90     THE WISCONSIN FARVER.



or fed of. It is best adapted to strong, loamy
or slaty soils, whr, it retains its vigor many
years  From the strength of its roots it is ed-
dom inured by fIvot, and it is superior to most
species in ustining itself agains drouth."

Aid to Ag41ultum-TS o Rational Agriculetral
                D"artrnmt.
  The efforts now making on the part of a few
members in Congress, to secure the practical
abolishment of the Agricultural Department,
just created, are convincing proof. if further
proof were needed, that the mere politicians
are not yet all dead, and provoke every think-
ing man of liberal views to exclaim, How few
real statesmen have anything to do with shap-
ing the political economy of this young and
giant Republic! We produce food enough for
two mighty empires equal to our own; we in-
vent and manufacture a thousand articles of
luxury and use; our ships, like countless shut-
tles, are weaving the web of Commerce all
ever the seas; we war with the enemies of our
country without limit of money, men or time;
but all is done pretty much as it happo"P: we
had no great. comprehensive, stable National
Policy!
  The passage of the Honmestead Bill, the bill
for a grant of lands to establish colleges for
Agricultural Arts, and for the establishment of
an Agricultural Department of the Government
came like the dawning of a new era, and we
ghall be slow to believe that there will thus
soon be a retrogression on any one of the im-
portant subjects involved in these great acts of
the National Legislature. It will be well, how-
ever, for the friends of Agriculture to be on
the alert, and we would advise all who feel any
interest in the war now waged by certain nar-
row politicians in Congress upon the great in-
terest with which, as a people, we are so large-
ly identified. to see to it that they who so ably
represent us at Washington, be not left in
doubt as to the sentiments of the intelligent
people of the State of Wisconsin.
   Touching this general subject the following
article from the pen of an able writer in the



National Repubkican so well presents the record
of what has been done, as well as the claims



of Agriculture upon the Government that we
republish it entire, with the request that none
fail to read it:
  " It is a singulas truth that fewer public men
are proficients in political economy than in al-
most any other statesmanlike requirement.
The graoes of eloquence, forensic ability, and
parliamentary practice are comparatively com-
mon qualilcatios. Many a superficial char-
aeter has attained some eminence in one or
more of them.  But a political economist in
Congress has formerly been considered a rara
aria, notwithstanding the presence of ocastion-
al illustrious exAmples; nor are other legsl-
tive bodies, in other countries or ages, more
favored with this quality of stesmanship.
    It requites no small fund of knowledge,
acquired by the most patient and painstaking
research, involving the study of man in every
clime and station-the knowledge of the arts,
commerce, and civilization-and an acquaint-
ance with travels, history and philosophy. The
political economist must note the rise, progress
and decline of varied industries; mark the
causes, operations and results of different sys-
tems of labor; eompare the different customs,
regulations and institutions of different nastion-
alities, with the vsieted circumstanees affectint
the advance or retrograde of civilization. It
will thus be found a work of mnighty magni-
tude to arrive at a correct understandfog of the
laws regulating the production, distribution
and consumption of wealth; a work that has
more of labor, mental application and capaci-
ty, with less of public appreoiation or food for
ambitious advancement, than is tasteful or de-
sirable to the great mass of public men.
  "It is a common thing for shallow and un-
reflecting minds to decry statists and political
economists and depreciate their labors: and
it is a lamentable confession, a belittling indi-
cation, that there has been so little fostering
of statistics, and practical development of re-
sults of which they are capable by our Gov-
ernmenL
1It is a truth that there is no means, at pre
sent or hitherto employed, for furnishing data
for an accurate statement of the exports of our



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