Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-28

perintcndent and professors employed q
ssa cniIexn. Terminates the policy to be
,rrs,,ed IN the conduct OF the institution.
ard In addition, appoints the director OF
the experiment station and controls ana
directs his work. Neither our Commis-
sioner OF Agriculture nor State Board OF
Agriculture has anything whatever 10 40
with the experiment station, ana can III
no manner shape or control the manage
ment OF this most important factor touch-
ing the interests OF agriculturists.
THEY DO NOT CLASH.
Thus. your Exceliency will note that we
have three separate and distinct agen"
cies In Virginia. each acting indepena-
entity one of the other, TO accomplish
a common end. :.
You will readily appreciate that II
there was only one agency TINS wo,n
would probably be done more eftciehts
and economically than as now at'empt-
ed.
II will be well for you to disabuse your
mind OF any hastily-assumeu cohVIe
ton that these three powers clash ana
are ,ealous one OF the other. we all
get along very tremendously, but we
realize that II the law did not hold US
anart. II we could act as unit we wouia
accomplish much more ana peller "ofh
AZ The president Of the Virginia State
ysoa ri of Agriculture. j wrote 10 Dr. ). IA
NcDryde. president OF virginia sgrI-
cultural and Mechanical College, asking
him what percentum of the graduates Oh
The college followed the pursuit OF agri,
c,,,,ure His reply was that no record
- ,.on, and that he could not furnish
the information. ~
In answer to my letter to the Hon. J.
cter,ing Morton, Secretary OF Agricul-
tire as 20 the policy pursued In the dif-
ferent states in regard to the manage
mont of the experiment stations sup
,,or,ea nv Federal subsidy, and also the
consensus of opinion resulting from ex-
nerience in the old as well as III the
new States as regards the best means
nv which TO accomplish good for the agrl-
culturists, he replied through the HON.
c. w. Dabney, Jr., Assistant Secretary:
.It would take several months, at least,
a. comnile the information asked for in
your letter" copy of his letter, which
contains much valuable and interesting IN
formation is herewith filed part OF THIS
report (See Appendix Al
OUTLYING CULTURE STATIONS.
The board Is thoroughly impressed with
the belief that great benefit Ia to be de-
rived from the establishment OF outlying
culture stations az supplementary TO the
work Of the experiment station al Blachs-
burg The attention OF our farmers should
no drawn TO the pecuniary benefit TO be
derived from the product OF the sugar
beet BY ocular demonstration the OBJ
iect lesson OF the outlying culture stations
will teach the farmer in the different sec
lions Of the State what crops are profta-
BILE for him 10 cultivate, what fertlllzers
produce the best results In this sectlon'
and what is the best and most economi-
cal system Of cultivation. The difference
m soil climatic conditions. and propin-
guilty to market are all moving factors
governing the policy pursued by the farm
ers In the different sections of the state.
One experiment station, Blackspurg' IN
the almost extreme southwest portion OF
the State cannot alone render the benefit
10 all the agriculturists OF the State that
was contemplated when the Federal ap-
preparation was made.
During the past seven years the board
has received in appropriations from the
Treasury of the State the sum of sl3.Wo
They have turned back into the Treasury,
from fertilizer fees and unexpended bal
ances. the sum OF si4, 316.33-showing net
cost OF the department during this time
Of s2S,s2S67. (Sae Appendix 3D.
The reports OF the COMMISSIONER VI hS-
riculture and of the board show in detail
for what this sum has been expended.
The smooth and admirable manner In
which the fertilizer law Is administered,
affording ample protection to our farmers
in the purchase and use of fertilizers, is q
testimony TO the good work accomplished.
Drawn, as this board is, from private
life, with conscientious regard for the
best interests Of their constituents. we
are constrained to say that unless the
appropriation and the field and the scope
of our labors are both enlarged we see
no necessity for its continuance simply
as a board Of overseers to supervise the
office work Of the commissioner. That the
board should have its field of labor en-
larged. with an appropriation at it's dis
posal commensurate with the deserts OF
the agriculturists of the State, we most
heartily recommend.
A possible wise enlargement of the field
Of our labors would be TO establish by
law closer relations of this board with the
Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege In the direction of the control OF the
experiment station and thus enable us 10
use this admirable engine for the In
struction and profit of the farmers all
over the State.
Very respectfully submitted
s. WEXFORD CORBIN,
President OF the Virginia State Board of
Agriculture.
C.nfapnhor 95 1eqt