The southern argus., 1891-11-19
UNCLE JERRY" RUSK
Shows the Workings of the Ag
ricuItural Department.
What Has Been Accomplished Up to Date
Great Increase N Exports OF Farm
Products Under Present En-
courasing Conditions.

report OF the department of agriculture
says, that Notwithstanding the abundant
yields of crops this year, values are well
sustained, and estimates that the in
crease in the value OF agricultural pro-
ducts over last year will not be less
than S7.O00,000 He states that during
the first three months OF the present
fiscal year our exports in cereals alone
have aggregated s760,000, 900, adding
that the indications now are that the
sales abroad of the surplus from our
farms will, during the present year,
largely exceed those of any previous
year. He notes the increases by some
S28, 900, 900 in the imports of agricultu-
raj products during the first ten months
under the present law, by comparison
with the same period during the
last year of the old law. but en-
phasizes the fact that the increase is
confined largely to the articles not
competing with home products, such as
sugar, tea, coffee, etc. At the same
time he states that the change in the
rates has checked the importation of
products which may be produced at
home. He notes a decrease in tobacco
from Sl7, 900 to $4,000, 900. a falling
off in foreign barley of nearly So, 500
600: in eggs, 81, $50, 900, in horses, fall
ing off of nearly ST, 500, 600; and a grad
ual decline in the imports of all live
stock. Referring to the imports of
hides admitted free of duty, he states
that this causes a great depreciation in
prices realized from hides of home pro
duction, and earnestly recommends that
the duty provided for in section 3 OF
the tariff act, approved October !, 1890,
be imposed in all cases where the coun
tries from which such hides are ship
ped have not granted equal concessions
in regard to the admission of the agri
cultural products OF the United States,
In speakehg of the inspection of meat
for expectation the secretary says:
Our people demand something more
than protection from communicable dis
eases. In most, if not all European
countries, inspectors. according to their
reports, freely pass for consumption the
meat of animals affected with foot and
mouth diseases, pleurO-pneumOnia, To-
Called tuberculosis actiGOmisis and SIM
liar diseases which. according to the
views and customs OF this country, must
be condemned. But all the meat for
the foreign market is inspected the
same as that designed for home con-
In this respect, rs in others.
been raised to American products, and
have not only removed the cause.
but have gone beyond what was asked
by our critics"
Up to the 1st OF October there has
been a total of 1,0l6,6l4 animals in
spected, both before and after slaughter;
there were 63,6 carcasses OF hogs ex-
amined microscopically, and the total
Of animals condemned and sent
to the fertiliZing tanks was but 1876
The cost of the work has been within
the anticipated limit and is being con-
siderably reduced as the work proceeds
Secretary Rusk says: II am of the opin-
ion that the inspection OF animals and
their marking for Identification may be
for a sum no. exceeding
three cents per head, and that the cost
OF micrOscOpical examination Of hogs
will not exceed five cents per head.
He earnestly recommends that con-
gress be asked to make an appropria-
tion sufficiently large to extend the in
spection to all applicants. He estimates
the losses to our pork-raisers during
the past ten years, owing to the prohi-
bltion by foreign countries, aggregate
over S260,000, 900. Pleuro-pneumonia
he regards as quite under control and
limited in territory to two or three
counties on Long Island AMI in New
Jersey, over which thorough quaran-
tine is exercised. Inspection by Ameri
can veterinarians of cattle landed in
Great Britain has been continued,
as we'll as inspection OF such cattle be-
fore shipment. Since the beginning OF
this work there has been inspected al
together, up TO October /, 326-
5l9 head of animals. A
very slight decrease in the number OF
cattle exported is noted which is at
tributed to the Increase in price. cattle
in June, 1891, from $l.25 to
Sl.50 per head more than in June. 1890.
The inspection OF imported animals has
been rigidly maintained The result o.
the inspection OF vessels carrying ex-
port cattle has been to materially re
duce the losses resulting from lack OF
ventilation, Overcrowding and weak
fittings; the total number of vessels ex-
amined since July /, 1891. has been 2l5. I
The supervision by the bureau of the
OF southern cattle has in
volved the separation and keeping dis /
tlnct transportation OF over 1000 cars.
100000 head of cattle !
While the results OF this work have
been highly beneficial he asks for fur I
ther powers to enable HIM to compel
strict compliance with his regulations 7
in the movement OF all southern cattle. /
The secretary points out the fact that
Tor more than year thcro has been no /
Well authenticated case OF pIeuro- pneu- +
monia in American cattle exported to
foreign countries and adds that the +
the United States trade 4
and the vigilant supervision of our gov /
ernmeut justifies the strongest presen-
tation 10 the British government Of the /
grievance which our cattle-raiSers SUI 4
Ter unjustly by reason of its ar5itrary
regulations enforced against American
cattle, coupled with an urgent demand
or their removal. adding that they
lave been clearly shown 10 BE- useless
nd that their maintenance can olly b.
a. an evidence Of IN eni j.
less. He Concludes taat Justice g.
veil as proper self-resp spect demand sc
. course, and ads that he shall in tn.
.osence OF the removal OF such tufriend-
= restrictions, feel il his duty To su--
Il thA FiEyF3 ~F -