Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-11-04
TO The FARMERS.
First Report Issued BY The
Agricultural Department
AdIOeatss Eiuo1L Inspection oi nsat
Bisssf Appropriations,
Unstiutsd Praise to raEmeEs' Instttutsa
and 10 Pull Of Sense.

Agriculture, and the hrst Issued under the
newly constructed department, makes thu
usual reference to the work Of several scien
tifc and other divisions in the department
IL deals at length With plans for the thorough
reorganization Of the department, and sug
gests several new features in the interes
and development Of agriculture. The repor,
says that the first efforts toward reofganiza
ton were hampered because the appropria
tions for the current fiscal year were made
entirely upon the basis of the old organixa
ton.
The Secretary insists upon the necessity
for his relief from this embarrassment and
for the adequate appropriations. He finds
the provisions for the assistant secretary in
the new Law was q wise one, and he has util-
ized this to divide the department into two
grand divisions, one embracing the admins
trstion and executive work, the other purely
scientific work. The Establishment Of the
new division furnishes promptly to the sgri.
cultural and commercial press . synOpsis Of
the Tain points of every bulletin and report
published by the department OF the crop
reporting system the Secretary says: That
while Approximate and valuable it is in
danger Of becoming discredited by the popu-
lar acceptance Of its results A. exact
III PIcCiDiOu 8uu ApBoIotC III AothOAAhy
1t should be remembered they are not con-
illusions Of thorough census; they are con-
solicitations of local estimates of agricultural
experts and are intended IS q foil to the in
terested, biased and untruthful state nts
spectators issue to mislesd victims. The
condition of the sugar industry 10 reviewed
in detail and the results declared are of a
mixed character; in some cases yielding
wall nd othaY nynVipU dtaanpolnflny
The region where the sorghum sugar industry
may be attended with success has been 50
far localized in the southern part of central
Kansas, west and south of Wichita, and in
part of Indian Territory resembling it in soil
and climate. Special attention is to be given
to the development Of varieties of sorghum
containing higher co ltents of available
sugar. Imp 2rtant progress has already been
made 10 this direction. Many localities, es-
pecially in the north and on the Pacific coast
are known to be specially suitable to the pro-
duction of sugar beet rich in saccharine
matter.
Treating of the officers of experiment
stations and is work. the Secretary expresses
the COW iction that the work undertaken by
the national government in this connection
evinces the wisdom Of Congress in distri-
buting il throughout the country. The re-
port urges that it is the duty Of the govern
ment to assume more definite supervision Of
such forest areas As are still owned by it
and As occupy a position Of importance in
the regulation of the waterti0w and other
climatic conditions He emphasizes the im-
portance Of the relations which the forests
bear to the problem of irrigation in arid
lands and Of their immense annual product.
The subject of agricultural organizations
was dwelt upon earnestly and their astonish-
ing growth during the past few years cited
xs strong evidence of the growth of spirit and
self help among farmers. Farmers institutes
were referred to particularly as one of the
greatest movements in the history of agricul
ture and the strongest lever for raising and
upholjing the work of a superior agricultural
education repre- sented by our system of
agricultural colleges and experiment stations.
The etary recommends that departments
should be empowered TO afford aid and en-
couragemenr to this work.
The pleuro pDs umOnia report says that it
10 now effectually under control and is res
stricted TO Kings and Queens counties, New
York, New Jersey, and limited section in
each Pennsylvania and Maryland care
full review of the field, with the arrange
ments made for the supervision of the dis
trcts still infected, will justify. in the secre-
tarys opinion. the most sanguine hopes, in
regard to proximate complete eradication
of the disease. The Texas fever, says the
report. is generally spread through the chan
nels of inter state commerce, and can only
be effectuslly controlled by federal gov
ernment. hence the necessity of legislation
which shall he ample and clearly defined.
The language used by Secretary Rusk in
regard to the national meat inspection law is
pointt il and vigorous. The necessity for in
spection at the time of slaughter, he says,
is to enable the authorities TO promptly To-
cate any cattle disease centres and avoid
anomaly of leaving the inspection of our own
meat products to the officials of other coun-
tries thus giving foreign governments some
show of reason for the claim that they have
better opportunities for learning of disease
among American cattle than are enjoyed by
our own government. Mr.. Rusk advocates
"Such amendment 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 the
seal of the United States government
Authority and means is desired to enable
the department to exercise close supervision
OF tue econ oDlc elue OF ceUle m8fktts, cnAI-
acteristics of stock commanding the highest
prices, variations as to age, weight and all
facts bearing upon the cattle industry, which
will enable the bureau to supply farmer'
with information impossible for them to OBJ
tain for themselves. Sheep and wool re-
ceives special consideration in the report
The growth of the mutton interest is referred
to as one to be greatly encouraged.
As to wool growing the tariff reduction OF
1888 is earnestly deplored. To it is attrib-
uted the great reduction in the number oi
sheep and increase in the importation oi
wool. Figures are submitted in the report
showing the Importance Of agriculture which
produces an annual yield of nearly a, 900,
Oo0, 900, employing on five million farms ter
million persons, representing . population Of
&c, ,0O0, 900 people. The value Of live stoch
10 estimated at s2,5O7 100000 The righ
of the farmer to the fullest enjoyment, com
parable with the rights of his fellow citizens
Of the benefit Of the protective system wbicl
is the rock rooted principal of the republican
party, is earnestly insisted upon.