72 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
Buley’s far is sure to fly, while Jack and Nelly are 
equally sure to wear marks of decided feline dis¬ 
cipline on their faces for long days afterwards. 
Both parties claim jurisdiction of of barn, and sta¬ 
bles, and while they both do good service in their 
line, each equally hates the other with the intensity 
of a common enemy. 
4gricultural Humbug at Washington ■ -II* 
PATENT OFFICE SEEDS. 
We purposed in this number to continue our 
remarks, begun on page 40 of last No., in refer¬ 
ence to the operations of the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment of the Patent Office, but we cheerfully give 
way to the article below, from the Philadelphia 
North American of Feb. 0th, to which we call 
especial attention. 
After referring to the benefits that may be, and 
even have been derived from the distribution of 
seeds, the writer goes on to say : 
11 ... .MrEditor it is so much more agreeable to 
praise than to censure, that the writer would 
willingly close his remarks with an expression of 
his earnest hope that the future efforts of the 
Patent Office may be most successful—but sir, 
that office, and the money which sustains it, be¬ 
longs to the people, and whenever its action re¬ 
quires censure, it should not be withheld through 
delicacy to the official, who directs its expendi¬ 
ture. It was, beyond question, the object of Con¬ 
gress, when making its several appropriations for 
the purchase of seeds, that the money should be 
expended in procuring from abroad such varieties 
of cereals, grasses, esculent vegetables, and, if 
you please, grafts, &c., as might not speedily be 
introduced among us through the ordinary course 
of trade. 
The first effort to that end was during the ad¬ 
ministration of the younger Adams, who caused 
circulars to be issued to Consuls, Naval Officers on 
distant stations, and other officers in the service 
of the government abroad, inviting them to col¬ 
lect and forward to Washington, for distribution, 
seeds of plants, which they might deem likely to 
prove serviceable to their country ; but as i.o ap¬ 
propriation had been made to defray the cost, the 
result was not attended by much success ; never¬ 
theless, the plan was praiseworthy. 
The invitation, be it observed, was not to send 
home the seeds of vegetables we already had in 
profusion—“coals to Newcastle’’—but novelties, 
some of which, it was hoped, might prove of 
practical value. The effort of Mr. Adams was 
doubtless the germ of the “ agricultural depart T 
merit” of the Patent Office, and had his well con¬ 
ceived plan been carried out, when at a later day 
an appropriation was made, we might have seen 
more than one profitable result— especially so, when 
the extraordinary expense had been incurred of two 
or more trips to Europe sf the agricultural clerk in 
quest of seeds—the whole of whose expenses might 
have been saved, had that subordinate possessed the 
knowledge suited to his position; and the sum 
squandered in these pleasure trips, could have 
been legitimately applied. 
The writer has been led to call attention to 
this subject from having recently found on the 
tables of our Agricultural Society, a collection of 
eegetable and flower seeds, labelled 1 as imported 
by the Patent Office,’ most of which were well known 
among ns a quarter of a century ego , and some of 
(hem probably introduced by the first English 
colonists. 
But a still more striking evidence of the igno¬ 
rance of the clerk who it is understood directs tlie 
importations, was the fact that among the seeds 
lust referred to, was a variety oj turnip, of Penn¬ 
sylvania origin, which the writer of this communica¬ 
tion had himself specifically named. It had found its 
way to England and been imported by the Patent 
Office, the subordinate referred to not having know¬ 
ledge to discriminate. More than six thousand 
pounds of this very seed, raised in Pennsylvania, 
have been distributed since the last harvest by a 
single Philadelphia house. 
There is another view of this subject worthy 
of notice : seeds of foreign growth are admitted 
‘ free.” To this the American seed growers make 
no great objection, the superior quality of the 
American giving them the preference. But, 
whilst other branches of industry are directly or 
incidentally protected, is it right that our own 
seeds should.not only go unprotected, but the 
funds of the government be expended in purchas¬ 
ing abroad and scattering broadcast at home, free 
of charge, the identical varieties which our own 
soil produces. What would be thought of it, if, out 
of the appropriation for the Congressional library, 
$10,000 was annually expended in the importation 
from England of Webster’s spelling books, and 
their distribution, under the pretence of diffusing 
useful knowledge. Yet, preposterous as that 
would be, the spelling book of Webster is not more 
an American production, nor is it more readily ob¬ 
tained in every country store than are many of 
the varieties of seeds distributed by the- Patent 
Office. Mr. Editor, is not some amendment 
needed?” L. 
Send for the Seeds- 
We trust no one will feel any delicacy in send¬ 
ing for the seeds offered by us, nor, as some have 
done, deem an apology necessary in applying for 
them, simply because they are offered free. We 
have provided a supply large enough for all, we 
trust, (though some rarer kinds that chance to be 
more largely called for may run short before 
Spring). We really take great pleasure in scat¬ 
tering them broadcast over the land. A little 
packet of any kind, if dropped down in any local¬ 
ity, where not before introduced, may prove 
anolher centre of distribution, and ere many years 
be the source of much pleasure, if not of positive 
and lasting benefit. 
