Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1884-06-12
A GARDEN SEED DISPENS0RY.
THE AGRICULTURAL DEPART
NIENT OF THE NATION.
It's Purposes and Uses---Experiments This
Ysa---rThe Cultivation ~f
Sugar.

It's Purposes and Uses-,-Experime11ts This
Sugar.
Special Correspondence of the Sentinel.
WASHINGTON, June Cone of the
most interesting departments OF the
government at Washington is the Ag-
ricultural Bureau. The people are
| familiar with it to a certain extent
through the medium of it's regular re-
ports and published Experiments and
data. In general way it is not con-
sidered as valuable an adjunct to the
agricultural interests of-the country as
it might be, but that it performs some
valuable work there can be no doubt.
| do not believe that its organization
and purposes are so fully understood
as they should be, and in order to in
form the readers of the SENTINEL as to
its real scope and purpose I will attempt
a partial elucidation.
The law provinces that the Commis-
sioeer OF Agriculture shall collect and
difuse useful information on subjects
connected with agriculture. He is to
acquire and preserve in his office all
| information he can obtain concerning
agriculture by means of books and
correspondence, and by practical and
| scientific experiments, the collection of
statistics and other appropriate means;
to collect and distribute new and val
liable seeds and plants, to test their
value by actual propagation from the
seeds and to publish results and dis
tribute seeds among agriculturists. He
has the following assistants to help
him: A Statistician, Eutomologist,
Botanist, Chemist and Microscopic,
each in charge of division relating
to the branch of science under his dis
tinctiye charge. The Ststistician has
four correspondents in each county of
| every State in the Union. These per-
sons report to him the local statistics
concerning the crops from which he
makes up and publishes a general re-
port each month. The Entomologist
studies the habits of insects injurious
to vegetation and suggests methods as
to their suppression. The Botanist re-
ceives botanical contributions for the
National Herbarium, makes expert
ments in the realm of botany and re-
ceives and distributes plants. The
Chemist aDalyzes natural fertilizers,
vegetable products and other materi-
ais which arrA-tein r. -e-; 7-l.--~- n II
also analyses soils, minerals, manures
and liquids with view to determln-
ing their value. The Microscopes
makes original Investigations, mostly
relating to the habits Of parasitic fun
gold plants which are frequently the
cause of the sickly growth or decay Of
vegetable life. These indicate the
principal divisions of the Agricultural
Bureau and the fields of labor Incl
dent to them. 1t will be readily seer
that it has the possibility of great use
fulness, especially to the farming ano
agricultural classes. But the depart
ment has this disadvantage, it works
continually in the dark as to the val
ue of results secured to the people
through its agency. The mass Of in
formation sent out is probably of ad
vantage to farmers and cultivators al
over the land, but the effect of it
work can only be guessed at by tn
general Improvement of crops. Ih
Bureau receives little direct encour
/, agement or indication of appreciation
1t is the ambition of the presen
Commissioner to elevate the characte
e of the Agricultural Department to
first place in the ranks of governmen
o bureaus and to receive personal rec
? ognition by promotion to a cablne
officer and advisor of the Presiden
Whether this result will be obtaine
t remains to be seen. The question hs
not had the full discussion which
l. will probably have hereafter and whic
it may be said, it deserves. Nor hs
d the possibility of usefulness of the d.
partment been fully discussed, 50 as
o arouse vigorous and vital interest i
it. 1t appears to languish for want {
o appreciation and to suffer from tt
st absence of a thorough organization
IS not within itself, but throughout tn
y country. At least this is the conclt
sion your correspondent draws fro
le an observation at close quarters.
le The principal experiments of +
Il cent date in the Agricultural Depar
ut ment relate to the cultivation of s
le gnr. The Chemist is now preparin
b. bis report on this subject. 1t wi
'O snow LnaL on ACRES VI Soi iShun "0
h raised this season on the experiment
IN farm at Washington 40 Of which we
ip worked. The usual annual misfortuI
ne came in the storm of Sept. 18th whi'
is destroyed the growing crop. The
at suit is therefore unsatisfactory. Ho
ut ever about $4,000 pounds of sug
a have been obtained from about 15 to
IS. of amber cane, the proportion of
Id tract being about 8 percent sucre
ad and 4 percent glucose. This prop
ho ton is the best indication Of an 8
'e- vance in value of methods. for the 8
ID erage of 4 succeeding years show
er result of Ii percent glucose, IL p
ie- cent sucrose. The chemist states Il
in he has satisfied himself of one imp
ID tant fact, that the diffusion process
the bestssysten, in fact the only va
able method of extracting sugar fr'
the sorghum cane. FORSYTH