-^S56.] Mr, Rollowaijs Report. 419 



preciation or low an estimate members may place upon this proposition ; 

 it is their duty, under the letter and spirit of our democratic institur 

 tions, to take hold of the matter, and do now what they have so long 

 neglected. 



" Let us, for a few minutes, look into the extent and importance of 

 the agricultural interests of this country. By the census of 1850 it 

 will be seen that the cash value of farms and agricultural machinery is 

 put down at near three thousand five hundred millions of dollars. In 

 our opinion this falls far below their actual value, and it may now be 

 safely estimated at five thousand millions of dollars, and their annual 

 product at two thousand millions of dollars. The agriculturists of 

 the United States have more than double the amount of capital in- 

 vested in the single and simple item of fences, than there is invested 

 in every department of manufacturing combined. Four-fifths of our 

 people are engaged in rural pursuits, and by their labor are feeding 

 and clothing over 27,000,000 of people. They produce 100,000,000 

 bushels of potatoes, 300,000,000 bushels of oats, 150,000,000 bushels 

 of wheat, 800,000,000 bushels of corn, 1,600,000,000 pounds of cot- 

 ton, 190,000,000 pounds of tobacco, and the less important vegetables 

 in untold quantities. This presents a glorious picture of national 

 prosperity. It inspires the heart of every American with pride, and 

 too many say, ' at is doing well; let it alone." True, it has done 

 well, but it can do much better. Every acre, speakiug comparatively, 

 can, under proper cultivation, be made to produce double the quantity 

 it now does. The broad fields which have been opened in the west, 

 have contributed much to the great aggregate we have presented. 

 The lands are still fertile, but under the present system of farming 

 in too many instances the spoiler is working his way unmolested. 

 Nothing but bringing within the means of every tiller of the soil a 

 knowledge of the means to preserve the fertility of his land can save 

 them from failing, as have the lands in the older States." 



After concisely discussing the constitutional power to establish such 

 a department, Mr. HoUoway's Report proceeds to examine the ques- 

 tion of right and expediency, and the duty of Congress in that behalf. 

 He says : 



" Some, perhaps, may object to the passage of the proposed bill on 

 account of its increasing the expenditures and multiplying the oflicers 

 of government. The reply to this is, that so far as the agricultural 

 interest is concerned, this ought to have been done long ago; in other 

 words, let the expense be what it may, within the ability of the gov- 

 ernment, it should not be urged against a measure from the advan- 