Our packages of some sorts are necessarilly 
small, yet, as most of the kinds offered will re¬ 
produce seed the first year, there will, in all cases 
be enough to be the germ of future abundance. 
Some packages will appear quite diminutive, on 
first reception,the paperof Cockscomb forinstance ; 
yet every parcel, as small as it may appear, con¬ 
tains 200 to 300 seeds, while a dozen growing 
plants would be all that would be desirable in 
any collection. (By the way, this seed was so 
highly commended by a foreign correspondent, 
that we imported 2 pounds of it, at a cost of $48.) 
Similar remarks may apply to some other varieties 
of seeds offered. 
Of Sugar-Cane seed we have a plentiful supply, 
having secured nearly 100 bushels for distribution 
and premiums,* besides the large amount already 
sent out. We now offer every subscriber who 
will provide for Postage, or carriage by Express, 
or otherwise, .from one to four ounces (1,250 to 
5,000 seeds), and this without regard to the selec¬ 
tion of any other three kinds. 
Let our readers, then, with as many of their 
friends as they can still induce to become sub¬ 
scribers, send along for the seeds. W T e have now 
started all the parcels applied for by mail, and are 
daily sending off many hundreds of packages. 
The Express parcels are not yet made up, but will 
be forwarded before the 10th of March. 
* §ee large £?ped Prernium offered on page 96. 
Cabbage, and Cabbage Lettuce Seeds 
VARIETIES FIRST OFFERED RUNNING SHORT. 
In our list of seeds for distribution, we offered 
the Enfield Market Cabbage (No. 13), arid the 
Mammoth Cabbage Lettuce (No.. 15). both de. 
scribed on page 8, January number. Of these, we 
had imported what we considered a large supply, 
but almost every suoscriber has recently applied 
for these,and our stock is now running short, and 
unfortunately we can not get any more without a 
new importation, for which it is now too late in the 
season. 
To future applicants for No 13, we shall there¬ 
fore send the “ Improved Silesian Cabbage Let¬ 
tuce," a valuable kind, and mark upon the baife Oj 
all the seed bags containing this variety, a fig¬ 
ure—2. 
When the supply of No, 15 fails, we shall sub¬ 
stitute a new variety just received from our en- 
terprizing London agents, called “ Waite's King 
of the Cabbages." From what we hear of this, 
we hope it may prove a superior variety, and our 
readers may yet have occasion to thank our Lon¬ 
don friends for forwarding this new variety foi 
trial here. 
*-— —^ « — 1 _. 
Read the Advertisements. 
A GOOD TIME TO BUY. 
We have seldom, if ever, seen together so 
large a number of really valuable advertisements 
as will be found in the closing pages of this num¬ 
ber—near seventy in all. It will pay the reader 
to look them all through. Until we had done so, 
we were disposed to blame our assistants for re¬ 
ceiving so many as to crowd over the ‘Basket 
matter,’ part of the Boys' and Girls’ Columns, No¬ 
tices of Books, and some of the Indoor items de¬ 
signed for this month. (The previous pages, 73 to 
88, were stereotyped, and partly printed before 
half of the advertisements came in, or the Indoor 
department would have been thrown hack, to 
make room for the omitted articles and items. 
As it is, we think our leaders will he decidedly 
interested in the business columns, and in fact the 
advertisements, taken together, answer scores of 
questions, in letters now before us, to which it is 
impossible to reply in detail. We know most of 
the advertisers, and we can scarcely name one to 
whom we would not send an order for any thing 
we chanced to want in his line of business. 
This Spring is a favorable period ; i purchase a 
large supply of Trees, Plants, fc. The financial 
crisis, last Autumn, nearly suspended all opera¬ 
tions, and dealers in these articles, especially, 
have an unusually large and good suck on hand 
now, and at reasonable rates. Let the occasion 
be improved to “ fix up ” the rural home, and 
start a good lot of trees and plants for profitable 
returns hereafter. 
An Instructive Advertisement.—A large 
space is occupied by the old, and we speak under- 
standingiy when we say reliable establishment ol 
Parsons & Co.—Though a business document 
and paid for as such, at regular rates, it really 
amounts to something more than an advertise¬ 
ment, since it gives very useful information in 
regard to the culture, and especially the selection 
of good varieties of trees, plants, shrubs, &c. 
Wherever our readers may purchase, we advise 
them to carefully preserve pages 92 and 93, as a 
reliable guide to the selection ofthe best varieties 
Indeed the whole of the advertising pages should 
be kept as a business guide book. 
