The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-03

Few OF the farmers of Florida land
probably it may also be said of many
other States of the Union) fully realize
the mammoth proportions the United
States Department has reached within
the last few years; especially since il
was organized into distinct depart
ment or the Government, whose head
official thereby became member of the
Cabinet. Its work has to do with eco
nomic matters of as great Importance to
the welfare of the people at large as
that of any other department for lne
basis of the nation; wealth as we'll as
the prosperity of the millions engaged
in soil culture, rests in intelligent agri-
culture, and no nation can become great
that ignores seed-time and harvest and
those who are the servitors of labor.
These remarks are suggested by re-
cent publication showing the organiza-
tion of the several branches of the de-
partment, its bureaus, its decisions, its
Offices and those who fill them. In the
thirty-two pages of this bulletin, revised
to October lst, 1905, much information
is given which cannot fail to interest
the farmer readers of the Sun; hence a
brief condensation of it's contents is not
out Of place in my department
In May, 1862, the purpose and scope
of the work was announced to be Ito
acquire and diffuse among the people
Of the United States, useful information
on subjects connected with agriculture
and in the most general and compre-
hensive sense of that word, and, to pro-
cure, propagate and distribute among
the people new and valuable seeds and
plants, etc." BY slow degrees from this
acorn planted by Congress, has grown
up tree of stately proportions, whose
branches extend far and wide, whose
fruitage is not confined to one variety,
but each branch has its speciality, as will
be seen as we pass on to sketch each in
its turn.
The Office of the Secretary, of course,
stands first in the list. He has under
him an assistant, chief clerk, an up.
pointment clerk, solicitor or legal ad.
wiser, chief of supplies and curator
or museum caretaker. This museum is
the depository for objects of interest in
agriculture in the possession of the de-
partment and have mainly an educa-
tional value.
The Weather Bureau seems to be con-
sidered, at least in the bulletin, as the
leading II not the most important divis-
ion, as indeed it way well be, since it
has in charge the forecasting of the
weather, the display of weather, frost,
cold wave and food signals. With q
central Office in Washington, it main.
tains 200 subordinate stations within
the jurisdiction of the Government; in
addition it receives intelligence from
Canada on the north, Mexico on the
south, the Azores and all along the
western cost of Europe-thus covering
within its field of observation practi.
cally the whole of the inhabited por-
tions of the North American continent
and the North Atlantic Ocean,"
The Bureau has divisions as follows:
Forest, River and Flood, Climate and
Crop, Meteorological Records, Instru-
ment. Barometry, Ocean Meteorology,
Monthly Weather Review, Telegraph,
Literary, Publication, Supplies, Ac-
counts, observatory (at Mount Weather,
near Bluemont, Va,), Weather Bureau
stations.
While all these are important divis-
ions, each having its chief with vary
ing number of subordinates, it may be
said that the Climate and Crop, and
the Weather Bureau divisions are the
most Instructive and useful in general
way, to the public at large. Florida
vegetable and fruit growers have reason
to be grateful for the home service. un-
der the able observation of Mr.. A. j.
Mitchell rendered by the prompt nd.
vance warnings sent out from Jackson
Vile as to approaching climatic dis
turbances.