56 
CHAPMAN, RANDALL & CO.'s SUGAR MILL, ETC. 
ing of manure. Others, he planted without any 
application. Loamy soil and well worked. Be- 
tween the guano and manure rows, there was 
little or no difference, while, upon the unmanured 
rows, there grew only here and there a small 
cabbage. 
CHAPMAN, RANDALL & CO.'S SUGAR MILL. 
The following cut shows a sugar mill, recent- 
ly invented, adapted to horse and other power. 
This mill saves much of the labor heretofore 
consumed in grinding the cane, and expresses a 
much larger proportion of the cane juice than 
has been done by many of the mills in use. 
Great improvement has long been needed in the 
grinding and manufacture of cane, and we 
are glad to see the ingenuity of our country- 
men directed to this important branch of Ameri- 
can products. These mills are made of various 
sizes, and are adapted to small as well as large 
plantations. 
Sugar Mill. — Fig. 23.- 
THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT rN FAVOR OF 
AGRICULTURE— AT LAST. 
General Taylor never surrenders, neither his own 
honor nor the interests of those confided to him. 
He has come out, in his first message to congress, 
as we supposed, from a slight personal acquaint- 
ance and some familiarity with his public and 
private character,what he would do; and in a brief, 
but sound, common-sense, patriotic document, 
ocupying but three columns of our larger city 
sheets, he has briefly, but clearly and most un- 
questionably, set his sign manual to be a re- 
commendation for legislative aid to the interests 
of agriculture. Hear him. 
" No direct aid has been given by the general 
government to the improvement of agriculture, 
except by the expenditure of small sums for the 
collection and publication of agricultural statis- 
tics, and for some chemical anafy-ses, which have 
been, thus far, paid for out of the patent fund. 
This aid is, in my opinion, wholly inadequate. 
To give to this leading branch of American in- 
dustry the encouragement which it merits, I 
respectfully recommend the establishment of an 
Agricultural Bureau, to be connected with the 
Department of the Interior. To elevate the social 
condition of the agriculturist,to increase Ms prosperity, 
and to extend his means of usefulness to his country, 
by multiplying his sources of information, should be 
the study of every statesman, and a primary object with 
every legislator." 
For the first time since the days of Washington, 
we believe, has this subject been so directly urged 
upon our national legislature. Mr. Ewing, in 
his report for the Department of the Interior, has 
followed up this subject rather more at length, 
as follows : — 
" The agricultural interest stands first in import 
ance in our country, and embodies within itself 
the principal elements of our national wealth and 
power ; and it should be with us, as it has been, 
and is, with all other prosperous civilized nations 
a leading object of public care and patronage 
The principal nations of Europe have their agri- 
cultural boards, known by various names, under 
the direction of men of high scientific attain- 
ments, supported out of the revenues, and con- 
nected with the administration of the govern- 
ment. And, to borrow the language of the father 
of his country, in his last annual mes- 
sage, 'This species of establishment 
contributes doubly to the increase of 
improvement, by stimulating to enter- 
prise and experiment, and by drawing 
to a common centre, the results every- 
where, of individual skill and observa- 
tion, and spreading them thence over the 
whole nation. Experience, accordingly, 
has shown that they are very cheap 
instruments of immense national 
benefit.' 
" No direct aid has been extended by 
our government to agriculture, except 
by the yearly collection and publication 
through the Patent Office, of some agri- 
cultural experiments and statistics ; and 
recently, the analyses of some soils and 
vegetable productions. The means thus 
applied, though useful in their results, are wholly 
inadequate. To meet the great object fully, and 
to give this leading branch of American indus- 
try the aid which it so well merits, I respectfully 
suggest the establishment of an Agricultural 
Bureau, connected with this department, but 
separated from the Patent Office. The expense 
would be small, compared with the object to be 
accomplished. 
"If this suggestion should meet with the appro- 
bation of congress, and the organisation of a 
bureau become a subject of consideration, much 
aid may be derived from consulting the systems 
adopted by France and Belgium, both of Avhich 
have done much towards the advancement of 
agriculture as a science. Belgium, it is believed, 
has the best organised agricultural depart- 
ment ; and, partly owing to this, partly to the 
natural fertility of the soil, is the best cul- 
tivated and most highly productive country in 
Europe." 
We trust agriculture has at last reached such a 
point of importance and respectability in the 
eyes of our public men, that it may receive, 
hereafter, some part of the attention from those 
which it has so long sought in vain. 
