Smyrna times., 1879-02-05
.aga'IcWl1ya'0I.
Report Of the Commissioner Of Agri-
culture.

The annual report of the Commissioner
of Agriculture of the United States for 1878
is before US by the courtesy of the head OF
the department. The Hon. Commissioner,
in spite of the censures of the seedsmen
and the sneers of the great city journals, is
evidently laboring with great assiduity for
the advancement of the scientific as well as
the practical part of the farming business.
1t is true that he does not look at it so
much in the interest Of that class of our
population as in that of the nation at large,
but there is evidently manifested such
progressive disposition in this matter, that
the commercialists are fearful that he will
see that farmers, as q class, ought to have
better support from the Government than
they now do have whenever their interests
come in contact with the commercial and
trading classes Of the population. The
latter rule the country in their own welfare,
and the agriculturists, as class, are only
used as the pack-mules of society to carry
its heavy burdens. They produce the bulk
of the wealth of the country, while the dis.
trbutors of it pocket all the profits. The
commissioner of agriculture ought to be
made cabinet officer, and all the power
and influence of his department ought to
be used to aid the farmers as against the
transporters and traders. When the farm
ers of this country grow wise enough to
understand this matter fully, they will see
that this is done or they will know the
reason why.
But we started out to notice the report,
and here it is. 1t is an hundred page pam
phlet detailing the work of the department
for the year. From it we learn that many
analyses of fertilizers, marls, peats, soils,
vegetables, ETC., ETC., have been effected,
tests of sugar producing vegetables made,
the adaptability of the soil and climate oi
the Middle and Southern States to the cul
tivation of tea demonstrated, and many
other things done in this direction which
must be exceedingly useful to the farmers
of the country.
The Minnesota Early Amber" sorghum
is highly recommended for the production
of syrup and sugar. The Pearl Millet il
commended as a forage plant, and it alsC
contains a large per cent. of sugar. Th'
Commissioner believes that the time is no
far distant when this country will produc'
all the sugar required for its own consump
tion either from sorghum, corn stalks, o
sugar beets.
On the tea subject the language of tn
report is in part as follows:
"From leaves raised in the department
grounds and obtained from the Carolina
and Georgia, experiments have been mad
in the laboratory after the methods of tn
japanese as reported by importers ant
other authorities, and with such success il
some of the samples as to obtain the warn
commendation of experts and dealers, VIII
declared the tea made to be 'excellen
Oolong-as good as could be bought any
where
"The question whether our people ca
compete with the acquired dexterity an
cheap labor Of Asia will be answered, whe
the time comes, by mechanical invention
that will do the work cheaper and bette
Meanwhile nearly every family in th
Middle and Southern States may grow the
own tea, and better tea than they at preser
buy in the general markets, if they d
nothing more.
1t is also stated "That no more profit
be expenditure of money could be mao
than that necessary to secure and maintai
a farm of 1000 acres near Washingto
and eight or ten experimental stations
various parts of the country, located so
toembrace extremes Of latitude and climai
on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, and
the Southern and Northern as also Il
Middle States. This would enable the
partment to determine on a commensura
scale the value of seeds and plants for d
tribution throughout the country, as also
make such scientific and accurate tests
regard to fertilizers, rotative cropping, j
sect depredations, and the numerous al
constantly increasing subjects suggest'
daily for the benefit of agriculture, as wou
enable it to meet the reasonable expect
tions of those who are practically intere.
ed, and who are anxiously beseechil
the department for assistance in the
agricultural and horticultural enterpris,
During the year there has been
tributed from the grounds 45, $50 tea plan
12,2O0 strawberry, 7,l8l plants of orang
figs, Japan persimmons, olives, &C., 2,9
grapes, and $4,000 scions of Russian apI
trees"