The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-11-21


From the chapter the dairy interests we
take the following:
1.-The dairy interest is attaining very large
prominence in American agriculture. Between
1850 and 1880 the census aggregates of cows oI
farms increased from f,IN0C00 to l2.G00ii0, an(
the last est ifnates or this department exceeded
5,M0,UW including these i'll towns or villages
and the grand aggregate must exceed 10 tU,tCU
The last census reported butter product o
sos 682 OIL pounds It was not less than 9O10O0,ca
pounds, inclusive of cows not ON farms. II TIT
increase has been equal to the increment of pop
ulatiOn the present aggregate cannot be mucl
less than 1,3oO,O0O00o pounds. The cheese pro
duct NAV approximate 4OO0OOfU pounds, o
which goodIy portion is exported, but the ex
ports of butter have been small i'll amount art
poor in quality.
| propose to establish in the Bureau of Anma
Industry special division devoted exclusively
to the service OF this great dairy interest Dal
rying when properly conducted, is unqueStiOn
ably most profitable branch OF farming The
fact also that it supplies our people with one Of
the most complete and healthful of all foods
gives it another claim to our consideration
Such products as butter and cheese are admira
bly, adapted for transportation to distant mar
kets. permitting, as they do, concentration OF
bulk in proportion to value and taking nothing
from the fertility of the soil utilized in their pro
ductiOn.
The time has come when the Importance OF
the poultry interests ShOuld be recognized in
this Department. The poultry products of the
United States had a farm vaiue of at least $500,
100000 last year. and no less than 49, t0CtD dozen
eggs were imported at 1irst COST of ID cents
annual value of such importation during the
past four years has been s22l6,fJ. such facts
emphasize the necessity for encsur ging IL. the
furtner indicate beyond question that th; in
dustry is important enougn TO defnano tle spe-
cial consideration OF this Department.
In regard to the sheep ana wool interests the
Secretary says:
,rhe inheritance OF sheep husbandry demands
the especial consideration of the Department at
this time. The economics OF breeding and reed
ing, with reference to growing branch of the
,NIx- ipGt no nf o.
pertinent and practical skin t. produce the lar
yest equivalent of flesh for the ftei consumed.
The rapid increase and CONSUMPTION OF NUT
ton is indicated by an enlargement of the re-
ceipt OF sheep at Chicago and st. Louis from
IA, t27 in 1873 to 81 ,is3 in 1888 The increase in
New York during the same period amounts to
100000.
A canvass of the principal cities OF the coun-
try would evidently show tnat consumption has
doubled, a rate OF increase twice as rapid as the
advance of population. The healthiulneSs OF
mutton, its suitability for summer use in warm
climates, and its growing popularity as highly
fed animals of the best mutton breeds become
more common in our markets, contribute to the
rapidly enlarging demand. 1t is important that
this branch OF sheep raising should receive
greater attention.
The wool industry probably represents $780,
0Oo, 900 per annum, and tie native wool product
is four times rs large as in 1860, while the aver
age fleece weighs as much as Two CT that date.
Prior to that time there was slow increase or
numbers and small advances in quality or
weight. respectfully call your attention to a
fact full of Significance in this connection.
There has recently been serious interruption to
the prosperity OF wOOl-groWers. Since the re
duction of the Tariff of 1858 the numbers OF
sheep have apparently been reduced about sew
en- millions, and the importation of wool has in
creased from 7s,350051 pounds i'll 1884 to l26 49,,
129 the past year. Upon the sheep and wool in
dustry of this country the burden of that loss
has fallen, while our manufacturers have con-
tributed SO much additional money to foreign
markets WoOl-growers are Respondent in view
of low prices of wool, and their interests are
threatened in consequence.
On behalf of this industry | commend these
facts to YOU, and should they be submitted to
Congress ask for them intelligent and careful
consideration"
Secretary Rusk closes his admirable report
with the following observations:
LAS far back as 1880 the value of the farms OF
the United States exceeded ten Thousand mil
lion dollars TO the unemittlng industry VI
their owners these farms yielded an . g gate
annual value OF nearly four Thousand million
dollars, in the production of which vast pop
ulation of Meariy eight millions of toilel utIl-
lied nearly h9lf billion orth of farm nipple
mentS. The value OF livestock on farms, IS i
mated in the last census to he worth oYe.' enc
thousand five hundred million Of dollars, IS
shown by tile reliable statistics collected by this
Department to he worth to-day two tho iSand
five hundred and seven million dciais. A low
estimate of the number of farmers ana farm
laborers employed five IN llon farms
places it at nearly ten million Q SHns, repre-
senting thirty, million people. or nearly one-half
OF our present populations
These few figures are surely enough in them
selves to convince every thoughtful man OF tha
responsibilities thrown upon the Departm It
Agriculture. but even they do not ptl'IlIt o. (.
realization OF their ful lfren unlt s. the
+ III
dustries CT this country be properly consd
cred. 1t may be broadly stated tn 1t upon tie
produstiveness of our agriculture AID the
prosperity of our farmers tine entlre wealth ;'iu
prosperity OF the whole nation depend: The
trade and commerce OF this vast country OF
which we so proudly boast, the transp ortation
facilities wonderfully developed during the
past quarter of Il century, are all possible only
because the underlying industry of them ALI
agriculture. has called them into being. Even
the product OF our mines is only valuable be
cause of the commerce and the wealth created
long
but they are assertions fully justified by the
facts and recognized the world over by the high
est authorities i'll political economy.
Throughout the country from time to time,
and at all times in some parts of this great coun
try, we find agricnltu. e suffering from depres-
sion, to diagnose the cause OF Which is often
times a dis1cult task for our publicists and po-
litcal economists, wnile our lawmakers, both
State and national, find their most difficult task
in the delicate duty of SO adjusting the respec
tive rights OF every class Of our citizens as to
secure to each the full benefits of their industry
This Is neither the time nor place to analyze
the causes of agricultural depression nor to dis
cuss at length the many panaceas proposed for
its relief, but do feel that the agencies which
already exist primarily for the benefit of the
industrial classes must be extended to the full
for the advantage of the tiller OF the soil.
Protection of American industries is one of
the deep-rooted principles of the great party
which this Administration represents 10 all
the Protection that wise Tariff laws at
ford, and to the fullest extent compatible with
mental principle of Republican institutions. the
farming industry justly claims its inaenahle
right. In the dlverSi1catiOn OF agriculture,
which, am thankful to say, has taken place dur
ing the past few years. and which hope it will
be i'll my power to greatly encourage, the farm
er has been enabled to produce many articles
comparatively unknown as home product
twenty years ago. For all such articles cur
own soil can produce the farmer Justly asks
that Protection which will insure to him all the
benefits of our home market.
Another agency looking to the important we'll
being of the farmer is that which was called
into being by the creation of this Department,
an agency which, energ etically and fudiciously
directed will not fail of its purpose. Great as
our crops i'll the aggregate. it must be admitted
that our broad acres are not as prolific they
should be, ana am convinced that. with The
aid which can be afforded to agriculture by
rying out to the full the purposes for which this
Department exists, and the remarkable efforts
at self help among our farmers, the yield of
cry tiilable acre il. this country canbe Increased
80 per cent. More than this will science, prop
erly directed, enable us to accomplish for mil
lions of acres at present unproductive can, by
it's application, be rendered fertile. The great
nations of Europe strain every effort to make
science the hand-maid of war; lett be the glory
of the great American people to make science
ba han IL nf q orio ~