The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-07-18

ne TtpDGG SocS vi W Say thae "hi'O
the amount of labor seeking employment
is unusually large, yet there are mahy
localities from which complaints of scar
city are made, principally because of an
aversion to farm labor and prefcrei ce
for employment in cities and towns,
where pay is better. Correspondents in
Southern States complain of the unwill-
ingness of colored people to work stead
lily, of their disposition to congregate
about cities, towns and villages, depend
ing on occasional jobs rather than accept
employment by the month or year on
farms, and of their disregard Of labor
contracts into which they have entered.
A few Southern correspondents speak of
scarcity of labor for hoeing, on account
of the increasing unwilllngness of co..
ored women, ON whom the farmers have
been accustomed to rely in part for that
kind of service, to engage in outdoor
farm work.
Another cause of the scarcity of labor
is higher wages paid in other depart
ments of industry, and still another is
the emigration of laborcrs to the States
and territories where land is to be had
free as homesteads or purchased at low
rates, or the engagement of farm hands
in independent industries. The oppor-
tuniti,i of the latter class are diminish
ing pari passu with the increase in the
use of machinery in the various branches
of production.
A majority of the reports received in
dictate quite the contrary, and the cir
cumstance which most correspondents
find occasion to explain is that of excep-
tional abundance of labor in the rural
districts rather than the opposite condi-
ton. Among the causes assisn ned, the
most important is the curtailment of OPP
erations in manufacturing, mining, IRON
working, railroad building, numbering
and other industries, the low price OF
produce, and, in some localities, failure
of the crops by which the ability of
farmers to employ labor has been dimin-
ished coincidently with an increase il,
the amount of labor offering.
Commissioner .Colman las established
in the Agricultural Department bureau
to be devoted to the investigation Of all
questions affecting daily interests. The
appointment of Mr.. Colman as commits
soner of the department was made, it is
said, solely on account of his fitness for
the place, and was not at all induced by
political considerations. The scope of
department of the Commissioner of Ag-
The Bureau of Animal Industry Was Or
ganized with the object of investigating
the extent, the nature and the means of
outbreaks of communica BILE
diseases among the dOmesticated animals
of the country; and demands for infor
nation on these subjects came from
many quarters. An extended micro
SCOPE investigation of American pork
was made i'll order to ascertain what
there was for the charge that
trchinous infection originated in Ameri
ca. The Bureau OF Gardens and Grounds
propagrated and distributed
thousands of plants. The Bureau of
Statistics collected facts beariu. upon
the rapidity Of agricultural progress and
its local irregularities. The Bureau of
Botany distributed specimens Of plants.
seeds, fruits and grasses t" agricultural
colleges, and answered inquiries from
The Bureau OF Ento
mology made important discoveries as to
the destruction of forest trees by Insects.
The Bureau of Forestry gathered va
able information as to the kind OF trees
the planting of which had been attended
with success. THE great pine forests of
the Northwest says the last annual re-
port. "are now depleted to such an ex-
tent that the Southern pine is brought
into competition with it in the Chicago
market, and perceptible inroads have
alrt ady been made upon those vast for
ests which cover so large portion OF the
Gulf States. The same reckless and
wasteful methods of numbering are pur-
sued there which have SO rapidly con-
sumed the Northern and Western for
ests. This condition of things makes
more imperative e,e cry year the endeavor
to preserve the forests which form par t
of the public domain, and so to guard
and control them by law as to make them
of greatest and most lasting benefit to
the country" Mr.. Colman may be ex-
pected to be heard from on these and
kindred topics to the advantage of the
people of the United States.
The appropriation for the seed division
for the current fiscal year was 500, 900.
On the LIST of the present month there
remained only $32 of this fund i'm the
Treasury. The estimate made in detail
by the head of the division and approved
by the commissioner for the purchase of
seeds called FOR the expenditure of $70,-
600, which would leave $4,000 to pay
the expense of packing and distributing
The amount actually expended for seeds
from this fund seems to have been $S2,-
coo. AS a result there are several kinds
of seeds on hand in immense quantities,
with no money to pay the expense of
packing and distribution.
1t also appears that a wide variety of
prices have been paid for seed. For ex
ample, LOO bushels of sorghum seed
were purchased from a New York firm
at prices ranging from 81 So to So 95 per
bushel, while 800 bushels of the same
variety were obtained from Western
man for 81 per bushel. The attention of
the chemist of the department. was
called to this fact lately, and he was
asked as an expert what would have
been fair price for the seed at the time
this stock was purchased. He said it
sold as low as 25 cents bushel in Ne
braska, but that 81 bushel would have
been an exceedingly good price for the
very best quality, ready prepared for
planting. He was asked how large a
quantity of sorghum seed he would have
purchased had the matter been left to
him. "Not pound" he replied. eth ,re
was no reason for the purchase of either
sorghum or beet. There was no purpose