St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-30
GRAIN AND FARMERS.
Commissioner Colman Furnishes His An
nual Report Concerning American
Agriculture.
Wonderful Advancement Shown to Have
Been Made During the Past
Ten Years.
Cleveland's Recommendation on the
Tariff Question to be Rather Con-
sentative.
The Democratic Caucus--Special De-
livery Facts--Life- Saving
Figures.
The Agricultural Report.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-Commissioner
Colman, in his annual report, says the
year which opened in gloom, threatening
destruction of winter crops by severity Of
temperature is closing with bright pros
poets of abundance for man and beast, to
be produced at cost which is not burden
to tie producer and to be sold at price
which is not a barrier to the poor con-
sumner. For many years, he says, it has
been more and more apparent that one great
need of the agricultural interests of the
United States is better understanding and
more intimate relation between the sew
eral agricultural and experimental stations,
and greater practical cooperation be-
tween these institutions and the depart
ments of agriculture these colleges were
endowed by congress. They are now
an expense of time and means,
and yet without central head
through which to report and compare re-
suits with each other. He submits that the
department should have full authority and
ample means to avail itself of the peculiar
advantages offered by these endowments in
order to test, in manner and on scale
sufficient to determine all questionable
points. the adaptability of new and rare
seeds to the various sections of our country.
Of the bureau of animal industry he says:
The law establishing the bureau does not
authorize the slaughter of animals affected
with contagious disease, and it is impossible
for the department to maintain under it eifec-
tual guaranty. The characteristics of pleuro-
pneumonia make it difficult disease to eX-
terminate, except by slaughter of affected
animals and the slaughter or quarantine OF
all that have been exposed.
He describes the serious effect upon our
foreign trade in live stock resulting from
the existence of contagious disease among
cattle, sheep and swine; that the restriction
upon our interstate commerce from the
same cause has been a
VERY GREAT BURDEN,
and that the reduction on the value of cattle
in the affected states has been enormous
Of the work of the division of chemistry he
says the investigation of the influence of
climate and soil in the composition of
cereals has progressed far enough to scien-
tifcally determine what parts of the coun-
try produce the best cereals. The division
has also begun an important series of in
vestigations in food adulteration. The
work has so far been chiefly with butter
and honey, but it is proposed to extend
till uniform methods of examination and
standard of comparisons are established.
In the chronological divisions they greatly
increased during the year, and Prof. Riley
considers that under conditions the most
favorable to grasshopper increase, the in
jury can never be as widespread as it has
been in the past owing to the advance and
increase in the settlement in the Northwest
The annual report of Mr.. Dodge, the
statistician of the department for the present
year, contains, the commissioner says:
A review of the course of agricultural pro-
duction during fifteen years, which shows an
estimated increase in corn of 81, 0G0, 900 acres,
or so per cent; in oats of 100000 acres, or
AZ per cent; in all cereals taken together
81, 100000. or 81 per cent. The enlargement
of the wheat area
WAS EXTRAORDINARY.
During the period of partial failure of the
crops of western Europe, the extension of the
breadth in maize was aided by reserve Of the
foreign trade in beeves and fresh meats and
by the sudden enlargement of exports of
pork products induced by the cheapness of
corn and the cultivation of oats have re-
ceived special impetus by the seeding of
rustproof varieties in the South, and from
the necessity of lesS-heating feed for horses
than too exclusive maize ration. The in
crease from 100000 acres of cereals in
1870, breadth nearly equal to the super
fetal area OF Missouri and Ohio, to 10000
600 acres, an increase of 81, 900, 900 acres since
1870, means the seeding and harvesting of
additional area equal to the entire surface of
Iowa and North Carolina. The aver
age estimated product of the prin-
cipal food crops of the last five
years is compared with the average of
the ten years preceding, from 1870 to 1879 in
elusive, showing an enormous annual increase
in the aggregate as well as per acre. The
average yield of corn, he continues, per acre
has bopD % bnShalS 0UanSt OF I
for the preceding period.
THE AVERAGE VALUE
has therefore been higher, AT cents per
bushel instead of AZ g. and the average value
of an acre SI0.67 instead of $11 81. The aver
age yield Of wheat in the two periods is
nearly identical. 1873 and 12.4 bushels, re-
spectively. But the price has averaged 80. l
equal to the supply.
The commissioner, referring to the re-
quest of the American Pharmaceutical as
ISOLATION, that the commissioner of agri-
culture take measures for the introduction
into cultivation in this country of such of
the important foreign medicinal plants as
would be adapted to our climate, says:
There is no doubt that many of the most
important medicinal plants are perfectly
adapted to our climate and could be Guilt
waited, and it would seem well that means
SuOulu w tahCA w give ohCni u pAOPCi tiioi,
in which the department can be used to
greater benefit than in its attention to the
forestry interest; and, considering the vast
importance to the nation of proper investi-
CATION of the subject, no branch has been
more poorly endowed by congress. Efforts
should be made at once to arouse and en-
tighten the people to the danger which
threatens through the destruction of the for
ests. '.Arbor days. should be instituted in
all the states. The science of forestry should
be taught in schools and the organization of
local and state forestry societies should be
encouraged.
The commissioner concludes his report
with reference to the usefulness and grow
ing Importance of the department.
Deficiency i'm the Postal Department