The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-08-28
AUGUST %, 1879.
Agricultural.

ET-Hc udNC ISSCItS AS OAOASAAy
IF the Department of Agriculture for Au-
Gust. 1t is printed in newspaper form, and
oonta;ns a number of articles which will be
useful to the farming population. But as
the cost of printing this sheet is about SO
Cor each 5000, and as the postage will run
70 nerhaps $40 more, it will be seen that the
cost of the publication will reach 1920, or
saw IS, 900, if the full 10000 copies be is
sned. This, too, in addition to Prof. Lee
doux's report of 200 pages, which must cost
above s., 500 for the 5000; inasmuch as the
Danartmental Handbook 1--WE learn from
,be publisher) cost So, 500; in addition to
the cost of the paper and postage, several
hundred dollars more. These are pretty
large sums for intelligence which, SO far as
we can ascertain, has not borne any very
practical fruit. Doubtless, if half the mat
TOR fsuch as the Legislative Solons, the bio
Granhies of the Governor and State officers,
ftbe long lists of former State and Congress
s;onal officers, most of which has been al
readv printed in Wheeler's History, etc.,
etc, ETC., had been omitted from the Hand
Book. the cost might have been reduced
one-half, and the money spent in other ways
better adapted for the "encourogement Of
iimmigroton.'' So with the Fertilizer Re
mort. 1t is about twice the size needed, and
has a considerable number of superfuous
rares, Including with the cover IA pages
Of predatory titles, index, ETC., followed by
u pages of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES is an ex-
nerinent station"-for all of which the
State Printer must be paid to the tune of
hundreds of dollars, without, in our judg-
ment, 10 cents worth of practical return to
the people, though the remainder of the
work contains much of interest and val
lie.
Again, in relation to the monthly Report.
The public will remember that the heavy
expense of Sl325 a year, or perhaps double
that sum, is, In a certain sense, thrown away.
printed, and stood ready to continue to print,
precisely the same quantity and quality of
matter each month, or each week, FREE
OF COST, thus giving the benefit of its
large circulation among the farmers gratuit-
ously; and furthermore, offering to print
the matter in the form of a supplement, al
lowing the Department to edit it as it saw
fit. and to circulate as many copies as 1T
wished, at only the simple cost of paper and
postage-say | ! cents a copy for all expen
sesl The Board did not so much as show
us the courtesy (dIlCI years VI CdlOu duu
gratuitous labor in its behalf) to even ac-
knowledge receipt of our respectful state
ment, though in this respect we were treated
no more discourteously than others who ad-
dressed it on business or otherwise. We do
not call attention to these things with any
desire to cripple the Department work. On
the contrary, we speak now, twelve months
in advance of the next Legislature, In the
hope that some measures to improve the
work may be taken in time. Almost daily
we receive letters expressing the belief that
the Department is doomed unless there
be Improvement. Four thousand dollars a
year for salaries and expenses at Chapel Hill;
more than eight thousand a year for salaries,
rental. monthly reports, and incldentals at
Raleigh and from 81 200 to 81, 500 at Nor
canton for salaries and f~ish-expenses, are
too liberal sums to go out year after year,
unless there be a decided gain therefrom.
We are now in the third gear of the Depart
ment work, and it ought to begin to show
for itself. To our humble judgment, the
great defect of the law creating the Depart
ment was what we call the "ex-otficlo' fea-
ture. That is to say, 1T was a mistake to
constitute the Board out of heads of Depart
partments, colleges and societies. We say
nothing against the present members. But
why should the Governors, political officers,
oNh1iohN pOhluS ouo " ~ SOtio VI Z"
Senatorship), the Presidents of the Univer-
sity, who, of course, do not care to take any
steps likely to jeopardize the popularity of
the institution, the State Biologists, (who
are busy in their laboratory, or on their
travels, the Grand Masters of the State
Grange, and the Presidents of the Agricul-
tural Association-none of whom will proba-
bly, ever live at the Capitol, Why should
all these complex interests, some OF which
conflict with one another, be made the con-
trolling head of a Department which really
needs the continual, hourly, studious man
agement of a single master mind, whose ac-
ton shall be prompt, energetic and decisive?
We feel sure, for instance, that Col. Polk
dld not authorize, and if in sole charge
would not have ordered the payment to the
gentleman west of the Blue Ridge of 500
d month, for seven months, besides freight
age and other expenses, to get out a lot of
SPECIMENS of marble to send to Paris, but
VIII came too late. and lay for a long time