The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-02-15
AH HORTICULTURAL BUREAU.

AN AGRICULTURAL BUREAU,
Farmers all over The state especially those
who are active members Of tho grange, are
curious 10 know ii the present legislature
will so modify the constitution rs to permit
Of the creation of burasu for the further
anee of the agricultural interests of the state.
Without pretending to 20 into details, We
presume the principal duties of this bureau
would be to collect and disseminate statistics
valuable TO farmers in the cultivation of tho
various field products Of the state, and the
collection and dissemination OF reliable in
formation IS 10 the resources, OF every char
acter, of tho state, 10 be used abroad in the
inter- st of immigration that immigration
best calculated to deye op Texas and mako
her rich and powerful commonwealth
in the union. Not only is there
commissioner of agriculture appointed by
the general government, and it is branch,
too, worth many fold more to the govern
ment than the cost of It's support, buta great
many og the states have agricultural COM
missioners working jealousy 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
Glasses of the country Of the federal bureau
ofsgriculturo taan the petition last year, OF
tho national grange to congress 10 make the
commissioner of agriculture cabine, officer,
and thus raise the service under bis suporyis-
ion to the dignity and importance Of de-
parlment Of the government. We do not
profess to know much about farming, but we
know that every interest in this country
is dependent upon the agricultural
interest. Suppose year should
pass over the country in which
crops of all kinds should fail
entirely; suppose there should be no
corn raised for bread or 10 iatten hogs or
beeves, no wheat, barley, rye, oats, cotton,
sugar, fruit, vegetables, potatoes, rice, or
any other product now known TO the agri-
culture ofthis country, would not the man
ufactories close doors Railroad trains and
steamboat lines we'll might stop running,
commercial enterprises of every description
languish, professional men DO doomed 10
idlenesa--in fact every business interest in
the country be crippled and general stagus-
lion follow. II then agriculture is SO i'm.
portant factor, so vital necessity in the
economy of the country's welfare and pros,
perity, ought it not by all means TO be
fostered, aided, protected, and in every way
advanced and facilitated by every possible
agency? Every year progress is beire
made in the science Of agriculture, and new
appliances invented for the more perfect ard
thorough cultivation of the soil. The rude AMI
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
lamcntsble, indeed, in comparison to the
knowledge and scientific requirements of the
well informed farmer of to-day. Phosphates,
carbonstes, and composts were unknown
and undreamed of by them. In the days of
old farming was but asimple 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 horii
culture, and no man can DO eminenIly sue,
cessful in his avocaton as tiller of tho sol
without some understanding Of these
branches Of learning. Since the