satchwell. correspondent for the
Department of Agriculture. called the
house To order and introduced Col.
Polk, Commissioner. in highly com
~plimentary terms. Col Polk said
That could the very fiattering ana
complimentary name In which his
friend DIR. Satchwell had presented
him, fail TO elicit an earnest ex-
preston of his grateful appreciation,
especially as the DR. assumed to speak
on behalf of the whole people of Pen
der county, he would feel, that he was
lead To those higher sentiments and
impulses. which are always essential
elements in the constitution of true
manhood. He greatly regretted that
III disposition under which he had Ia
bored for the past twenty-four hours
and which had robbed him of rest the
n:ght before SO untitled him for he task
before him. He wished to add. To
what DR.. SatchwelI had already said
OF him, a few particulars In regard To
his private life, that they might better
understand, who and what he was. He
had all his life been identified with
the farming interest, and derived his
knowledge of farming in the field,
where also he had conceived those
Ideas in relation To the great interest
which he now represents, and which
1t was his purpose to present here to-
day. He then entered into the history
of the establishment of the Department
showing tina its conception, its devel-
opment. and its final establishment,
was. to be ascribed directly to the in
iiuence of the farmers of the State.-a
notable instance that the masses OF
the industrial classes of the State were
in advance of the politicians of the
day.
He entered fully and deliberately
into the discussion of the vari-
Gus interests of which the Department
has charge under the law, presenting
very clearly in all their bearings, the
results, sought to be accomplished, in
sheep-husbandry, in the artificial
propagation of fish, in the analy-
sis and control of commercial
fertilizers:in the compilation and publ
=. -, - TO -, 80 n,@I A..
lating to the diseases of stock, the raw
ages of insects on field crops. and to
various improved methods and sys
TENS, in farming. He explained the
plan by which the Land Registry.
connected with the Department., is
operated urging upon his hearers, what
he regarded as a great fact, that must
be recognized, if our State should
ever enter on the high road to pros
perity: that her millions of unemployed
acres must be subjected to the labor
and occupancy of an industrious
terprising and intelligent population.
His points on this part of the subject
were strongly fortified with facts and
arguments. He declared that the sys-
tenn upon which this Department was
established was more comprehensive
i'll its scope and varied in its objects,
that that of any of the States, embrac-
ing within its province the advance
ment of all the productive industries
of the people.
The Analytical Chemical Control
Station in charge of DIR. LeDoux was
also established by the Department.
for the protection of the farmers III
the purchase of fertilizers, and which
is supported wholely and entirely by
the funds of the Department. He enter
ed into "A clear and full statement of
this branch of the work. Showing
what it had, and would accomplish:
he described fully the Agricultural
Museum and its designs, declining
however in Difference to the feelings of
of his Fender friends to state
how that county was represented III
his Museum.
In one other very important particu-
ar.-important especially to the tax
PAYERS o. the State, does this depart
meut differ from all others within his
viz: that it did not cost
the people of North Carolina one
farthing, the revenue for its support
derived exclusively from the tax
fertilizers.
He discussed in detail what the De-
partment had done in the matter of
fish propagation, urging upon the
people the necessity of better legisla-
ton for the protection OF this great IN
terest. as we'll as their hearty
cooperation in enforcing these
that the Department would GER