The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-05-04
THE APRIL
OF the State Agricultural Department
Operations of the Compost Pc

t'AaAl vi Ss4piidCAiNt'y
Raleigh. May /.
The April bulletin of the agricultural
department, issued today says:
In the March bulletin mention was
mad of the fact that the board of agri-
culture as organized under the act OF
1877 had been abolished and d~isbanded,
to be succeeded by a board of commits
sioners under authority of an act of the
last general assembly. Consequently
the department of agriculture was just
twenty years old when it changed
hands from one board to the other, and
from one political party to another. 1t
is not improper at this time to glance
back Jpn the work Of the former board
and bring to view a few Of its leading
achievements. Twenty years & the
board Of agriculture began its work
from the ground, and has been build
ing continually since that time. With
no data to start with, it bravely start
ed the work it was charged with &C
complishing. The first experimental
years were laborious and Vigilant, but
always progressive. Then the real
work of and value began
to command attention and the results
to come to the state. 1t established
one among the first fish ~hatcheries in
the United States. and the results of
that work are still manifest in the
waters of the state; it surveyed the de-
posits of pyrites in search of suitable
material for conversion into Sulphuric
acid; it explored the phosphate beds
Of the coastal formations; it promoted
the search for merchantable coal in the
deposits Of this state; it made
i've exhibitions Of the states natural
in great expositions at Wen
ma, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans
and Chicago; it surveyed the oyster
beds; it has aided the development of
the sand-hil region; it has built and
equipped the finest museum in the
south; it has persistently advertised
North Carolina. especially through
handbOOkS, until it is today the best
known, and is regarded as the most
progressive, uD-tO-date state in the
south. Besides these things, it has care
fully and consistently taught better
methods in the cultivation Of all crops
and promoted the introduction of new
varieties Of plants and fruits, and i'm
proved breeds of horses, cattle, sheep,
swine and poultry; it has shown the
way to the renovation of wornout soils
and adopted every means in it's power
for the upbuilding of the best interests
of the farmer, trucker, miner, lumber
IlIIh slllu llSIlcI l IeCoIu Il =
fore the people; the results of its faith
full discharge of the manifold duties
enforced by law will be felt for years
to come. Some tribute is due the re-
firing board for the great work ac-
complished under it's auspices. but
space is too limited here to go more
fully into the subject. except to say
that credit should be given where cred
it is due. The retiring board presents
to it's successors in office the best equip
ped n most effective department of
the kind in the south. 1t behooves the
incoming administration to keep up the
pace, to see to it that it holds the SUI
premacy over similar institutions in
the south and that the onward march
of progress is q~uickened."
lille No. 1877, describing the oper-
atoms Of the compost peddIer in the
state, has been widely distributed.
Since it's publication we have found ad-
ditional evidence Of the truth of the
assertion made by the station that
these operations were fraudulent. In
a letter received from the commission
err Of agriculture Of Georgia, the fol-
lowing is extracted:
Il denounced him by name in $50
weekly papers of this state in January,
and again this month. and now If he
will only come into this state again /
think he will be landed in the chain
gang"
We have also found that the distrib-
uting agents, who sold the chemicals
on the order Of the president of the So
called company, did SO without knowl-
edge that they participated in such a
fraud, and they have since renowned
all connection with the company, 1t is
also learned that these agents, as sta
ted by them. have not sold the chem
icaIs to hat date to any parties in.
Norh Carolina, but have shipped some.
to parties in Georgia 1t seems, ther-
fore, that the experiment. stations
y.orv opncrfnna