Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1889-12-14
AMERICAN AGRICULTURE
TIE DEPARTMENT WHERE IT'S IN.
TERESTS IRE LOOKED AF-TR
scenes in the Seed Room and Other
Diyisione-fhe work of the SecFe?
tart ard His Assistants


tary ard His Assistants
Few people know anything about the
oundlng Of the Agrlcultural Depart
nent i was established IN May, l>G2.
xnen}the country was in the midst of the
Ivli War Before the organization "f
T. department the agricultural Interests
y the country were looked after to 4
1arc or less limited degree Nv tho patent
ltfIec and, though this looking after Was
eery 'inss s>tcmatic il did great deal q
good and showed plainN the possibilities
of department devoted u the industry
which fortv-tWo per cent. Of the
population are engaged The good done
by tie rather insignificant bureau while
Indcr III domain of the patent office WAS
reco4niztd by the farming population
and through their representatives they
worked hard for its extension into some
thing mo~e comprehensive. At this carly
late, as is the case at present, the dA>
trihutiOn of seed was the most important
work Undertaken by the department, and
the effect on the agricultural interests Of
the county mas been productive of great
good.
The dltieS Of the Secretary, as set
forth in the act Of Congress establishing
the department and thr subsequent, acts
are manifold. and they Keep Secretary
Ru>k busir than he even was as farmer
in Wisconsin In few words he IS &c
acquire and preserve all information con
corning agriculture which can be oh
tanned by means of agents, correspond
ence and BY practical aud scientific ex
periments, by the collection Of statistics
and new and valuable seeds and plants,
among the farmers of the country such az
in the opinion Of experts will be Of use
To do this reqWres somewhat over 4oG
clerks ami he force has been system
aticaly arranged in divisions, SO that
now the big institution is working on
| systematic basis
The Seed Division. as has been stated,
IS the largest and most important Of the
various bureaus that come under the con
troll of Secretary Rusk. Its ramiication.
extend all over the country. from &c
bound Alaska to the gulf washed shore
of Florida This division occupie@
separate building Immediately east OF the
main building. For some time II
shared this, building with the officers
of the Civil Service Commission
This is TO visitors the most interesting
Of all the departments, for here one car
| stand for hours intently watching the
nimble fingers Of the women employee
folding the seeds i'll packages. address
i, ,A
every direction They Sit at tables oN
tending tic whole length Of the roon
and herr they work from until 4 t.
tally sblivous Of the groups Of specta
tors who gather about the doors Some
measure and put seeds in packages.
others pass circle Of rubber around the
packages, which AT then passed on t.
tables, where they are addressed and
weighed Then Young men scoop then
into mail bags and pile the bags when
filed on large wagons that hike them t
the station. When lie planter 2et, his
4i,tN package from the vilaf fc o>tofficc
il tho corner grocery hc dod not think
OF the fair hand~ they have passed
through Every variety u ~eed, from,
In, tiny mustard IL the cso5auIt. j~ ,ent
from this division
Tic lepartment do, not o2nin. i,-elt
cothe foreign eed~ bnt sends or ;ho>o
already known III this country. Tho
II primary n5lee; - giyc increased values
IL nrodu, fiun~ :. introduce ncw indus
tric~ and 10 c-;~aiI~l principles relative to
climatic infiunc pd from these draw
conclusions uhjen point t. the best ceo