Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-01-08
TO BENEFIT THE FARMER.
WHAT THE AGRICULTURAL De
PARTMEET IS DOING
Gathering Facts and Making ExEeri-
ments in Aid of Agriculture
Grasses for the South.

Grasses for the South.
The Agricultural Department, writes
Robert Graves in the New York ADDER
teier, spends So, G00,0 year. Much
more than one-half of this sum is ex
pended in what might be called the prac
teal operations gathering facts and
statistics. in the purchase and distribu-
ton Of seeds ana plants, for the extirpa-
ton of contagious diseases of animals,
for the introduction of and experiments
with forage plants, for the inspection of
meats and animals intended for exporta-
ton, and for the dissemination of infor
nation. There is very little abstruse
scientific inquiry. 1t is true that the De-
partment is instinct with science.
But all scientific work has usefulness
as its aim. Investigations are carried on,
not for the mere sake of acquiring knowl-
edge, but with a view to its application
economically. Examples of this are
found in the careful study made of the
habits and nature of the maple worm,
and in the use of appliances for its de-
suuction. A few weeks ago the Depart
ment was called upon to suggest means
of saving the shade trees Of Cleveland
from destruction. The trees of the beau
tiful Forest City were being rapidly de-
foliated. The same thing happened at
Lincoln, Neb, and in both cases the en-
tomological division of the Department
was able to give practical assistance.
Professor Riley, the chief entomologist,
was asked short time ago by brother
scientist now he was getting along in his
study of certain insects. 81 am not
studying them at all, y replied Professor
Riley, ''because they are insects which
do not prey upon agriculture. All my
old scientific enthusiasm has been beaten
out of me by the necessities of my prac-
teal work. | have no time for anything
scientific for the sake of science-the
chinch bugs, the maple worms, the
grasshoppe1s and the other foes OF the
farmers take all my time"
The man who sneers at the bug
division of the Department does not i'm
peach it's usefulness. The Hessians
brought their fly with them when they
came over to fight for John Bull.
George Washington beat the Hessians,
but the fly has been with US ever since.
Now the scientific men of the Depart
meRt of Agriculture are making war on
him, and he will have to go. These men
are, in fact, the foe of all insects which
prey upon agriculture, and an example
of their mode of attack will be found in
teresting. The scale insect was ravaging
the orange groves of Florida. He threat
ened to devour the entire orange in
dustry of the State. Professor Riley
studied the scale till he became satisfied
that he was of Australian origin, and
that in his native State he was troubled
with a parasite which destroyed him as
he destroyed the orange trees. A skilled
pcmologist was sent to Australia, the
parasite was found, he was brought to
America and propagated, and now the
parasite is making short work of the
scale pest.
Years ago it was the fashion to sheer
at the seed division, because Michigan
Congressman insisted upon sending cot
tonseed ts their constituents, aud be-
cause New York City Congressman sup
piled their home friends with large
quantities OF Early Rose potatoes. But
the seed division has done its good work
nevertheless Three-fourths of the
wheat now grown in the United States
is of kinds introduced by the Depart
ment. The variety which has widest
distribution is the Fultz, red winter
wheat, which originated in Pennsylvania
and was distributed in 1871 and subse-
quent years. The area now occupied by
it is four times as much as that deVsted
to any other wheat. 1t produces one
fourth of the entire wheat crop Of the
country. How many million dollars
better off the farmers are for this intro
duction of this excellent wheat it would
not be easy to estimate, but the benefit
has been enormous. The Fife wheat,
which is the great spring wheat of the
country, grown almost exclusively in the
Northwest, was introduced by the much
reviled seed division.
Just now the Department is making
special investigation of the grasses which
will give best results in different parts of
the country. 1t was the transfer to Eng
land, in the seYenteeth and eighteenth
centuries, of some of the grasses of Mary
land and Virginia, which in large meas
ure improved the bullocks Of merry Eng
land from four hundred Founders to fit-
teen and twenty hundred. The South
needs needs new grasses as much now as
England did in the sixteenth century,
and for much the same reason. There
are sterile acres which should be re.
claimed, and the Department is search
ing the world over-Siberia, India,
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