Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-01-25

cor Davis OF this State, on Tuesday OF
last week, on calling up the resolution,
submitted by him early in the session,
ins,ructing the Committee on Agricul-
ture of the two Houses to inquire what
national legislation is necessary to pro-
mote aud foster the agricultural inter
ests Of the country:
Mr.. Davis said he fclt there was no
subject Of more Importance ana more
moment to the country, none around
which so many interests cluster, aud III
which so many center, as American ag-
ricullure. The subject is so broad, so
national. so universal, so non-PartlSan,
~ roi,-,ectioua,, so iar-reaching in lis
Effects, and important in is results, that
i should command the patient attention
of all.and in It's consideration party tee.
in, aud party passions should have no
vince. lie claimed that for what has
been done in the past 10 bring relief Tor
OR heavy National, S;ate,mUmcipa! anu
;nlldu,l Indebtedness, held at home
and abroad, and for whaierer OF light
and hone there is ahead ui Us, the coun-
try is mainly Indebted to agriculture
He showed that from the beginning
of lime. agriculture was held 10 be OF
the greatest importance, the oasis ana
source of all permanent wealth. A'am
WAS the first ag,icnltnrlSt. The Egyp-
,i,ns and israpl,cs were farmers. Ahra
ham. Isaac. Jacob and David TILED the
soil and tended herds.-Ihe Romans,
Greeks and Spauiards were devoted 70
agriculture. England. France, Getma-
nv, Russia, Holland, Belsiom and S"l'z-
erland owe uha; they are TO agriculture.
From the earliest settlement or our
cnuntr, to the present time, for Wha'
.v,r nrorrrss We, as nation, have
made. we are Indebted to agriculture.
Washington. Jefferson, Adams, Madi-
son. Jackson. Webster, Clay, Wright
.n3 other prominent men were Us iarn-
rrs strong advocates ot the pro"'o''oi
of agricultural interests. :,
In this country it is the fundamentals
business. the leading commercial inter
49,. tho mos, important home Industry,
.b,u, half or 23.O)1,0J) OF The people
being engaged in 1t.
II is to agriculture we owe the large
b,lanc, O! trade in our favor, ana ne
showed, from official statistics 'ha' III
1873 we bought SOL $4,000 less anu
sold SllG,955, 90 mcre than we bought
and that this was principal! owing 10
agriculture.
He read large number Of interesting
tables ofotiicials statistics shown Tue
value and percentage OF agrcul!nf"i
rrodncts exported from the United
States from 1850 TO lSGS;the annual pro-
dnction. acreage, total value, yaine per
bushcl. Weld per acre. aud value per
acre of the cereal crops OF the United
States from 1863 To- 1873, the currency
value of agricultural products exported
from June Both, 1875 to 1873 Inclusive.
I'm 1878 our entire exports were 5000
74Q g3) and of this agriculture reached
$3.50, U5S, 95l, or full three-lour'hs OF
our entire experts. ,o,,
We have more than 1900, 0OO,0po
acres Of land, with soil and climate un,
surpassed, aud adapted to the wants ana
comforts of mankind, and three tonrths
of this immense territory is available FOR
agricultural purposes. Yet with our
area of 1908, SS4 square miles, we nave
but an average of thirteen persons TO
The square mile. while France, with an
area of but 20l,000 square miles, less
than the area OF Texas, has lS2 to the
square mile; Germany 200 to the square
milo Vhcsn d.nsely populated conn
tries must inevitably overflow INTO this.
and while We do not want the paupers
from other countries, yet we have am
pie farming lands and rooms for all per-
sons devoted to honest industry.
The duty on articles used BY the
farmers averages about All per cent.
Most Of the internal revenue comes from
the tax OH two items Of agricultural
products.
In 1877, the following amounts were
expended for agricultural purposes Oy
the countries named:
Austria and Hungary $1,000 o,io+'i-'
France, agriculture ana COM an
merCe Zu,Oot,tlo
Prussia 2,6l2,S
Italy, agriculture & commerce 2,1lo,99o
Russia, agriculture and public
lands Ia, S2T ,lSf
Great Britain --- 796, $50
Sweden G5l, 737
United States l74,6S6
Russia, our great and principal rival,
spends iu support of agriculture and in
respect of her public lands, more than
seventy times as much as we do, ard
, the little kingdom Of Sweden more
than three times as much as this great
nation.
The salary of the Commissioner of
Agriculture is $4,000, and the next
highest $500, while number OF
chiefs of divisions and heads OF bureaus
IN other departments receive from So
900 TO $4,000 per aunum.
Nearly all the vast snms paid to
foreign countries for the importation of
sugar, malada and molasses might have
been saved had the overfowed and
swamped lands on the Mississippi and
OTHER rivers been acclaimed and the
overflow provided against How long
would France, England. Germany, Hol-
land or bussia snfF snoh yas, b,d,,