1863. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



231 



voluntary aid of intelligent farmers — a class to 

 whom the government, in its utmost need, ever 

 appealed to, and not in vain, for aid and protec- 

 tion. 



The plan that has been adopted is to issue a cir- 

 cular for each month, commencing with May, to 

 end with October, and in it to make inquiries rela- 

 tive to those crops the condition of which is of 

 most importance to be known. It was desirable 

 to avoid perplexing interrogatories, and to select 

 those only which could be answered briefly and 

 definitely. In the subjoined tables it will be seen 

 that the questions relate to but two matters, the 

 amount sown in 1863 compured with that in 1863 

 compared with that in 1862, and the appearance 

 of the crop in May and June. The answers are 

 given in figures, by adopting 10 as the repjesenta- 

 tive of an average of the amount of acres sown ; 

 making each number below or above it represent 

 one-tenth of a decrease or increase. So 10 repre- 

 sents also an average appearance. The figure 9 

 would be one-tenth below the average appearance, 

 and 11 would be one-tenth above it. These answers 

 are simple, not likely to be misunderstood, and 

 enable the department to make, readily, averages 

 of a county, and from these of a State, and from 

 all the States a general average. With this expla- 

 nation ever^' person will easily understand the 

 tables. 



The difficulties of collecting these statistics were 

 several. The correspondents were unknown ; who 

 were reliable, from the interest they would take in 

 the propo^pd plan, could be ascertained by trial 

 only; who would pi'ocure the information, neces- 

 sary to approximate to correctness, was uncertain. 

 As farmers communicate to each other, and to 

 persons in towns, especially to dealers in produce, 

 the state and amount of their crops, there soon 

 obtains in every county a knowledge of their con- 

 dition, whether more or less than an average has 

 been planted, whether injured, and by what cause, 

 and to what extent. With no great deal of trouble, 

 this information can be collected and transmitted 

 through the plan adopted. From no other source 

 can t/ie C07idition of growing crops be ascertained. 

 It is obvious that as our correspondents better 

 understand the general character of the informa- 

 tion this department needs, their inquiries will be 

 seasonably made, so that their replies can be given 

 clearly, and at the desired time. 



It is designed to issue the circulars about the 

 tenth day of each month, and have them mailed 

 for their return on the first day of the ensuing 

 month. This will give time to take averages of 

 the answers, to prepare the meteorological tables, 

 and to make such statements in the report as may 

 be desired, and have it printed and distributed to 

 correspondents, with the next circular, by the 

 tenth. 



Unseen difficulties, inseparable from every under- 

 taking where experience has net yet fixed the rou- 

 tine necessary to be pursued, has delayed this first 

 report. The irregularities of the mails, delay in 

 the printing of the circulars, time required by 

 correspondents to make arrangements to procure 

 the desired information — these were some of them, 

 The number and character of the answers received, 

 especially under these disadvantages, give ample 

 assurance that the plan adopted will be successful, 

 and that this department will soon be in regular 



correspondence 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 and 

 Kansas should be kindly acknowledged, and their 

 example commended to States much nearer to the 

 capital. 



Our correspondents will notice that the envelopes 

 accompanying the circulars for July are prepaid. 

 This course was rendered necessary by the con- 

 strtSction given by the Postmaster General to the 

 taw of last session of Congress, regulating the 

 franking privilege. That law declares that "all 

 official communications addressed to the several 

 executive departments by an officer responsible to 

 that department, who shall mark it ' official,' with 

 his signature thereto, shall be free of charge, but 

 all others must be prepaid." 



The act of May, 1862, creating the Department 

 of Agriculture, enjoins on the Commissioner the 

 duty " to acquire and preserve in his department 

 all useful information concerning agriculture, 

 which he can obtain by means of books and cor- 

 respondence, by the collection of statistics, and val- 

 uable seeds and plants." And to enable him to 

 discharge these duties, it declares that " said Com- 

 missioner may send and receive through the mail, 

 free of charge, all communications, and other 

 matter pertaining to the business of his depart- 

 ment. 



The other departments of government, where 

 duties are enjoined upon them requiring action or 

 information outside of Washington, have their 

 officers, by whom and through whom these duties 

 may be discharged, or this information be commu- 

 nicated. The Post Office Department has its 

 deputies and mail agents. The Department of the 

 Interior has its land offices, its Indian agents, etc. 

 The Navy and War Departments have their offi- 

 cers, when sailors and soldiers are to be recruited, 

 or drafted, or clothed, or fed, or marched, or paid. 

 The Slate Department has its consuls and minis- 

 ters, 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 inter- 

 nal tax is to be levied and collected. Whatever 

 information is needed by them these officers can 

 give, and may frank their answers. But the De- 

 partment of Agriculture has no such officers. All 

 it has are in the rooms of the department. Yet 

 to discharge its duties under the acts of May, 

 1862, and of February, 1843, it must have a cor- 

 respondence from ocean to ocean, and from Maine 

 to Texas. 



A just construction of the act of Congress of 

 last session would seem to have limited its restric- 

 tions 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 voluntiiry corres- 

 pondents only, giving to it the proper mail facili- 

 ties ; and then, retaining the duties, but withhold- 



