The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-19
THE NEEDS OF OUR FARMERS
Secretary Rusk Sets Forth Their Wants
and Predicts Glorious Future.
The Time Is Not Distant When Men Will Eager
ly Seek the Country Instead of the Town
Advice to the Rising Generation.

Secretary Rusk. IN New ork Tribune.
Having long ago consented to say some
thing as to the present needs of American
agriculture and its future scope, 1 will en-
deavor now, in accord with recent remind
ers. to indicate as briefly as possible some
of those needs of American agriculture
which regard as the most urgent.
Unquestionably, American farmers need
fuller information regarding the kinds and
extent of our home supplies which Ameri-
can agriculture, properly directed, could
produce. but for which We are now depend
ent upon the foreign producers. When. q
little more than year ago. called atten-
tion to the fact that American consumers
paid annually to foreign countries some
s25O, COO 900 for products which could be.
and ought to be. supplied by our own
farmers. the statement was greeted on all
sides with expressions of doubt. and in
some cases with derision, even though l
had taken pains to accompany my state
ment with an enumeration of the articles /
referred TO, and witha the figures showing
the extent of these importatious
In general way it may he said that, with
the exception of tea, coffee and spices, al
most all the agricultural products we i'm
port could be- supplied By American farm
ers. That this has not been done mp to this
time is due to a variety of causes-amongst
others, to the pioneer condition OF agricult-
ure in the States and Territories so wonder
fully and rapidly settled during the past
quarter of century, and to the TACT That.
until recent years. the steady demand at
remunerative prices for most OF our ordi-
tent to 90 on in the same lines without
feeling the necessity of o wider diversified
ton of their crops.
Our farmers need, next In order. the full
est and latest information In regard to the
foreign demand for their surplus crops. In
staple crops this country produces a sur
plus; it will probably continue TO do 80 for
very long period to come. For the dis
pOsal of that surplus we must depend upon
the foreign demand, and the price liked for
that surplus, oven though 1t bear but q
small proportion to the entire supply, will
affect the price of the entire crop.
IL is only by possessing the fullest and
most reliable information In regard to the
foreign supply and the foreign consump-
ton of these products. that we can Judge
of tho amount of surplus. which. under
normal conditions. we can expect to dis
pose of In foreign markets at profitable
rate. We must, however, do more than
this, Our interest in the foreign market
must not be confined merely to the profit
able disposal Of the surplus Of our staple
crops.
/ am satisfied that many articles could be
produced in this country at o price and in
quantities sufficient to supply part of the
foreign demand for which We at present do
not compete in any way. In many coun-
tries American agricultural products are
comparatively unknown, Notwithstanding
tho fact that large proportion of the agrl-
cultural products therein consumed are i'm
ported and ore such rs could be proftably
raised In this country.
ONE LINE OF WORK.
1t has been my earnest effort to supply
the farmers of the country with accurate
and reliable information regarding the sup
ply of the agricultural products OF the
country and the demands of the homo and
foreign markets. This line of work is.
however. capable of great extension. An
instance of this is furnished by the efforts
now being made through representative
of this department in Europe TO Introduce
American corn in all it's various prepare
tons as an article OF human diet. These
efforts are now being put forth with special
energy, in view of the great shortage In
European cereal crops. and especially In
that which forms the principal part of the
farfnaceous foods of o great proportion of
European populations, namely, rye.
No man can tell bow great the demand
would have been to-day for the products or
our Indian corn, under the present cOndi-
in the power of the department to employ
for the purpose mentioned above. during
the past two years, not one. bnt three or
four active and capable agents. or had due
in Paris in 1889 to present the cause of
king Corn" TO the people of Europe as it
might and should have been presented.
Another instance of the need of work
similar to tho above is suggested by the
comparative insigniicance of our trade
xy;t Aypa IN q n n
ucts. An employee of my own department..
once resident I'm Central America, stated
not long ago, In my hearing that every
potato and every pound OF butter he had
consumed while in that country had been
imported from Europe. That fact EN-
phasizes strongly the opportunity which
exists of building up profitable trade for
American agriculture in these countries,
and the necessity OF ample information as
TO their markets, the prices agricultural
commodities command. whence supplies
are obtained and in what form they must
be offered to command ready sale and the
highest price.
NV conclusion is that Investigation of
our agricultural products sufficient to sup
ply the home markets with every article
which can be grown upon American soil Is
one of the pressing needs of American agri-
culture; and another Is the supplying our
farmers with the fullest information ss to
the demand existing in foreign countries
the extent of the foreign demand, under
normal conditions, for the surplus of our
staple crops.
DANGER OF HIGH PRICES.
tisquite evident that the prices of those
crops of which we now produce q surplus
will vary acc ording to the foreign demand.
The Importance of this will. fear, be pain
fully realized should the probable high
prices of our cereal crops this year, due to
an utterly abnormal condition of European
crops, result in q great extension of the
other year. when normal crop in foreign
countries would result in such abasement
of prices as would utterly wipe out the pos
sibIlity of reasonable profit.
The present year has illustrated In Q
striking manner what may be accomplished
in the enlargement of foreign markets for
American farm products as the result of
the meat inspection laws which have been
put in force during the past few months.
Our pork industry IS uDquestionably capa-
BILE or very great development; but. with
out the freedom of foreign markets, any
great extension of this industry must SIM
ply entail q depreciation in values. which
will leave no profit to the producer.
There IS no country in the world where
live stock can be raised more economically
than the United States: and, i'll common
with all other countries In the world. we
must depend largely upon live stock fol-
the preservation of the fertility OF our
lands.
For years and years to come. however.
the number of animals raised In this conn
try will provide meat surplus; and that
meat surplus must be disposed of abroad
n e.