Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-16
RUSK ON HUSBANDRY.
The Secretary Sets Forth the Needs
of American Farmers.
A GLORIOUS FUTURE PREDICTED.
Men Will Yet More Eagerly Prefer the Coun-
try to the Town.
ADVICE TO THE RISING GENERATION

| Having long ago cOnsenueu 10 say sOHlt
thing as to the present needs of America
agriculture and its future scope, 1 will en-
deavor now, in accord with recent reminders
to indicate as briefly as possible some q
| those needs of American agriculture whicl
I regard as the most urgent, writes Secre
tary of Agriculture Rusk to the New Yorl
| Tribune
Unquestionable, American farmers nee
fuller information regarding the kinds an
extent of our home supplies which Ameri
can agriculture, properly directed, coul
produce, but for which we are now depend
ent upon the foreign producers. When,
little more than, year ago, called atten
tion to the fact that American consumer
paid annually to foreign countries som
$3.50, ,0OO, 600 for products which could be
and ought to be, supplied by our owl
farmers, the statement was greeted on al
| sides with expressions of doubt, and il
some cases with derision, even though 1 haC
| taken pains to accompany my statemen
with an enumeration of the articles 1 re
ferred to, and with the figures showing tn,
extent of these importations.
In a general way, it may be said that, with
the exception of tea, coffee, and spices, al
most all the agricultural products we import
could be supplied by American farmers
That this has not been done up to this time
is due to variety of causes-amongst
others, to the pioneer condition of agricul
ture in the States and Territories so won.
derfully and rapidly settled during the past
quarter of a century, and to the fact that
until recent years, the steady demand al
remunerative prices for most of our ordin'
ary staple crops rendered the farmers con-
tent to go on in the same lines without feel
ing the necessity of wider diversification
of their crops.
WHAT THE FARMERS NEED.
Our farmers need, pext in order, the
fullest and latest information in regard to
the foreign demand for their surplus crops.
In staple crops this country produces sur
plus; it will probably continue to do so for
a very long period to come. For the dis
posaI of that surplus we must depend upon
the foreign demand; and the price fixed for
that surplus, even though it bear but a
small proportion to the entire supply, will
affect the price of the entire crop.
1t is only by possessing the fullest and
most reliable information in regard to the
foreign supply and the foreign consumption
of these products, that we can judge of the
amount of surplus, which. under normal
conditions, We can expect to dispose of in
foreign markets at a profitable rate. We
must, however, do more than this. Our in
terest in the foreign market must not be
confined merely to the profitable disposal of
the surplus of our staple crops.
1 am satisfied that many articles could be
produced in this country at 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
the fact that large proportion of the agri-
cultural products therein consumed are i'm
ported and are such as 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 coun-
try and the demands of the home and
foreign markets. This line of work is, how
ever, capable of great extension. An in
stance of this is furnished by the efforts
now being made through representative of
this department in Europe to introduce
American corn in all its various prepara-
tions 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
farinaceous foods of great proportion of
European populations, namely, rye.
No man can tell how great the demand
would have been to-day for the products of
our Indian corn, under the present condi-
tions of cereal crops in Europe, had it been
in the power of this department to employ
for the purposes mentioned above, during
the past two years. not one, but three or
or four active and capable agents, or had
due advantage been taken of the Exposi-
tion in Paris in 1889 to present the cause of
'King Corn" to the people of Europe as it
might and should have been presented.
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.
Another instance of the need of work sim
liar to the above is suggested by the com
parative insignifcance of our trade with
troprical America in agricultural products.
An employe of nv own department., once a
resident in Central America, stated not long
ago, in my hearing, that every potato and
everv pound of butter he had consumed
while in that country had been imported
from Europe. That fact emphasizes
strongly the opportunity which exists of
building UP profitable trade for American
agriculture in these countries, and the ne
cessity of ample information as to their
markets, the prices agricultural commodi-
ties command, whence supplies are obtained,
and in what form they must be offered to
command ready sale and the highest price.
My conclusion is that diversifcation 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
with the fullest information as to
the demand existing in foreign countries for
articles they are able to grow and as to the
extent of the foreign demand, under normal
conditions, for the surplus of our staple
crops.
DANGER OF HIGH PRICES.
1t is quite evident that the prices of those
crops of which we now produce surplus
will vary according to the foreign demand.
The importance of this will, 1 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 a great extension of the
acreage under cereals in this country
another year, when normal crop in foreign
would result in such an abasement
Of prices as would utterly wipe out the pos
sibility of reasonable profit
The present year has illustrated in
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 unquestionably capable of
very great development; but, without the
freedom of foreign markets, any great ex-
;ension of this industry must simply entail
depreciation in values, which will leave
10 profit to the producer.
There is no country in the world where
i've stock can be raised more economically