New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-04
AGRICULTURE.

The Department of Agriculture has continued
with good measure Of success, its efforts to
develop the processes. enlarge the results. and
augment the profits of American industry. IL
has collected and distributed practical informa
ton, introduced and tested new plants. checked
the spread of contagious disease of farm animals
resisted the advance OF ,noXlouS insects ana de-
structlve fungus growths, and sought to secure to
| agricultural labor the highest reward Of effort
and the fullest immunity from loss It's records
OF the year show that the season OF SSS has been
one OF medium production. a generous supply OF
The demands of CONSUMPTION has been assured, and
a surplus for expectation. moderate in certain
products and bountiful in others. will prove
benefactior alike to buyer and grower.
-Four years ago IL was found that the great
cattle industry OF the country was endangered,
and those engaged III it were alarmed at the
rapid extension Of the European lung plague OF
pleuro-pnenmonia. Serious outbreaks existed in
snimals affected were held in quarantine. Five
counties in NewYork, ana from one to four
Pennsylvania Delaware and Maryland were al
most equally affected.
With this great danger upon MS, and with the
contagion already in the channels of commerce,
with the enormous direct and indirect losses al
ready being caused by IT, and when only prompt
and energetic action could be successful there
were in none of these States any laws authorizing
This Department 20 eradicate the malady or
giving the State officials Power to cooperate
lacked both the requisite Appropriation ana au-
thority
with authority from Congress, the work of eradlca-
ton has been pressed successfully, and this
dreaded disease has been cXtirpated from the
Western States and also from the Eastern States,
with the exception OF few restricted areas. which
are still under supervision. The danger has thus
been removed and trade and commerce have been
freed from the VeXatiouS State restrictions which
were deemed necessary for time.
During the past four years the process OF
diffusion applied 10 the nufacture of sugar
from sorghum and sugar-cane. has been intro
duced into this country and fully perfected by
the experiments carried on by the Department
Of Agriculture. The process is now universally
considered 10 he the most economical one, and
il is through il that the sorghum sugar industry
has been established upon firm basis and the
road 10 its future success opened The adoption
OF this diffusion process is also extending IN
Louisiana and other sugar producing parts OF the
country, and will doubtless soon be the only
method employed for the extraction OF sugar
from the cane
An exhaustive study has also. within the same
period. been undertaken OF the subject OF food
adultcration and the best analytical methods for
detecting IT, part OF the results of this work
has already been published by the Department,
which. with the matter in course Of preparation,
will make the most complete treatise on that sub
ject that has ever been published in any country
The Department seeks q progressive develop
ment II would combine the discoveries OF sci
ence with the economics and amcoration of rural