The Opelousas courier., 1892-04-23
TO BENEFIT THE FARMER
WHAT THE AGRICULTURAL De
PARTMENT IS DOING
Gathering Facts and Making Exper2
ments in Aid of Agriculture
6rracsoe {or tbo South

The Agricultural Department, writes
Robert Graves in the New York Adrsr-
tejer, spends s., 00Q, Q00 a year. Much
more than one-half of this sum is ex-
pended in what might be called the prac-
teal operations-in 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 experiment.
with forage plants, for the inspection OF
meats and animals intended for exporta;
ton, and fer the dissemination Of infor-'
nation. There is very little abstruse
scientific inquiry. 1t is trIe 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 ale
found in the careful study made of the
habits and nature of the maple worm,
and in the use of appliances for its de-
struction. 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 enl
tomological division of the Department.
vas able to give practical assistance
Professor Riley, the chief entomologist,
was asked a short time ago by a brother
scientist how he was getting along in his
study of certain insects. II an not
studying them at all" 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:
tical work. l have 10 time for anything
scientific for the sake of science-the
chinch bugs, the maple worms, the
grasshoppels 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 its 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
ment of Agriculture are making war on
him, aud 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 ravaglng
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, aud
that in his native State he was troubled
with q parasite which destroyed him as
he destroyed the orange trees. A skilled
pcmoIogist was sent to Australia, the
parasite was found, he was brought to
America and propagated, and now tho
parasite is making short work of the
scale pest. !
Years g it was the fashion to sneer
at the seed division, because Michigan
Congressman insisted upon sending cot,
tonseed to their constituents, and 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. T~hree-fourths of the
wheat now grown in the United States
is of kinds introduced by the Depart
nent. The variety which has widest
.ILr Sc tIo E,1lf1 a rod uinfor
wheat, which originated in Pennsylvania
and was distributed in 1871 and subse7
quent years. The area now occupied by
it is four times as much as that devoted
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
ductien of this excellent wheat it would
not be easy to estimate, but tho benefit
has been 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 a
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 seVenteeth 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 fif-
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,
South America-for the grass which will
! suit the soil and stick There is a
grass problem in the West, too, where
close and continuous pasturage destroys
the short native grasses aud leaves moth
ing in their place.
These are merely or two examples
| Of what experiment and science are do
ing for agriculture. This year the De.
partnlent has spent fifty thousand dol
lars experimenting with the making Of
sugar, both sorghum and cane, and its
results bid fair to be worth many mil
lions to the planters of Louisiana and
the farmers of the West. 10 suppression
| of pleuro-pneunonia and other con
tagious diseases among cattle, and chol IRA
in hogs, the Department has save mil
lions to farmers aud ranch wne Dis
eases of plants have not been ~oyerlookod.