The morning call., 1891-10-28
RUsK ON AGRICULTURE.

Secretary Rusk of the Department of
Agriculture has Just given to the public
paper on the present condition and prospects
of agriculture in the United States which
contains valuable suggestions. The SecTe-
tary is clear that American agriculture Is
far from having attained its proper develop
ment, and he points out various ways In
which its growth might be promoted.
He observes in the first place that there
are many products of the farm which might
be grown here, yet which are imported from
abroad. In a general way lie declares that
all the products of agriculture which are
consumed here, except tea, coffee and spices
might be grown on the soil That they are
not is due to the want of information among
farmers as to the capacity of their land,
and to their reluctance to try new eXrerI-
ments. Increased knowledge of foreign
markets would likewise assist the farmer in
deciding on the best use to which his land
can be put. For instance, an accidental and
almost general crop failure in Europe has
led to a largely increased demand for Ameri-
can cei eals, which is likely to cause an in
crease in our wheat acreage next spring,
and if Europe should have good crops in
1892 to low prices for cereals year hence,
and much disc0uragement among farmers
In a word, to make money at farming, the
farmer must be we'll informed and must
keep track of the course Of events, not only
at home, but abroad also.
The failure Of the rye crop, of Russia,
which has opened the eyes Of the world to
the large part which that cereal plays in the
nutrition Of Europeans, has suggested the
idea that American corn, Of which we
always have a surplus that is sold ut low
prices, might be beuetcially substituted for
rye in Eastern Europe. Corn is very
nutritious article OF food, being richer IN
albuminOids than any other cereal. II
contains far mure nitrogen and fat than rye,
and might take the place Of that grain III
Germany. Russia and the Danubian COun-
tries with advantage TO tier people. No
systematic effort has ever been made to pro-
mote the sale If American corn in Cont
mental Europe; such an effort, If successful.
would give the farmers OF the valley States
a new and larger market,
The Secretary draws attention to the in
jury that has been done to our export trade
in dairy products by the shipn ent of in
ferior goods. He mentions butter as one
article of which the Eastern States habit
ually ship low grade abroad keeping the
high grades for home consumption, and
thus establishing a poor reputation in
Europe for American butter. He might
have referred to the foreign trade in cheese
with even more emphasis. Twenty years
ago the cheese makers Of the Eastern States
almost secured monopoly of the English
markets. This reused the English makers,
and they bestirTed themselves TO improve
their processes, with such excellent effect
that in ten years they regained the markets
they had nearly lost, and the English de-
mand for American cheese almost alto
gether ceased.
Tie American farmers labor costs him
more in proportion to the profits of his in
dustry than labor bestowed in any other
pursuit. and furthermore capital only seeks
investment in agriculture when it can
find 10 other employment The Secretary
ascribes the anomaly 10 the large profits
which manufacturing industries and specu-
latiye enterprises have heretofore Teaped
and he reasons that, when things settle
down, conditions will asslmilate to those
which prevail in other countries, in which
agriculture leads all other pursuits. This
is an attractive theme for study. Agri-
culture in the United States is still In
primitive stage. There is substantially no
such thing as high agriculture. People
take up more land than they can intelli-
gently cultivate, and trust to Providence for
the crops. a sounder understanding of the
calling of the farmer will some day lead 10
a diminution of the size of farms, and to an
increase of the income per acre through the
extension of scientific farming. When that
comes about the value of farms will rise.
and capital will not be so timid in investing
in farm land. Many years will elapse
before alluVisl land in this country yields
as many bushels of wheat TO the acre as 1t
does in England but that will come some
day, and when it does come, crop failures
will be averted by irrigation, and farm
mortgages will not be oftener foreelOsed
than mortgages on city property 1t is a
curious fact that improved rural property
should be the best Of all kinds of property
to borrow money on in England. while here
it is the worst