The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-04
AGRICULTURE'S BUREAU.
THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF
SECRETARY RUsK.

Larger Appropriations Advocated-A
Synopsis OF Every Bulletin Fur
nished the Public--Exectness OF the
Crop Reporting System-The Depart
nent to be Represented at State and
County Fairs.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3.-Ths annual re-
port Of the Secretary Of Agriculture will
be made public tomorrow. The secretary
makes the usual reference to the work of
the several scientific and other divisions of
his department, and deals at length with
certain plans for recognizing the depart
ment, and suggests several new features in
the interest of the development of agrtcult-
IRE.
The secretary calls attention to the small
appropriation for the current fiscal year,
and insists on adequate appropriations to
enable him to meet what ne believes to be
the obligations of the department to the
country.
GETTING THE NEWS TO THE PEOPLE.
The problem which presented itself to the
secretary Of getting the results of the work
done by the department more promptly
before the people, has been solved, he says,
W Sno osedULisuiuoHV Oi new OlVlslOu
which furnishes promptly 10 the agricul-
tural and commercial press a synopsis of
the main points of every bulletin and report
published by the department.
THE CROP REPORTS.
OF the reporting system the secretary
says: "While approximate and valuable,
II is in danger of becoming discredited by
the popular acceptance of its results as
exact in precision and absolute in author
ity. 1t should be remembered that they
are not the conclusions Of a thorough CEN
sus, though they may be far better than the
work OF poor census; that they are con-
solidations of local estimates of agricultural
experts, and are intended as foil to the
interested, biased and untruthful statements
that speculators issue to mislead their vic
Tins"
REPRESENTATION AT FAIRS.
An intention is expressed to adopt some
methods by which the relations existing be-
tween the department and its numerous
country correspondents can be utilized to
secure representation of the department at
state and county fairs, "For,n says the
secretary, everything that leads to more
intimate acquaintance between the depart
ment and the farmers throughout the coun-
try must be mutually advantageous
EXPERIMENT STATIONS.
In treating of the Office of experiment
stations and its work, the secretary ex-
presses the conviction that the work under
taken by the national government in this
connection evinces the wisdom of congress
in distributing it throughout the country
be emphasizes the necessity of remember
ing THAT quality more than magnitude de-
cides the value of every enterprise, and
that this one can attain its highest success
only In proportion as the laws which under
lie the practice of agriculture are discov-
cred and made available to the practical
toilers of the farm"
A STATION AT WASHINGTON.
The secretary recommends setting apart
some 300 acres of the Arlington estate. for
the use Of the department. for the testing of
new varieties of fruits and other important
experimental work, at present impossible.
owing to lack of room.
The subject Of agricultural organizations
is dwelt upon earnestly, their astonishing
cited as strong evidence of the growth OF
the spirit of self-help among the farmers.
FARMERS INSTITUTES.
Farmers institutes are referred to par
ticularly as one of the greatest movements
in the history Of agriculture, and as the
strongest lever for raising and upholding
the work of superior agricultural education
represented by our system of agricultural
colleges and experiment stations. The Sec
rotary recommends that the department
should be empowered to afford aid and
encouragement to this work.
Pleuro-pneumonia, he says. is now under
control. and he hopes for the complete
eradication of the disease.
INSPECTION OF MEAT.
With regard to meat inspection. the
secretary says that necessity for inspection
at the time of slaughter is first to enable
the authorities to promptly locate any
cattle disease centers, and secondly to avoid
the anomaly Of leaving the inspection of
our own meat products to the officials of
other countries, thus giving foreign govern
ments some show of reason for the claim
that they have better opportunities for
learning of disease among American cattle
than are enjoyed by our government.
He accordingly advocates ''such amend
ment to the law under which the bureau is
at present organized, as will provide for
such official national inspection as shall
guarantee the fitness of our meat products
for food consumption under seal of the
United States government.
ECONOMICS OF THE CATTLE TRADE.
Authority and means are also desired to
enable the department to exercise close
supervision of the economic side of the
cattle markets, weight and quality, and all
facts bearing upon the cattle industry
which will enable the bureau to supply to
the farmers such information as it is impos-
sible for them to obtain for themselves.
The sheep and wool industry receives
special consideration in the report. The
growth of the mutton interest is referred to
as one to be greatly encouraged.
WOOL AND THE TARIFF.
A. 90
tariff in 1883 is earnestly deplored. To it
is attributed the great reduction in the
number of sheep, which has since then
fallen off by about 1000. 900 head, while
the importation Of wool has increased from
7s,350,651 pounds in 1884 to 126, ,4S7, ,729
pounds in the past year. "On behalf of
this industry" says the secretary, II COM
mend these facts to you, and should they
be submitted to congress, / ask for them
intelligent and careful consideration.
A BIG FIRE AT KEY WEST.