Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-09-03
Department Of Agriculture.

House OF delegates OF virginia, WHICH,
a member, the following speech in
support of his Bill to Establish a De
partment of Agriculture for the State,
which became a law.
DR.. J. B. Strayer is again a candi-
date for a seat in the House of Dele
gates from Shenandoah county, Nir-
ginia, to be voted for at the election
to be held Tuesday, Nov. ?, 1897, and
solicits your support. The speech re-
ferred to above is as follows
Mr.. SPEAKER The importance OF estab-
fishing an agricultural department for the
State of Virginia can not we'll be overesh-
mated. With us agriculture Is desponding
Just now. although the prosperity OF Virginia
depends on it to a very great extent BY IN
creasing our agricultural wealth we increase
taxable articles increase the value OF lands,
and correspondingly aid the State in paying
taxes. Virginia is a great State, and can
paw her debt easily if her resources be de
veioped. Her people sadly need an agricul-
tura department and a general diffusion OF
agricultural education. The general preju-
dice against science must be removed, and
the State must help to remove It by aiding
the people to scientific knowledge as applied
to agriculture. Georgia. prosperous Georgia,
has her agricultural department, and is max
ing rapid strides in material wealth. Ken-
lucky with her agricultural department is
advancing successfully. North Carolina has
inserted a clause i'll her new constitution re-
quiriug her legislature to establish depart
mcnt of agriculture and statistics which
Gov. Vance has just recommended in con-
nection with fish culture and Alabama IS
discussing the propriety OF following SUIT.
So, too, with Tennessee with her agricul-
tural report this year covering twelve hun
bred pages with valuable State information,
and a special report on her minerals. SO,
too, with Missouri, California, Michigan,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachu-
sets. New Jersey, Connecticut, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Maine, New Hampshire, Illinois,
Indiana, and Kansas whose very valuable
and magnificent reports of their agricultural
departments l have had the honor Of receiv-
ing gratutously from their respective Gov
errors, an acknowledgment Of which il gives
NE great pleasure to make just here and
cordially invite the members of this House
and of the Senate of Virginia to peruse the
very excellent and intelligent matter now
presented to them on my desk.
Science IS the handmade Of the agricultur
Isl, and especially is this so, as applied to
fertilization, with chemistry 10 open the
sealed book Of the farmer, and tell him what
are the constituent elements of his land, and
what are the cheapest modes of rejuvenating
his once virgin soil. Virginia lands are be
ing exhausted, and shall we renew them, or
allow them 10 be sold for a trihe, and re-
newed by some more enterprising and live
people Today we are told the tax on land
may be increased, and yet that Virginia can
not afford 10 establish an Agricultural De
partment, for fear, for sooth (as the Rich
mond WING has it,, additional officers and
Offices will be created, impoverishing still
further the old Commonwealth Is this good
reasoning, or is it groundless' Who does
not believe that this department would IN
crease the wealth of Virginia many fold? If
this be so-and il can be demonstrated with
ont the least shadow of doubt-why hesitate
TO do at once that which we must do, and
will do either now or i'll the near future It
is a question that must be met and will be
met by the intelligence Of the State and
soon Virginia will be given an earnest 90
forward IN a new era of progress. Virginia
will brighten, bud, and bloom as Of yore,
with a happy smile Of prosperity on her face,
the envy of her sisters. l ask, then, this
Legislature to practice a wise liberality at
this time in making the appropriation nee
essarv TO iuauourate this department and