1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
i47 
A NON-PARTISAN BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 
SOME OBJECTIONS TO IT. 
Mr. Woodward’s article in The R. N.-Y. of February 
9, is worthy of serious consideration, and without 
venturing an opinion at this time, on the merits of the 
law in detail, I offer a few suggestions on the subject 
of his letter. “ A non-partisan Board of Agriculture” 
sounds well, and at first thought one is liable to agree 
that it would be well, as I did ; but many a plan looks 
well which won’t work. If we were to have a “Board 
of xYgriculture,” I assume that, of course, it would be 
“ non-partisan therefore let us drop the prefix, for 
brevity. 
A Board of Agriculture, selected as Mr. Woodward 
suggests, would be objectionable for several reasons. 
First, for the reason named by The It. N.-Y. in the 
editorial comment, “It is always hard to get a non- 
salaried board of men, busy with private occupations, 
to give the tints and attention necessary, to public 
matters.” The Department of xYgriculture in this 
State, with its various branches, including the whole 
scope of agricultural interests, the appointment of a 
large number of assistants over the entire State, and 
the supervision of their labor, means an immense 
amount of work. If this work is to be done properly 
and efficiently, the personnel of the Board should be 
men of broad ideas, who have demonstrated their 
ability to serve the State in such a capacity, by the 
successful administration of their own affairs. In 
other words, they must be, not theorists, but practical 
business men, who are closely identified with the 
agricultural interests of the State. Properly to 
administer the affairs of the Department, would re¬ 
quire much time and thought, not one day in a year 
to meet in Albany, appoint a “Chief Clerk,” pass 
resolutions and adjourn, but many days in confer¬ 
ence, and many hours of thought and study at home. 
But some one will say, “All that is unnecessary ; the 
Chief Clerk, who alone will be paid for his services, 
must be thoroughly equipped and competent to attend 
to the affairs of the Department.” Well, if so, then 
what is the Board good for, except for ornament, and 
to make a chance to shift responsibility, so that no 
one man could be “called to account” for mistakes, 
etc. ? With the most disinterested, high minded, and 
qualified men in the State to serve on the Board, the 
pressure brought on each of them, to secure places, 
would either be so great that the dislike of it all would 
soon bring them to decline to serve, or the chance to 
dictate appointments, and the natural desire of each 
to name worthy men in his section for the work to be 
done there (who would be his friends thereafter, if 
they had not been before), would be sought. In short, 
a membership on the Board would entail a deal of 
time, thought and work, much annoyance, the risk of 
incurring the ill-will of those whom he could not 
serve, on the one side ; and, to balance it on the other 
side, no thanks, for no one ever gets thanked for 
doing what is his clear and plain duty, with just a 
little glory. “ Ideal” men would soon learn to decline 
with thanks, and the places on the Board would be 
likely to go to those who could and would, use the 
patronage to further their own ends. 
Now as to the manner of selection : Mr. Woodward 
suggests one member from each of the following : 
“ the State Agricultural Society” (this member to be 
chairman of the Board, he adds later), “ the State 
Dairymen’s Association, the State Association of 
County Agricultural Societies, the Horticultural 
Society, and one each from the State Experiment 
Station at Geneva and the Cornell Experiment Sta¬ 
tion.” The State Agricultural Society has at least 
1,600 life members, and Mr. Woodward will agree that 
an attendance at the annual meetings of the Society 
of five to ten per cent of the life members in person , 
would make a larger meeting than has usually been 
held. Would he favor selecting the member of the 
State Agricultural Society, to serve as chairman of the 
State Board of Agriculture, by the votes of members 
not in attendance personally, but represented by 
proxy ? I think he would not. Well then, if only the 
members present at the meeting are to vote, what 
would prevent packing the meeting, in the interest of 
any one person ? The friends of a candidate who 
would attend the annual meeting with him to speak, 
work and vote for his selection as a member of the 
State Board, would, perhaps, not like to be accused of 
“ packing a meeting,” but is not that about what it 
would amount to ? At the annual meetings of the 
State Agricultural Society, one’s political connections 
are disregarded, and one never cares, and sometimes 
does not even know, whether the man he is voting for 
is a “free trader” or a “protectionist,” but he who 
thinks that the farmers do not know how to run a 
caucus or carry an election, would do well to attend 
one of those meetings. And it is well that it is so, for 
it keeps the blood in circulation, and awakens the 
members, at least once a year. An organization that 
cannot get up any excitement at an election, is in a 
bad way. Naturally, there would be the same struggle 
for a delegate to be a member of the “ State Board” 
that there is for officers of the society ; and the man 
who has the most friends at hand, and the best 
organization of his forces, generally wins, though it 
does not always follow, by a long shot, that he is the 
best man for the place. Doubtless the same is true of 
the other organizations on the list, though, perhaps, 
to a less degree. 
