The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-02-17
AN AanrcuLruRAL pUEgAu.

Farmers oil over tDo ttate, ehIcViahy s""oo
who arc active members OF the grange, are
curious to know II the present legislature
will 10 modify the constitution rs TO permit
of the creation Of bureau for the further
ance of the agricultural interests OF the state
Without pretending to go into details we
presume tbs principal duties of this bureau
would be to collect and disseminate STATISTICS
valuable to farmers in the cultivation OF the
various field products Of the state, and 'he
collection and dissemination of reliable in
iormatcn as 10 the resources, OF every cnar-
acter, of the state, to be used abroad IN the
interest of immigration that immigration
best calculated TO develop Texas and make
her rich and powerful commonwealth
in the union. Not only is there b
commissioner of agriculture appointed py
the general government, and II Is oranch'
too, worth many fold more to the govern
ment than the cost of its support, but great
msnv OF the states have agricultural COM
missioners working zesously in the cause OF
agriculture, and in every state having such
an officer the farmers yield him hearty
cooperation. We know of no better EVIL
dence of the endorsement Of the farming
classes of the country OF the federal pureau
of agriculture tnsn IT, petition last year, OF
the national grspge, 10 congress TO make the
commissioner Of agriculture cabine officer,
and thus raise The service under his supervis'
ion TO the dig ity and Importance of de-
partment of the government. We 90 not
profess TO know much about farming, but we
know that every interest in this country
is dependent upon the agricultural
interest. Suppose year snouio
pass over the country ia which
crols of all kinds should fail
entirely; suppose there should be no
corn raised for bread or to fatten hogs or
beevea, no wheat, barley, rye. oats, cotton,
sugar, fruit, vegetables, potatoes, rice, or
any other product now known to the agrl-
culture fthis country, would not the man
nfsctories close doors Railroad tvsins and
steamboat lines well might stop running,
commercial enterprises of every description
languish, professional men be doomed to
ileness--in fact every business interest in
the country be crippled and general stagna-
tion follow. If then agriculture is SO i'm
,rtapt q factor, so vital necessity in the
yuomy of the country's welfare and pros
perity, ought it not by oil means to be
ostered, aided, protected, and in every way
advanced and facilitated by every possible
agency? Every year progress is being
made in the science of agriculture, and new
appliances invented for the more perfect and
thorough cultivation of the soil The rude and
and primitive farming implements OF our
forefathers look ridiculous beside the turning
plows, gang plows cultivators, harrows, seed
planters, rakes, reapers and moving ma
chimes OF to-day, and the ignorance of these
same foorefathers of the soils and their
adaptibility to different field products, was
lamentable, indeed, in comparison to the
knowledge and scientific requirements Of the
we'll informed farmer of o'day. Phoaphates,
csrbonstes, and composts were unknown
and undreamed OF by them. In the days OF
old farming was but simple process, and
anybody could engage in the pursuit; but
now, in this advanced age of civilization, a
knowledge of geology, chemistry, meteorol-
ogy, vegetable physiology and botany go to
perfect the science of agriculture and horti-
culture, and no man can be eminendy sue
cessful in his avocation as a tiller of the soil
without some understanding of these
branches of learning. Since the
days of Adam, we may say, agriculture
has been fettered with the weight Of preiu'
dice, ignorance and imperfect action, and
even yet, enlightened rs we claim to be,
there is not that disposition manifest to en-
nance agricultural interests that there should
be. The farmers of Texas, if they do not
pay tho bulk of taxes, pay very large pro-
portion of them, and desiring, as they do
and as all other svocation DO, too. that there
should be an agricultural bureau established
to further the producing interests of the
state, the legislature should so amend the
constitution as to make It possible TO comply
with this desire. We doubt not farmers can
be found in every country in Texas
who would oppose any such meas
ure, but you can also Ind
farmers who could no. be induced to buy a
gang pillow, or sulky culiivatcr, or TO DO
lieve that knowledge Of chemistry or
meteorology or botany or vegetable phyti.
ology was of any advantage to the farmer
Particularly DO we need a commissioners OF
agriculture now. In 1888 the woTld's fair
comes of in New York, ard it Is greatly to
the interest Of Texas 10 mske a display Of
her agricultural and other resources. her tim
bers and varieties Of soil on that occaiion
Nothing that the state could do would better
advertise X. Texas ignored the centennial
exhibition, and if IT ignores the worlds fair,
two years from now, the country will
have Just cause indeed 10 be-