The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-01-27
Stimulating Agriculture.
Editor Statesman:

Your editorial on the necessity
tor some law that shall stimulate the
agriculturists of Texas, and aid
them i'll the work of systematizing
their modes of tillage and to collect
the industrial statistics of the State,
was well timed. and should meet
with that attention, which the great
Importance of the subjects treated
of deserve. All of the States of the
North and Northwest have adopted
such laws and have been greatly
benefited thereby. They have col
lected through u central bureau full
information in regard to the capaci-
ty of their soils and climate to pro-
duce, and have presented such state
ments to republic, accompanied by
an exhibition of concrete facts in the
shape of actual products, gathered
from orchards, fields and vineyards,
together with free details in regard
to time, location and mode ofculture,
so as to carry conviction to the mind
of the beholder. By repeatedly con-
trasting the. products of their fresh
soils with the products of the worm
out soils of the Eastern States. They
have attracted the attention of the
thousands of honest tailors, from the
East and from Europe, who are anx-
iously seeking to better their condi-
ton by leaving the homes of their
childhood for new locations in the
West. They have established agencies
TO represent them; they have printed
books and pamphlets containing the
desirable statistical information in
detail, and have scattered them
broadcast over the Eastern States.
at all our principal ports and in Eu-
rope, and the result has been a cease
less tide of immigration flowing into
those states to occupy and develope
idle lands, and in this way they have
increased the basis of assessment,
and the revenue of states with a
rapidity astonishing to those who
have marked their progress. Texas,
with millions of acres of as fine
lands as the sun shines upon. and
with climate that rivals any other
ON the continent has been passed by
and avoided. She has made no effort
either to draw attention to her I'M
rivalled resources, or to educate the
people of the North and East in re-
gard to the disposition of our people
to welcome good citizens from
abroad to home among us.
Allintelligent men recogniZethis fact
that as sound basis Of prosperity
and State Development we MUST have
a more skillful and better organized
system of agriculture; abetter appre-
citation of agricultural mechanical
closer union of science
with the labor eXpended,a more gen.
eral diffusion of knowledge in rela-
ton to the modification and changes
necessary from those whose practical
education was gathered
by an experience in climate and soils
entieely different from that of Texas.
aud the ouly feasible mode by which
this can be done is through the State
organization of a central bureau for
the collection and dissemination of
relative to this very
point.
We must stimulate the energies of |
our agriculturists, as class, by 6p- |
legislation; we must show |
them a recognition of the great i'm
portance of their profession TO the |
future of Texas, for while agricul- |
ture is the true basis of both State
and national prosperity, it needs no
to prove that it receives
the least recognition of the fact
from either State or national gov
eminent. Agriculture has the least
in proportion to the
labor expended So there 10 MOTH
ing bu. simple justice in Offering
every possible encouragement to-
wards its greatest developments.
ALTEMANTR-