It so happens that a few men are active members of 
more than one of the societies which are to select the 
“State Board,” or even all of them, and it could 
occur (mind I say, could) that one man might select 
the entire list to be recommended to the Governor, 
and of course the Governor would accept the names 
offered, and make the appointments accordingly; for 
if he did not, the whole business of selecting them 
would be a farce and unnecessary. Suppose that Mr. 
Woodward's plan were to be adopted, and that the 
personnel of the Board was satisfactory to all of us ; 
would not each member of it be bound to use all hon¬ 
orable means to secure for the society or station he 
represented, the utmost consideration possible ; for 
instance, in the way of large appropriations from the 
Legislature, or from the fund placed at the disposal 
of the Board, assignment of important work, control 
of patronage, etc. ? If he failed to accomplish what 
his society expected of him, say, in the one matter of 
appropriations, letting his appropriation be cut down 
that another should be raised, how long would it be 
before first one, then another, then all of the organiza¬ 
tions represented in the Board each for itself, would 
work for its own appropriation (just as they do now), 
regai’dless of the others ? And whom could we hold 
responsible for unfit appointments, inferior work, 
unwise legislation, under the department—one man— 
who would know that inefficient work on his part 
might lose him his official head, at the hands of the 
Governor? No, not by any means, but instead a 
“ Board of Agriculture ” who would get behind their 
poor “ Chief Clerk,” who would be the only salaried 
man among them, and on that account, would be the 
only one who could afford to devote his time and at¬ 
tention to the work of the Department. So why not 
let the Governor appoint the “ Chief Clerk ” to begin 
with and call him the “Commissioner of Agriculture” ? 
W. JUDSON SMITH. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Do you want some young cockerels lor crossing ? S. A. Little, 
Malcom, N. Y., has them. 
JoiinC. Pearce & Co., Louisville, Ky., make a specialty of grow¬ 
ing second-crop seed potatoes for the Northern trade. Their cata¬ 
logue tells all about it. 
Mu. L. It. Oakes, Bloomington, Ill., is again advertising that 
safety lamp for incubators and brooders that received so much 
favorable attention last year. 
A. Speirs, No. Windham, Me., lias manufactured spray pumps 
since 1881, and has agents all over the world, but wants more. He 
gives a double-action pump to agents. 
That Safety potato bug wagon made by Micham & Warren, 
Richards, Ohio, ought to save some backaches in the war on the 
potato bug. It covers four rows at once—economy of time, too. 
Farmers who sent money to the Brooklyn Azotine and Food 
Company, 133 Water Street, N. Y., for poultry food, report that 
they did not get the goods or could they get the money returned. 
We are often asked where the chemicals used in making ferti¬ 
lizers may be bought in small lots. L. Sanderson, New Haven, 
Conn., makes a specialty of this business, and is a first class man 
to deal with. 
On March 6, 10 a. m., at Seventh Avenue Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pa., 
there will be organized a State Association of Jersey Breeders 
All such breeders in Pennsylvania, address R. F. Sliannoi, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
A. W. Gray’s Sons, Middletown Springs, Vt., make an exception¬ 
ally fine line of horse-powers, thrashing machines and machines 
for cutting wood both with circular and drag saws. They send 
50-page complete catalogues free. 
There is probably not one farm implement on the market that 
has saved more man-power than Kemp’s Manure Spreader. It is 
tent to responsible parties subject to approval. Kemp & Burpee 
Manufacturing Company, Box 38, Syracuse, N. Y., are the manu¬ 
facturers. 
Those who want a fence combining strength with desirable 
appearance, and one that will remain as a legacy to the next gen¬ 
eration, will find the Barnes patent lock rail fence to suit them. 
Keystone Steel Fence Company, Girard Building, Philadelphia, 
Pa., are the manufacturers. 
Tanks and cisterns are needed on many farms that do not now 
have them. Many a weary step would be saved to the busy wife, 
if the waste water were safely stored for use in a tank or cistern, 
from which it could be pumped when needed. Willbams Mfg. 
Company, Kalamazoo, Mich., furnish them. If interested, send 
for particulars. 
A circular of the Little Giant Hand Broadcast Seed Sower comes 
from Henry Philipps, Seed and Implement Company, Toledo, Ohio. 
This implement, though we have not tried it, impresses us as being 
a most economical, time-saving device. The price is but $2. It is 
strong and durable, and the claim is made that it saves one-third 
seed and two-thirds labor. It will also distribute .all kinds of fer¬ 
tilizer. 
HIGHLY CONCENTRATED MANURES. 
