260 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



naj', our despair, as to our government, state or I 

 federal, doing any thing for agriculture. Further, 

 we cannot believe our own class, the asricuiiural 

 interest, could have enough of zeal, public spirit 

 (or even enlightened sell-interest,) and energy 

 to perlorm iheir part in the great and important 

 work proposed. It might be easy enough to as- 

 semble enough individuals at Washington to Ibrm 

 a sufficiently numerous •' National Agricultural 

 Society ;" but, we tear, it would be impossible to 

 induce ihe proper men lo go, and es|)ecially liom 

 the remote parts of the United Slates. More- 

 over, it' a body, as well constituted as could be 

 reasonably hoped lor, could be assembled lor this 

 purpose in Washington, we doubt wheiher the 

 novel at'.ractions and poliiical excitement of the 

 I)lace would not divert the attention ot niany ol' 

 the most disinterested and independent men:ibers 

 Irom iheir designed labors ; and taking the whole 

 body, tliere would probably be more exertion 

 made by members of the society in using the 

 opportunity for seeking office, or other private 

 benefits to themselves individually from the pub- 

 lic purse, than to promote the interest of agricul- 

 ture and the common weal. If the individuals 

 would not so act, they would form a rare exception 

 to the general course of things in the corrupt po- 

 litical atmosphere of the city of Washington. 



We have not examined the question of the con- 

 stitutional power of the general government to aid 

 the agricultural interest and improvement in this 

 mode, and therefore do not mean lo express an 

 opinion thereon. We would readily publish the 

 argument of the subject, from the address of Chil- 

 ton Allan, esq., but have mislaid our copy. But 

 it is not any constitutional obstacle that will pre- 

 vent the action of congress for this beneficial ob- 

 ject. If there were no such objection, any favor- 

 ed individual could more easily obtain money for 

 some useless job or merely nominal public ser- 

 vice, and given solely for his private emolument 

 Ihan the same amount would be appropriated for 

 the most important services to agriculture. Thus, 

 as one example among hundreds, that scientific 

 quack and empty pretender, Featherstonhaugh, 

 though a foreigner, obtained from congress for 

 two years ^5000 a year, upon the pretence of 

 geological surveys in the North- Western teriito- 

 ries, of which the plan was doubtless devised by 

 himself, and solely )br his private benefit. The 

 service was performed by his making a pleasure 

 excursion in a couple of summer months, and the 

 writing a report thereof, (to be published at the 

 jjublic expense,) which report consisted princi- 

 pally of loose generalities, and was more like 

 an introductory lecture of a professor of geology, 

 than presentmg precise results of laborious and 

 accurate field investigation. 



This fat sop thus dispensed by favor, also enabled 

 the recipient to assume and usurp impudently the 

 title of "Geologist of the United States;" and 

 the reputation thereby stolen no doubt helped him 

 subsequently to the very important appointment 

 by the Knglish government to survey the disputed 

 boundary line, and by which he has been enabled 

 to go far towards embroiling the two governments 

 in war. It is to such applicants as these, who 

 are sufficiently urgent and patient, and truckling 

 enough to the money dispensers, that appropria- 

 tions are readily made by government — and not 

 to such public objects as the encouragement and 

 promotion of ai^riculture. The Smithsonian fund 

 will be wasted by congress in jobs for private be- 

 nefit, just as has already been done with a very 

 large part of the great general education fund 

 bequeathed to the city of Philadelphia.* 



Ed. F. U. 



REMARKS ON THE USK OF BONES, AS MA- 

 NURE, AND THE PROGRESS OF THE IM- 

 PROVEMENT. 



From llie Fanner's Magazine. 



We shall briefly refer to this substance as being 

 one of iho«e fertilizers which have more recently 

 been brought muier the notice of agriculturists, 

 not however with the intention of entering into its 

 merits as a manure, ti^r these are manifold, and 

 already well understood throughout the country. 

 Our observations will therefore, in a great mea- 

 sure, be confined to the circumstances attending 

 the introduction of bones, and the difficulties 

 which presented themselves before the agricul- 

 tural community could be made aware of the ad- 

 vaniases resulting from their a doption, affordinir, 

 as it does, another powerful argument in favor 

 of having a treneral centre of reference for the 

 purpose of solving any problematical question, 

 and disseminating the knowledge of it. When 

 potatoes, turnips, clover, &c., were first introduced 

 into this country, there were lew, if any, agricul- 

 tural associations in existence, whether local or 

 otherwise, and many circumstances might be 

 brought forward in extenuation of the slow pro- 

 gress which these made at that time before iheir 

 cultivation was generally adopted ; but at the 

 comparatively recent period when bones were 

 introduced, agriculiuraf associations abounded in 

 almost every district, and we therefore cannot 

 reconcile the laxity displayed by farmers in adopt- 

 ing so important an auxiliary in their manage- 

 ment, without being convinced of the utter in- 

 efficiency of these associations as at present 



* After the above had been delivered to the printer, 

 we saw in the Edgefield Advertiser the following 

 statement. If correct, the Smithsonian fund is already 

 disposed of. After speaking of the sinking of the 

 Girard bequest in the United States Bank stock, the 

 writer proceeds : 



"We hear that tire Smithsonian legacy is in a simi- 

 lar condition, having been invested, under the influ- 

 ence of Col. Johnson, in Arkansas stocks, which are 

 worth about as much'as continental money." 



