Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-09
HOME PRODUCTION OF SUGAR.
Confident That We Shall Soon Make All
We Want-Food Adulteration


We Want-Food AdulteratiOn.
The secretary devotes a paragraph to the
middemnn, and the extent TO which he is ena-
bled by various conditions, especially preva-
lent in America, to absorb a large proportion
of the prices paid by the consumer for farm
products, thus unduly limiting the profits of
the farmer. Admitting the difficulty of rene
dying this evil, he points out that partial
remedy to provide which is the duty of his
department, is to keep the farmer fully in
formed in regard to the market values of his
wares This will at least save him from the
penalty of ignorance and the INSCRIPTIONS
greed of traders. and he concludes by stating
that il is his earnest desire and intention to
extend the work in this direction until every
farmer in the country may know, before he
markets his goods just what their value is in
the nearest market.
Production of Our Own Sugar.
He congratulates the country upon the sue
cess attending the practical application at the
department experimental station in Kansas of
the alcohol process perfected in the laboratory
of the department last year for the extraction of
sugar from sorghum, The practical tests have
realized all the anticipations formed in the
laboratory. and the cost of the process is found
to be so trifing as to be practically insignifi-
cant. There seems to be reason" he says
"why we should not therefore look forward
with confidence to the day when the S10,OOO-
900 paid by Americans TO foreign producers
for sugars should be turned into the pockets of
our own people"
Transfer of the Weather Bureau.
In all efforts towards diversifying our
crops, climatic conditions must play an i'm
portant part, and in this connection he declares
his conviction of the Importance and value to
az ricultural interests of the transfer to his de-
par tment of the weather bureau. a transfer
which has, he finds, been generally received
with great satisfaction: he instances the great
increase since the transfer in signal stations
$50 TO 1,2n-and of voluntary observers from
Is o to 200 Plans have been agreed upon
and undertaken with view TO charging and
extending the work. of the bureau especially in
aid of the agricultural interests.
Inspect on of Animal Food Products.
Secretary Rusk devotes considerable space
to a review of the work of the bureau of ami
NAL industry Pleuro- pneumonia he regards
quite under control and limited in territory
TO two or three counties on Long island and in
New Jersey, over which a thorough quaran.
tine is exercised He earnestly recommends
increased appropriations to extend meat in
spection to all applicants. The benefits he
says. which have already accrued by the
opening up of the foreign markets to pork
products. the increased demand for beef prod
ucts, and the establishment of their reputation
for wholesOmeness and soundness in the mar
kets of the world, together with the protection
which this inspection furnishes to own
consumers, amply justify a liberal appropria-
ten
Rainmakinc. Adulterati on of Food, Etc.
OF the rainfall experiments he states briefly
that they have been made. but that as regards
the production of rain he has no data yet at
hand which would justify him in expressing
any conclusions on the subject. OF adultera-
ton of foods the secretary says there is great
deal. Especially is this true of coffee, very
large percentage both of the bean and the
ground article being artificial, the bogus bean
being imported This he wants prohibited. He
believes this COUNTRY capable OF raising many
more agricultural products. and TO that end rec