The Red Cloud chief., 1885-12-18
COLMAN'S HOsBY.
The Com snissioser OF Agriculture wishes
60 Make Himself . "Boss" Over All
Tho.e Colleges which Nov Owe HIN
Only an Indirect Allegiance.

Sbtps v wGfu 1--WE ~
Only IN Indirect Allegiance.
The Commissioner o. Agriculture.
Mr.. Colmsn. has allowed an extended
summary Of his annual repor; 10 be
submission 10 Congress. IL covers
some important points and deserves
o than passing notice. The De-
partment Of Agriculture has accom-
pli-hed a good deal during the twenty
NV. YEAR or thereabou;. =. is exist.
cncc. but has never been quit. salts
factory in it, workings. The pres
ent incumbent iooe hold some xix
months ago. and has mo-; had time 10
accomplish very much. lie must be
Judged. 80 far ~ he Is judged &; all. by
his cndcayors rather than By his actual
achievements.
Each Commissioner Of Agriculture
has had a hobby. and SIR. Colman bids
fair tn follow the example herein If his
predecessors. He had hardly taken
the oath Of Office when he invited tine
Presidents Of agricultural colleges Ia
meet him in q conference at Washing
ton 10 consult as 10 the feasibility Of
some concert OF purpose. and his an
nual report begins by discussing the
same subject. That conference was a
dead failure. The suggestion was COM
oiled with promptly. There was shown
te be a feeling on the part Of those edu-
cans that there was room for some
co-okrative work in the ~in,ere-, Of az
ricult.sc in its more intellectual ranges,
put 'hcJ would not fall in with the
commissioner views. He wanted they
shonlu All accept a certain subordina-
ton To HIM, Which could not be though,
OF. The report summarized shows
that he asks Congress 10 whip those in
stitutions into line with hi, views. Thi.
it should not do If il Gould. and could
not If it would. FOUNDED upon Grant.
Of land made BIZ COngrcs, thcv ar. 60,
under State rather than N,.ional con.
troll.
The Department maintains exper;.
mcnt stations for determining sucb
questions as the Commissioner oop.
ceiveS To be important. Mr.. Gotham
refers To- these experimental station,
and thinks they could cooperate with
the colleges, which through their farms
make useful agricultural experiments,
adding that they are now separately
carrying on experiments II IN expense
of time and means. and vet without any
central head through which to report
and compare results with each other.
He submits that the Department should
have full authority and ample mean to
avail Itself of the peculiar advantages
offered by these endowed institution.
in order To test IN Il manner and on D
scale sufficient to determine all qucs-
tiona6le points the a~daptability of new
and rare seeds To the various sections Of
our country.
To illustrate Mr.. Colman's idea VIC
will take the case oi Commissioner Lee
Due, who had charge of the Depart
ment of Agricuitur, under President
Hayes. That gentleman carried on
two lines of experiments. tea and
sorghum-growing. Ever ii our soil
and climate were adapted to tea-2row-
Ing, we could not begin to complete
with the far East IN its production.
where the labor of n month costs hard
~ more than the average day wages ot
an American workman. Tn. prOdu~
is adapted to transportation long dh-
tances. The money expended ia 'hI'
| line was 4 sheer waste. The sorghum
experiment was to- the point, ana couS
| lot BE- condemned as dIbb!inc with ~
| impracticablc. Now il General L"D'f
| had been clothed with the authority II
central head which Mr.. Colin:
asks Congress To vest IN mm' Tea an
| sorghum experiments "|a'a nave bceY
| the order of the BAY IN li our agrlcu
,ur,l ..-,,cgcs. Instead OF that caG/
.a.s it, own course and worked OWL il
| own prohl"ni. We ,o not know wha
was lone in other States. but Ajudgin,
| from Illinois there mast l./"c been
great deal of practicaH"o:k accom-
pIishcd in the intcres,%f agriculture b
experimentation. 1tehc Illinois tniyers
iiy raised s~orghuAhn. therein contribu,
| iny To oncL( branch o; the L.
Due exrcriW(n' but instead Of was'in'
time and money overtca it set out Al
orchard with every at.ainab!c varict'
of appl/E trees. and in a WAY n. ono,
sc;.nii 1ic and practical. determined, o.
at I.x - went fur toward determining
whit varieties are best a.lapird to sucl
.o(si and climate Is those Of Champaign
county.
W Now j. world be- a most excellent
thing il aIl these colleges would carr,
on thorough fruit experiments. taking
IN pears. piums. etc. and let the re-.
suits he grouped in n report by the De.
partmcnt of Agriculture. and scattered
Fll over the land by members OF Con.
Sress. Very great benefits could b,
d lnferred upon the public nv such con.
O., Of action. And If Mr.. Colman
moi happ troubled - III.
| N, f. disease. big-hcai. ne might hav,
in ugurated something If tina, sort last
spNRng. Ii is o too late for him r.
| re lser and do it Yet. but he must;
aba (dcn the idea of compul-ion. H.
can llot be authorized To subordi-
nate kthese colleges 20 his official be-
hcsts Take our own State for exam.
ME Tho Illinois University. Is il !.
now c4llcd. received iso.Oyl acres Of
pnhIicy land from Congress. and the
.ounE in which il is located CAV. in
BOD. buildings and bonus $4,000
Ii SEcd Ia students in March. 1858.
aud ~ been growing all the time.
The Stf$\kts constantly made libcra,
appropriately Of its maintenance. II
will never - IUbordina:ed in any ,ic.
| gree Ia the CoaSissioner o. Agricul,.
ure- Mr.. CoimaSs might As well put
bis mind NJ rest on ~ point.
The latest experimental the Eiinoi.
University WAS IN the linSAf silk cult.
nrc. IL was demons,ra;e6N khat In.
Usage orang. - adapted tn heNppori
OF the worm. bat that \ disease Which
has not Vel yielded to trea;mentN
iacSs larva and renders silk culiuTrs,