Evening star., 1900-08-18
A WIDE PUBLICITY
Extensive Circulation of Literature by
Agricultural Department.
THE FORMATION OF LIBRARIES
Immense Collection of Books of
Interest to F armers.
BOON TO RURAL SECTIONS

BUN IL RU RAL SEC1lONS
1t is claimed by the officials of the De-
| partment of Agriculture that the publica-
| tions which they issue have the largest cir
| culation of any printed in this country, the
Congressional Record alone excepted. This
fact recently ascertained by Mr.. Chas.
H. Greathouse, one of the editors in the
division Of publication at the department.
Mr.. Greathouse also ascertained, among
many other things. that the founding of
agricultural libraries in this country was
| first undertaken by the agricultural So
cieties established in several of the states
| just after the close of the revolutionary
| war. These organizations made part of
their first work the collection of papers on
farming. and the publication of them first
In newspapers and then in books. The
papers and publications, with exchanges
and gifts of similar material from learned
societies and persons, both in this country
and abroad, formed the beginning of agri-
cultural libraries. Two of these societies.
the Philadelphia and the New York, also
projected the establishment of branch So
cietfes, and third, the Massachusetts So
ciety, systematically promoted the founding
OF kindred associations similarly supplied
with libraries
The Philadelphia Society for the Promo
ton of Agriculture, which was established
In 17S5 at the seat of government, with
Washington and Franklin as members. In
1894 considered the founding of libraries
throughout the state of Pennsylvania
The country schoolmasters were to be the
secretaries of the proposed branch organ
izations, and the school houses were to be
the repositories of the transactions, models
etc. 1t was, however years before the
Pennsylvania Agricultural Society was es-
tablished and the school house libraries
OF agricultural books are yet to come
The Massachusetts Society for Promoting
Agriculture had something of a library in
1891 The society began the publication of
agricultural notes and extracts from agri-
cultural discussions in the Boston Journals
in 1893
Only One in the South.
In the south the only agricultural library
of this period, says Mr.. Greathouse, was
that of the Winyah Indigo Society at
Georgetown, S. C. This society was found
ed about the middle of the eighteenth cen
tury by well-to-do planters of that section
whose staple product was indigo Theil
original purpose was discussion of public
affairs and of their business interests. Ir
l'oo they secured charter, and in sue
ceedlng years they gathered "a library OF
such an extent that it became well known
In the collection of agricultural works
| the colleges early took a leading part
Bowdoin Harvard, Yale, Williams, Colum-
of Pennsylvania, Brown Uhen the Univer-
| sity of Rhode Island), Rutgers, William
and Mary and other schools of less promi-
nence gathered libraries.
Among the notable private libraries OF
the beginning of the century were those OF
| Washington, jefferson, Pickering Living
| ston and Mitchell. A part of Jefferson's $
books. including many of those which he
used In his agricultural Investigations are
In the Library Of Congress. Jefferson's in
terest in agriculture is best known per-
maps from his Improvement of the plow
out, IKE Washington he directed practical
were a constant aid to him for the pur-
| pose.
Libraries of Present Day.
The most important agricultural libraries
IN existence at the present time are: De-
partment of Agriculture Washington. D.
c., 1000 volumes; Illinois board of agricul-
| ture, Springfield, sol: Massachusetts, Horti-
cultural Society, Boston, $500; Cambridge
horticultural Society, Cambridge, Mass
2,'oo; Worcester County Horticultural So
ciety, Worcester, Mass, LOO; Sherwood
Hollow Farmers Club, Binghamton, N Y,
i'Zo; board OF agriculture, Columbus. Ohio,
1,456 Pennsylvania Agricultural Society
harrisburg, 1900; Pennsylvania Horticultu-
raj Society, Philadelphia, 800; Winyah In
digo Club, Georgetown, S. c., 1000; Agri-
cultural Library, Montpelier, VT, 300; Agri-
cultural Library Association, Royalton Vt,
800; State Agricultural Society, Madison,
Wis, 1000. The New York Agricultural
College is part of Cornell University at
Ithaca, and the books on agriculture in the
main are kept in the university library. AT
the University of Wisconsin the agricultu-
| raj library Is in Agricultural Hall, under
the general library control, and numbers
nearly 5000 volumes. Agricultural libraries
now found In many states consist of the
collection of books belonging to agricultu-
raj and horticultural societies, breeders
associations, etc, and to state boards of
agriculture
The library Of the Massachusetts, Hor-
ticultural Society formed in 1929 has about
10000 volumes. 1t is one of the most notable
collections on horticulture in the world.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Library, located at Horticultural Hall,
Broad street, above Spruce, Philadelphia,
was founded in 1877. 1t now has over 3 SEQ
volumes; consisting Of works on horticul-
ture and agriculture, including all reports
or the leading societies throughout the
country. The New York Agricultural So
ciety, Library was founded in 1892 and has
nearly 5000 volumes. The library of the
Massachusetts board of agriculture con-
tains about $500 volumes, many of them
rare and valuable. The library of the Illi-
nois state board of agriculture was started
IN 1888, and now has about {. 600 books and
pamphlets. IS per cent of which relate to
agriculture and kindred industries
Inc most important agricultural libraries
OF this country, both from the number OF
books and the use made of them are the
collections of the government namely the
library of the Department of Agriculture at
Washington, the library of the weather bu-
reau at the central office in Washington
city and at the stations throughout the
country, and the agricultural books in the
Library of Congress.
Total of 5000 Volumes,
The library Of the Department of Agri-
culture now contains $1,000 volumes. in
charge Of w. P. Cutter, librarian, and a
corps OF assistants. OF these books fully 10
per cent are strictly agricultural. The re-
mainder are historical. biographical or such
documents connected with the work of Con-
gress or the other departments as are like
ly to be frequently in. demand.
The weather bureau has 10000 volumes
OF these 1900 are upon meteorology and
climatology. constituting one of the largest
collections Of the kind in the world The
accessions are about 1000 annually, being
largely exchanges from meteorological in
sttutions throughout the world The books
are constantly in use by the scientific corps
OF the bureau and are issued to employees
generally. subject to recall when needed.
The books on agriculture in the Library
OF Congress occupy unique position. They
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