especially under tliese disadvantages, give ample assurance that the plan adopted 

 will be successful, and that this department will soon be in regiilar correspond- 

 ence with many of the most intelligent farmers of the several States. 



The replies from which the following tables were made are not as numerous 

 in some of the States as was desirable. But the answers from the great grain- 

 producing States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, 

 were full and satisfactory. It is due, too, that the promptness of the new and 

 distant States of Minnesota avd Kansas should be kindly acknowledged, and 

 their example commended to States much nearer to the capital. 



Our correspondents Avill notice that the envelopes accompanying the circulars 

 for July are prepaid. This course was rendered necessary by the construction 

 given by the Postmaster General to the law of last session of Congress, regu- 

 lating the franking privilege. That law declares that " all official communica- 

 tions addressed to the several executive departments by an officer resposible to 

 that department, Avho shall mark it ' official,' with his signature thereto, shall be 

 free of charge, but all others must be prepaid." 



The act of May, 18G2, creating the Department of Agriculture, enjoins on 

 the Commissioner the duty " to acquire tind preserve in his department all useful 

 information concerning agriculture, Avhich he can obtain by means of books and 

 corres2wndence, by the collection of statistics, and valuable seeds and plants." 

 And to enable him to discharge these duties, it declares that " said Commis- 

 sioner may send and receive through the mail, Jrec of charge, all communica- 

 tions, and other matter pertaining to the business of his department." 



The other departments of government, where dixties are enjoined upon them 

 requiring action or information outside of Washington, have their officers, by 

 whom and through whom these diities may be discharged, or this information 

 be communicated. The Post Office Department has its deputies and mail agents. 

 The Department of the Interior has its land offices, its Indian agents, &c., &c. 

 The Navy and War Departments have their officers, when sailors and soldiers 

 are to be recruited, or drafted, or clotlied, or fed, or marched, or paid. The 

 State Department has its consuls and ministers, and other representatives, in 

 every civilized nation. The Treasury Department has its custom-house officers 

 wherever a duty is to be collected, and its assessors and collectors wherever an 

 internal tax is to be levied and collected. Whatever information is needed by 

 them these officers can give, and may frank their answers. But the Department 

 of Agriculture has no such officers. All it has arc in the rooms of the department. 

 Yet to discharge its duties under the acts of May, 1862, and of February, 1863, 

 it must have a correspondence from ocean to ocean, and from Maine to Texas. 



A just construction of the act of Congress of last session Avould seem to have 

 limited its restrictions to the departments having recognized officers through 

 whom they may receive communications. To apply them to the Department of 

 Agriculture, which has none, is imputing to Congress the folly of enjoining 

 duties on this department, which demands a most extensive correspondence, 

 when it has no recognized officers, but voluntary correspondents only, giving to it 

 the proper mail facilities ; and then, retaining the duties, but withholding the neces- 

 sary mail necessities. Congress may accidentally pass two acts having an ap- 

 parent conflict, but the rule of construction in such cases is well known ; and 

 that is, so to construe the acts as not to conflict with each other. 



Rather than be unfaithful to the duties demanded of him by the act of Con- 

 gress, and by the interests of agriculture, the Commissioner has determined to 

 prepay all postage of his regular correspondents ; for to ask of them unpaid 

 infijrmation, and to pay their own postage, too, would be an act derogatory to 

 the dignity of this department and to the courtesy which was due to them in 

 their efforts to advance the interests of agriculture. 



