125 



appended: Clias. S. Ayres, M. West, George Chanuell; Ales. Wood, Jos. E. Ballin- 

 ger, C. P. Shivers, U. W. Coudit, Henry C. Garrison, Chas. D. Lippincott, John F. 

 Mnsgrave, James Cheatham, W. C. Cluly, Geo. F. Turner, Wm. T. McDanel, Thomas 

 McDonald, Kobt. W. Dickson, Henry E. Robertson, John M. Fine, Edward I. Gigham, 

 J. Ashbrook, jr., Ezekiel Fulleu, Reuben W. Clark, D. R. Clark. 



This memorial was referred to the Committee on Retrenchment, the 

 chairman of which, on the part of the Honse, Hon. Martin Welker, of 

 Ohio, in reporting adversely to the prayer of the petitioners, took occa- 

 sion to remark as follows relative to the functions, uses, and expendi- 

 tures of this Department : 



Mr. Speaker : At the last session of Congress a memorial signed by citizens of New 

 Jersey and Pennsylvania, asking the abolition of the Agricultural Department, was re- 

 ferred to the Joint Committee on Retrenchment, of the House jiart of which I liave the 

 honor to be chairman. Supposing the committee will have no opijortunity to report 

 upon the memorial at this session, I take this occasion to make some remarks against 

 the prayer of the memorialists. 



Desirous as I am to retrench the expenses of the Government in every possible way, 

 fully recognizing the fact that the heavy burdens of the people demand relief from tax- 

 ation wherever it can be accomplished, yet I believe this Department, in view of the 

 public good, cannot be dispensed with, and that it would not be wise economy to abol- 

 ish it. I regard it as a very important branch of the public service and entitled to the 

 liberal support of the Government. 



Much of the legislation of Congress has been in the interest of manufactures, finance, 

 and general commerce. Immense Government machinery in the difterent departments 

 is brought to bear upon these great interests. Until the establishment of the Agricul- 

 tural Department, the farming and producing interests were almost entirely neglected, 

 or allowed to take care of themselves as best they could under the care of the States. 

 Agriculture is a national interest. Tlie importance of this branch of industry, the 

 great interests to develop, the wide field for improvement, demand the fostering care 

 of the General Government. Our jieople are an agricultural people. With the most 

 productive, lands, every variety of soil and climate, growing the products of almost 

 every land, we have the capacity to develoj) the greatest agricultural resources of any 

 country of the globe. 



This Department is organized in the interest of labor. This interest, as well as capi- 

 tal, must be taken care of by the Government. There is no need of any conflict in 

 tliis country between labor and capital. They are coworkers ; the one cannot dispense 

 with the other, and both must be fostered. Capital is, however, more able to take 

 care of itself than labor. In the old coiintries of Europe capital is supreme and labor 

 subordinate. Not so in this country. Here it is reversed, and labor is the great foun- 

 dation of our national prosperity and advancement. 



The Department of Agriculture has been established but a short time. It may be 

 considered an oii-shoot of the Patent Office. It had its beginning there. Prior to 181)8 

 some attention had been given to agricultural interests in connection with inventions 

 of labor-saving and valuable machinery. In that year Mr. Ellsworth, then Commis- 

 sioner of Patents, imiiressed with the importance of the subject, suggested that 

 Government should recognize the claims of iigriculture, and give a more definite char- 

 acter and encouragement to the measures he had commenced, on a limited scale, toward 

 collecting statistics, and introducing a few new seeds and plants, and i^articularly new 

 varieties of wheat. The next year Congress appropriated $1,000 from the patent fund 

 for this purpose ; and with it a few new plants were introduced, and about thirty 

 thousand packages of seed distributed. 



These suggestions of the Commissioner induced Congress to make small annual ap- 

 propriations for several years, and led to the adoption of schedules for the collection 

 of statistics in agriculture, which were used for the first time in the census of 1840, 

 and have been carried out more fully at each census since with increased satisfaction. 

 The Department was organized by act of Congress, May 15, 1862. Its purpose was 

 stated in the law to be " for acquiring and diti'using among the j)eople of the United 

 States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture in tlie most general 

 and comprehensive sense of that word, and to procure, propagate, and distribute among 

 the people new and valuable seeds and plants." 



In order fully to understand and appreciate the importance of the Department, and 

 its practical and beneficial workings, allow me to call attention to its present organi- 

 zation, and describe the scope and purpose of each of its divisions. From this some 

 correct idea can be formed of the great advantages the country will derive from its fos- 

 tering care by legislation of the General Government. As now organized, it comprises 

 several divisions : 



