The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-22

most interesting as well as Instructive
way by a South, Carolinian, Mr.. Daniel
c. Roper, Of marlboro county, now
connected with the census bureau, in
a bulletin Just issued. The title of the
bullet n, all Of which was prepared by
Mr.. Roper, is Cotton Production in
$685. and contains all sorts of infor-
nation on the subject of cotton. From
the particular chapter referred to
above is taken the following:
"Agriculture has always been the
chief occupation OF man, but the
methods employed therein prior to
1850 were for the most part crude,
and were conspicuous for an absence
of system, due possibly to frequent
warfare or to the impoverished con-
ditiOn of the D~easantry. Little or no
improvement took place in European
agriculture during the period of 1000
years from the s Of Charlemagne
until the reVClut onary speech of 1913.
Even after the defeat of Napoleon. in
1913, tllaSe, in many countries, was
little beyond the stage it had reached
at the time of the Pharaohs; wooden
plOWs were tsed and grain was
threshed by the tramping of animals.
ReapIng hooks may still be used in
some countries. NUT in recent years,
through the general introduction of
machinery and the growing use of sci
entlfc methods the effectiveness of
Iabor has been wonderfully increased.
1t is not ficult therefore. to un-
oeIstand why the need of definite in
formation and statistical data relative
TO agriculture was not manifested un-
III about the middle Of the 18th CEN
fury. 1T IS $ Snificant that the ad-
vance indicated by the demand for
statistics was the forerunner of a sci
entific study Of h industry. This ad-
vance appeared first in the United
States, with the result that tbs coun-
try now leads al others in agricul-
tural wealth.
Prior to census of 1910, which
dealt with the crop Of 1899, no data
regarding the production of agricul-
tural crops were regularly collected by
the government in this country. That
census showed a production of cotton
ECU valent to 1653,7 bales of 500
pounds each. valued at more than
S70.O00,0 C0, or abou. one-ffth OF the
total value of all Agricultural products
at that time. Again, the value of raw
cotton exported in 1910 was about so
per cent. OF our total exports Of do
mestic products. Cotton, therefore.
constituted a very important portion
OF the cOuntrV's wealth. and statistics
regarding it began to attract cons.d-
u t'i blIti 81 was SlIo"I
by Congress in 1882. lei Hon. Levi
Woodbury., secretary of the treasury.
was directed to prenare a report on
the production Of cotton. This was
the first endeavOr of the government
to collect cotton statistics. and the re-
port. covering the period from 1870
to 1895: submitted to Congress in 1886
3 still regarded as the most reliable
for the crops shown in it.
"a -y111
tlstical information regarding agricul-
ture and for more frequent data than
was afforded by the census taken de-
~Cennially, had arisen, and therefore
congress, in 1868. authorized the de-
partment of agriculture to collect GER
tan Statistics. and beginning with
that year estimate of cotton acreage
and DroductiCn have been prepared
annually. The manner in which his
Department has established it's eff
cent serVic" in connection with the
cultivation Of cotton furnishes an in
iFrestlng reference in the economic
Sluoy OF agriculture. 1t has aWak-
ehed the entire agricultural industry,
ano brought the practical results of
ScIeftlf1c research to the aid of the
farmers. A very large percentage of
me cotton growers now realize the
Importance Of improved methods in
tlIIagc, seed selection. plant culture
ahn harvesting. Much of this has re
SUITED directly or Indirectly from the
plans and demonstrations of the Uni
ted States deDartment of agriculture.
ne Hrendlture made bv the ma
ucnaI government and by the several
EO1ton-2rOWing States and other local
subdivisions IL the interest Of cotton.
not including the cost of educatona1
work in the schools. colleges and in
st1fu1es- amount to. approximately,
100000 annually. Of this probably
nne-third is devoted to cotton at the
eXperiment stations. one-third to sta
t stical INQUIRIES. and the remaining :.
to Snecial phases of the !
plant and its A numbe or /
hnroallS in Several denartmentS Of the |