The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-26
ley's care as curator and his skill as
taxadermist.
NEW BUILDING.

NEW BUILDING.
At the last June meeting of the Board
of Agriculture, an extension Of space
was provided for to meet the growing
J demands Of the State Chemists labora-
tory, and to provide additional room for
| the museum. The construction of this
! building was placed under the direction
I; of Dr. Battle, Mr.. Bruner and myself.
! After making and examining various
plans, the contract was let to the North
| Carolina Car Company. Under the terms
! of the contract the building should have
f; been finished several weeks ago, but on
account of the unfavorable weather for
doing inside work and plastering, the
! building committee have not insisted On a
! rigid adherence to the terms of the con-
| tract in this particular, preferring to
| have the work we'll done rather than
hastily done.
| At the December meeting Of the board,
| the same committee was directed to pro-
| vide a heating system for the whole
! building, the former heating arrange
ments having been found inadequate for
| the needs even of the old building.
| This work was let to the ID. A. Tompkine
| Company, of Charlotte, and is now in
| progress.
The work Of the new building has been
! admirably done, and we believe the heat
| ing arrangement, when completed, will
| be equally satisfactory. The building
| will contain, besides rooms for the labor
| atory, rooms for the State Geologst,
an elevator water closets, and three
| large rooms as an extension to the mu-
scum.
IMMIGRATION.
| An important work of the department
| is that of encouraging immigration, and
seeking the investment of foreign capt.
| tai within our borders. AS an impor-
tant means to this end, the Board of
| Agriculture has provided from time to
time for the publication and distribu-
| ton of a hand book, illustrative of North
| Carolina resources and advantages.
| The first of these was issued in 1879;
| again an enlarged and improved
| edition was issued IN 1893; many copies
of which were distributed at the Chicago
Fair, and have continued to be sent out
at the request of many persons, mainly
| in the North and Northwest.
| A year ago, that is at the December,
1895 meeting of the Board of Agriculture
another edition, revised, improved, and
| up-to-date was authorized, and the Sec
rotary of the board, aided by the Direc
tor of the Experiment Station and the
| Commissioner was directed to prepare it.
The result is respectfully submitted to
you in the volume presented to the men,
bers Of the board. This last edition has
been everywhere received with marked
favor, as many letters OF commentator
testify. Requests from all parts OF the
| country have been received, and many
copies have already been distributed. Be
sides these, many letters, giving on vari-
Gus subjects more specific details than
are contained in the book have been writ
ten.
1t is impossible to measure the results
Of these efforts. because they are not
| always apparent or appreciate. 1t is
advertising, and like other methods of
| advertising, the effects are not visible.
But there may he traced the investment
OF many thousand dollars in the woods,
lands and minerals of the State, directly
due to the efforts of the Department.
/ receive many letters ALSO mostly from
parties in the cold and rigorous North
and Northwest, signifying the intention
to leave the severe climate OF those sec
tons and seek homes in the South. In
| many counties in the State are lands for
| sale, at low prices for lack or scarcity
| of purchasers. | believe it to the be the
part of wisdom and patriotism to en-
| courage the immigration Of industrious
| frugal settlers-continuing the efforts
made in this direction by the Board of
| Agriculture.
THE FDHIIUIZDR CONTROL
The members OF the Board are aware
| that the greatest work of the Depart
| ment is the control of the traffic in COM
| mercial fertilizers. Before the law was
enacted, unquestionably great frauds
were practiced upon the farmers who
| used fertilizers, for they were ignorant
| Of chemical tests and fell an easy prey
| to the designs Of INSCRIPTIONS manufac-
] turers and dealers. Not until their labor,
| was lost, their money wasted, and their
crop made no increase could they know
how they were defrauded.
| The law first enacted by the Legisla-
ture imposed license tax of $500 upon
each company doing business in the State.
This law was attacked in the United
States Court by one of the smaller compa-
| MES, and was declared by the court I'M
constitutional.
| The Legislature Of 1891 then imposed
| tax of % cents per ton, collected
| through the tag system still in
use. This tax was also attacked but its
constitutionality was practically sus-
tanned by Judge Seymour.
| From this decision the fertilizer compa-
MES appealed to the Supreme Court of
the United States, and although the case
was argued before that body last May,
no decision has yet been rendered, or at
any rate handed down. If the decision
| should be adverse to the law, a very
grave question will be presented, and the
Board will be confronted with a serious
| condition.
The system Of registration, inspection
| and analysis is as efficient as perhaps
can be made. 1t depends so entirely
| upon the intelligence and honesty of the
| various officers in control, the greatest
| care is necessary in selecting them.
Every fertilizer company proposing
to do business in the State is required to
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