Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-06-20
The Department of Agriculture.

The Department Of Agriculture.
From the Washington Capital
cisms and attacks upon the administra.
ton of the late Department of Agri.
culture which have seemed little sur
prising, not only because of the lack of q
good foundation to base them upon but
because of the source from which they
appear to eminate. One OF the charges
which is brought against the administers
ton of the department by Commissioner
Loring is that too much of the annual
appropriation was expended by him and
his subordinates previous to the LIST OF
April, leaving an insufficient sum for the
balance of the fiscal year. The truth is, as
we understand it, that the entire unex-
pended balance of the appropriations
April l, 1885, was somewhat larger than
it was on the same day in 1854. The
money was appropriated to be spent
when it could be used to the best ad.
vantage to the agricultural interests OF
the country, and it was 80 used. II
might as we'll be argued that it was the
duty of Commissioner Loring to suspend
all operations last autumn, when he
found a Democratic President was
elected, and wait, without doing any.
thing more, for his successor to be ap
pointed.
We think it quite likely that the new
Commissioner, Mr.. Colman, may be able
to make changes in the personnel of bis
department which will improve it's eff,
fciency, but this will not disprove the
| fo NJ hot thn nf
ment was greatly improved during the
official term of the late Commissioner
1t might as well be admitted, because it
is true, that the work of the various divi-
sions was enlarged and systematized and
perfected by DR.. Loring, and the useful
ness of the department. was never so
widely felt and recognized as now.
We believe that the statistical reports
of the department on crops, markets
and labor questions are now accepted as
authority both here and in foreign coun-
tries; and, in fact, they are regarded as
models of this form of estimate and cal
culation. The department has come in
to intimate relations with scientific
scools and associations in Europe, and
its conclusions have come to be regarded
as reliable and useful by scientific men
abroad. Among the things that may be
mentioned as especially notable in its
recent work are the experiments in the
production of sugar from sorghum,
beets and other sugar-producing plants;
the inquiries into the habits
of insects injurious to vegetation and how
to destroy them; the efforts to ascertain
the nature and extent of contagious ami
NAL diseases in the country, and how to
control and prevent them. These are
the questions which engaged the atten-
ton of Commissioner Loring, and in
dealing with which he has been sup
ported by increased appropriations by
Congress, as has also been the case in
his statistical work.
much about the country to address agri-
cultural meetings, but we fancy that this
criticism does not come from anybody
who is interested in the subject of agri-
culture. He has responded to all calls
in his direction, and in addition has,
from time to time, assembled conven-
tons for agricultural investigation at the
has issued the annual report |
with unusual promptuess. and, so far
as We know, has responded to all calls
upon him from the agriculturists of the
In carrying on this work it has
not been possible at all times to maintain
. uniform force of employees in the de-
partment. The sending out of seeds, for
instance, is q work which does not need
10 60 on all the year round, but the seeds
must be purchased and delivered at
certain seasons. OF course, the
was bound to be ex-
1austed before the end of the fiscal year,
ind it usually has been. 1t is absurd
or the people who are trying to make !
much out of little to bring any charges
Igsinst the honesty of the late Commits
Toner. The truth is, that the work of
he department is going on very much
q usual, and will do 90 to the end Of the
present fiscal year. Whatever may be
aid about his administration, it cannot
'e denied that DR.. Loring left his de-
in better condition than he
ound it, and his services to the agricul- !
ural interests of the country are not
ikelv to be disputed or ignored by the
armer and scientific men of the country
tho understand what he has accom-
lished.