The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-24

OUR STATE AGRICULTURAL
DEPARTMENT.

than when it established this De-
partment. Indeed it was a regular
calcium light, doing away with the
little local moons and stars, and the
irregular artificial helps of a past
generation, and flooding the whole
commonwealth with the fullest in
intelligence of its condition and its
destiny. And if there ever was an
institution placed upon a broad,
firm basis of principle, of character
and of the highest and noblest util-
ity this is the one. The Governor
OF the State, who, Independent of
his authority, is distinguished for
his ability, his zeal and his fidelity
to his public trusts, is the corner
stone of the Board. Then comes
the President of the University, to
incorporate the element of learning
OF Investigation and of scholarly in
ffuence; then the State geOlOgist,
who though a very quiet and unex-
citable gentleman, is a perfect
guarantee hat the mineral king
dom shall fling back its doors to
the exploration Of science, enter
prise, and capital; then the Presi-
dent Of the State Agricultural So
ciety, who seems to have been fash
Toned, tongued, and grooved for his
particular place in the magnificent
temple of our agricultural interests;
then the Master Of the State
Grange, to secure the confidence of
Il very large and respectable body
of organized cu~ltiyators of the soil;
and then two practical a%gricultu-
rists to show that this is not a mere
theoretical venture, but a positive
contact with the necessities of the
people, and a genuine effort to con-
vert to the public use all the mate
rial treasures and resources Of the
State.
But after all this sterling official
exhibit. what would the work itself
amount to unless the Commissioner
himself was one of the most inteli-
gent, active and painstaking men
in the country? And these words
do, as far as they go, exactly de-
scribe him. The fact is, no ordi-
nary language is sufficiently intense
and graphic to give to the public
mind a complete idea of his indi,
viduality. Col. Polk comes nearer
being a steam locomotive than any
man we know in official station.
With a keen analytical brain, a
restless, nervous temperament, an
eye that is always dancing like a
racehorse, and a restless spirit of
push and go ahe~adativeness in him,
he keeps every n around him
moving at fiery speed. The work
which he has already accomplished
since last April is marvellous. Go
ing against wind and tide, with a
new and difficult system to organize,
with unexpected obstacles meeting
him at every step, and with the very
people for whom he labors to edu-
cate in the principles and objects Of
his mission, he has nevertheless
made great strides on the road to
success.
Have the people of North Carroll
ma, and particularly its industrial
classes, calmly considered the COM
prehensive scope and magnificent
purpose of the Department of Ag-
riculture? What, an English or
German university, in all the full
ness and particularly of its educa-
tional branches, is to the acquisition
of human knowledge, so is this
grand industrial mechanism to the
expansion, development and fruition
of every material enterprise, agency
and occupation in the State. Has
the effectiveness of the fish laws,
and the ignorance and rapacity of
reckless depredators of the streams,
impoverished our rivers of their al
most inexhaustible supplies of fish?
This department has taken the
nurseries of nature into its own
hands, and from the Yadkin to the