New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-12
,MERICAN AGRICULTURE.
,vrsrNT NEEDS AND ITS GLORIOUS
-" FUTURE.

,rEpICTIoN FfsoM 1n' no1''
,,,su SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
THAT MEN WILL YET KEENLY PRE-
FERTILE COUNTRY TO THE TOWN.
Having long ago consented. in response 70 ine
rs,hune's earnest request, TO say sone'iine
- readers as to the present needs OIL An ,An-
s.,,culture aud its future scope, Will m,
~ in accord with recent reminders u""
T,ibupe. to indicate as briefly as possioie
:, those needs of American agriculture
regard as the most urgent - ,,1ler
Tpouestionably, American farmers heeu -
attenuation regarding the kinds ana eA'sns
ou, home supplies which American asi0u- ,'aSL
,-operly directed, could produce. ouV Ioi
=. are now dependent upon the loieien
sucers. When. little more than a yea 49,
called attention to the fact that Au'ei'o'A -
suwsrs maid annually 10 foreign couher@s 'O
soso 600 600 for products winch cou" 'e
ousbt TO he, supplied by our own i"rnaeis' VIZ
statement was greeted on all SIDES WIN
Of doubt. and in some cases WIN uei~.o- .,ats-
.sorgb I had taken pains to accompany my s"'
ment with an enumeration oi the aruoi'' -. .,
80 and with the figures showing the extent -
these importations. In general way II N.'' nd
ssid that. with the exception OIL .e"' 80. 200
snices almost all the agricultural pi'Ns .S,.,.rs
imnort could be supplied by American -. ;s
That this has not been done up 10 .nis ' 80 tbe
dine 70 a variety Of causes-amongsV o'" - and
"ue " 5i+;O, ~ agriculture in the States Si.
TN..i.ories 60 wonderfully and rapidly 49,,
- =. ,,uarter Of a century. ana " VIZ
-, until recent wears. the steauS -,
:. comparative prices for most OF our v hr the
oro,s IA condition brought soouV ror.
- cole ~ our surplus in foreign iiia' 49, some
- ,hs farmers content to 90 on ~ cider
80 ~i.hor+ feeling the necessity VI
diversifcation Of their crolo a.r the fullest
O. torr,ers need. next in oroer' un toroicn
Ous .-to-nation in regard 10 uno 49,
ana i"@ss .hoi, surplus crops. ii s'~pie
demand ior 'nen aSoas surplus; it will PROD
TINS OOua - do 80 for very long peIi"" "
70, nbe disposal Of that surplus -
80 nnon tbe foreign demand anu SNe -
.bot surplus, even though IL pcai W"
"eN -onort,on 10 the entire supply, Will aiie0'
.ho nrice Of the entire crop ~ Is onN
s..ssn0 the fullest and most rellaole illioi
= .o,,ard 70 the foreign supply anu Oio 80
oorsumntion of these products, thSV VIC O'- -
- ,hs amount Of surplus, WHICH, uHuei -
oorditions. we can expect 10 dispose Vi ~ $50
.rkats at a profitable rate we must
40 mare than this. Our interest," Ill U1e 80.
.a,k.t must not be confined merely 10 Vne ~
nj. DISMISSAL of the surplus OF our s'"p'' 80
am satisfied that many articles couId DC pio"u s
IN this country at price anu Ia q1 Co.
acient to supply part oil the loieFH O' -.
which we at present do not compete III "nS -
In many countries American agriouisui"I -. 49,
~ sratively unknown Notwithstanding lhe
arc 49," Ioroe nroportion of the agricultural
rroducts therein consumed are imported anu 90
oh 10
II has been my earnest effort TO supply ."o
..,o.s of the country with accurate and rellaoe
;nformation regarding the supply Of the a@lio"i'
- -,odpcts of the country and the demands Oh
49, horoo and foreign markets This line oil "olA
~ lou,ovsr capable of great extension An lu-
900 of this is furnished by the euortS ho"
- ,,oSa through representative OF TINS ue
.,er.T,srt in Furope 10 introduce American corn III
~ -, Xayious preparations an article Oh human
a.. Those efforts are now being put forth Will
-.oo;oI energy. in view of the great shortage IN
FuroDean cereal crops, and especially IN thaV "io
,o,uS the principal part of the farlnaeeous loous
~ great proportion of European populations
namely rye No man can tell how great one ue
,nand would have been to-day for the proouo's
Of our Indian corn under the present coholOons u
cereal crops in Europe, had 1t been III 'iie p'"'-
n this Department 20 employ 1or the pU p0''o
mentioned above, during the past TWO SeaiS' nv
mo but three or four active and capaoie aeen''
or had due advantage been taken OF Une HNP'
st,;or in Paris in 1889 10 present the cause oi
King Corn to the people of Europe as IL nAlsn
and should have been presented
,no,bsr instance of the need of work slInlai
g. +bo abo,e is suggested by the comparative III
signiscance of our trade with tropical America IL
arricultural products. An employe OF my o"l
Ts,a,tmenU. once & -e5ldcnt IN N'ntr@i All VITA
stated not long ago in my nearing thdV eNeiA
notato and every pound of butter he nae COZ
spmed while in that country had been lihpofe'
from Europe That tact, which emphasizes s'ioAsl y
the Opportupity which exists oil bullolng up PohV
able trade for American agriculture III 'hees
countries. and the necessity Of ample lnIOrn"uol
rs 10 their markets. the prices agricultural cum
uodities command. whence supplies are oD'alneu
and in what form they must be ohereo 10 cOnii''n'
a ready sale and the highest price
Ny conclusion is that dlveIslhcauon OF ou'
agricultural products sufficient to supply the noui'
markets with every article which can be grown
upon American soil is one of the pressing needt
Of American agriculture and another Is the supply
Ing our farmers with the fullest information. az
10 the demand existing in foreign countries 1ol
articles they are able TO grow. and a!
10 lDe eAVchb VI Tic lVielsh "e'
normal conditions, for the surplus of our Staple
crops. 1t is quite evident that the prices
Of those crops Of which we now produce a sur
plus will vary according 10 the foreign demand
The importance of this will, l fear, be painfully
realized should the probable high prices OF oul
cereal crops this year, due to al entirely aonor
NAL condition OF European crops. result in great
extension of the acreage under cereals in TIM
country another year. when normal crop In for
ei2n countries would result in such an abasemen
of prices as would utterly wipe out the possibility
Of reasonable profit
Inc present year has illustrated in a striking
manner what may be accomplished in the enlarge
ment OF foreign markets for American farm prod
uc's as the result Of the meat inspection law.
,rhicl h. hnor =