We are agents in the United States for the Highly Concentrated Manures, manufactured by II. & E. ALBERT, 
London and Biebrich. These Manures are composed of pure materials in their most concentrated form, and 
have given entire satisfaction wherever used. 
Albert’s Horticultural Manure for Lawns, Flowers, etc., is guaranteed to contain 
Twelve per cent Nitrogen. 
Thirteen per cent Water-Soluble Phosphoric Acid. 
Twenty-one per cent Potash. 
Being absolutely odorless, clean to handle, and completely soluble in water, it is easy 
of application, gttick in action, and without a rival. 
The guaranteed analysis of Albert's Garden Manure will be publised in the next issue of The Rural 
New-Yorker. Prices and descriptive booklet will be sent on request. 
ROBT. L. MERWIN & CO., 88 Wall Street, New York. 
IRON AGE 
When you buy a tool bearing the trade-mark “IRON AGE,” you may always, 
rest assured it is a good tool, and 
that you are getting the best to be 
had. Do not allow your dealer to 
sell you any other make. Ask for 
the IRON AGE, and have it. We 
also manufacture 
the Improved 
Robhlns Po¬ 
tato Planter, rfy** * 
Etc., Etc. 
O 
For nearly sixty I 
years we have! 
been studying the 
wants of the 
farmer, and claim 
our line is unex¬ 
celled for 
QUALITY and 
CHEAPNESS. ! 
NITRATE OF SODA 
Highly recommended by the New Jersey Agricul¬ 
tural Experiment Station as a top-dressing for wheat 
in early spring. For other crops, apply alone or in 
connection with other fertilizer. 
ACME SALT, 'SEk iV BUTTER. 
ALEX. KERR, BRO. & CO., 
303 Exchange Place, - Baltimore, Md. 
PAMPHLETS FREE. 
LARIMER’S DITCHING PLOW 
WITH 
Subsoil Attach¬ 
ment. 
Stamp send for circu¬ 
lar to LARIMER 
DITCHING PLOW 
CO., Crab Tree, Pa. 
Mention this paper. 
For SI.50 will buy of us 12 first-class 
B to 7-foot-high APPLE TREES. Your 
own selection,Astrachan, Baldwin, Early 
Harvest. Smith Cider, Hagloe, Sweet 
Bough, Pippin, Blush. Ben Davis. Kusset, Fallawater, 
Nero, Nortnern Spy, Wine Sap, Langford. See Cata¬ 
logue for greater variety. For S3.50 we give you 12 
Standard PEAR TREES, 6 to 7 feet high, variety as 
follows: Bartlett, Keilfer, Seckel, Lawrence, Sheldon, 
LeConte, Clapp’s Favorite, Howell, Anjou, Flemish 
Beauty, Brandywine, Manning’s Elizabeth, Duchess 
d’Angouleme, Osband’s Summer. 
For S^.OO we will send 12 strong GRAPE VINES, 
Red, Wnite and Black varieties. 
YflllR UflMF Ornament it with Shade and Ever- 
IUUn n U III L green Trees and FlowerlngShrubs. 
If you ever want to sell it. It will bring hundreds of 
dollars more than if the lawn is barren. S20 will 
ornament one-half acre handsomely. We are large 
growers of Nursery Stock, Fruit and Ornamental 
Trees, Grape Vines and Berry Plants. Our reliability 
can be ascertained at your banks. Send for our 
Catalogue of Trees, Plants, Seeds and Implements. 
We pay the freight to your station east of Mississippi. 
100 two-year-old Asparagus Roots, 50 cents. 
C. RIBSAM & SONS, Trenton, N. J. 
W ANTED. Early Six Weeks potatoes. State quan¬ 
tity and price to E. C. Brown, Rochester, N. Y. 
SAVE MONEY! 
FREE! 
Pianos^ 
—FROST— 
$ 169 . 
Our New 1895 Catalogue. 
Wo arc the only Arm of manufacturers 
sehing exclusively to the public 
direct at factory cost. You get tho 
Exact Value for your money. No 
Agents’, Dealers’or Middlemen’s 
Proiits Added. CASH or Oil 
EASY PAYMENTS, to 
suit your circumstances. Pianos 
and Organs shipped on 30 days’ trial 
under special warrant for 2* years. 
No cash recuired in advance. Safe 
delivery guaranteed. 
Note.—As an advertisement we 
will sell the first purchaser in a 
place one of our lino PIANOS for 
only $fC9—or one of our PAR¬ 
LOR ORGANS for $35. All ex¬ 
tras FREE. 
Established nearly 80 years. 
CORNISH a CO, 
Washington, New Jersey. 
* .s 
if* 
’Organs" 
—FROM— 
$25.cq, 
