The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-19
Goin6 Out of Town?
The beauty of good breeding Is
that 1t adjusts itself to NIL relations
without effort, true to itself always,
however the manners of those
around 1t may chnnge.-Ho1mes.
M.1TRY,s SERVICE TO FARNIE,s.


The farmers of the United States
should join heartily in the movement
to erect monument to Copmodore
Maury. for he did them an invaluable
service in laying the foundation for
the meteorological observations and
research of the Department of Agricul-
ture. In 1857 the Committee on Agri-
culture reported that "the system Of
meteorological observations and re-
sNlrch to which your memorialists re-
fer was inaugurated by Lieutenant
Maury about ten years ago, while in
charge of the Photographed Depart
ment. for the purpose of improving
certain maps and charts relating to
the winds and currents of the sea.
AS long ago as 1851 Lieutenant
Maury urged the Importance of including
the land within this system of re-
search. The regular report
of the condition and prospect of grow
ing crops, from every part of our
country to a central office, furnishing
the data Of officials bulletins, would
be of sufficient Importance to both
producer and dealer to secure the APP
prevail of the government"
Lieutenant Maury followed up the
report with other suggestions. but the
work was delayed by the war.
In 1871, however. he delivered an
address on the subject at Norfolk and
other points. which met with enthusi-
istic communication. He expressed the
L.,
neous estimates and lack of such ac-
curate crop statistics as he proposed,
he cotton planters alone had receiv-
ed for their last six crops many mil
lions less than they would have re-
ceived had they known before selling
the actual cash value OF crops as ac-
curately as ittLvas known after they
were sold =. >"
He pointed out that while the weath-
rr reports were instructive they We're
not full enough. and that there was
nothing in the probabilities" that
the farmers could utilize. "But the
time is coming" he went on-"and my
plan will hasten it-when these prob
abilities will become certainties. and be
more specific and practical. Let us
suppose that the proper meteorological
stations have been occupied. and that
the observers and co-oporators report
upon the crops as well as upon the
weather; and that a special crop re-
Porter be assigned to every district OF
10000 square miles in the States. who
should travel over his beat continually
and keep the central office posted, by
monthly reports. first, as to the state
of the staple crops OF his district; al
the same time the meteorological OBJ
servers in his district would send II
their observations in detail for tn,
same period. also by mail. while by
telegraph both observers would keeI
up their daily reports. both as to tn,
weather aud crops. This would Civ,
Ave crop reporters for Alabama, nv,
for Tennessee, four for Kentucky an,
30 on all over the country"
Here is the groundwork for tn
great system OF weather and Gro,
reports which the Department of Agri
culture now regularly sends out, an
Matthew Icontaine Maury deserves TN
t5 CTedlI TOT tHe institution, In O
his lectures he told the cotton plant
ers that II they would give him loo
of COTTON from every bale he woul
undertake, with that as a fund, to do
fray all the necessary expenses 10
forecasting the weather and crops fc
them, And now that this splendi
service is being done by the govern
~ ment without cant of cost to the fal
mers, surely avery one of them shou]
be willing to give lock of cotton, ,
handful of corn, or leaf of tobacc
TO erect monument to the man WI
originated and advocated the servic
1t is not enough to name n governme
G Pier Tor him, There should also
noble statue OF the man oyerlookir
the sea and the land, with appropria
symbols and inscriptions.
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YELLOW IMMIGRANTS.