The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-21
UNCLE JERRY's WORK.
He Has Helped Give the Farmers a
Great Foreign Trade,
HE HAS MADE THE AMERICAN HOG
WELCOME IN EUROPE,

And Is Now Teaching the Germans to Eat
Indian Corn-Uncle Jerry Is Also a
Good Health Officer and Texas Fever
Is No Longer the Cattle Mems Bug
Secretary Rusk.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20.-The report of
the Secretary of Agriculture has been
submitted to the President The report
emphasizes the fact that of more than
billion dollars worth of exports of our
domestic products for the past year,
nearly eighty per cent. consisted OF
agricultural products, making the United
States the creditor of the world for over
5000, 900, 900 excess of our exports over
imports, and relieving our home markets
from the surplus products which would
otherwise have reduced prices to point
below the cost of production. For
large share in bringing about the con-
ditions which made these results pos
sible, the Secretary claims credit for his
department. He finds encouragement
for farmers in the fact that, in spite of
the aggregate increase, there is reduc-
ton in the proportion of imports con
sisting of products which compete with
American agriculture. While in the
fiscal year ending in 1889, fifty per cent
of the imports consisted of competing
products, only forty-four per cent OF our
imports for the past fiscal year did SO
compete. The Secretary regards the i'm
ports competing with the products of
our own soil still far too great. He in
stances $40, 900, 600 worth of animal pro-
ducts, S67, 100000 worth of fbres, $27,-
100000 worth of hides and $50, 900, 600
worth of fruits and wines as articles of
this kind and cites imports of raw silk,
amounting to $25,00O,000 yearly, as an
instance of products imported which
could with proper encouragement be
produced in this country.
The secretary says that since his last
report prohibitions
Against American Pork Products
have been withdrawn in all countries
where they existed and forty million
pounds of inspected pork has been export
Comparing the export trade for May,
June, July and August this year as a
period in which the effects of inspection
can be noted, with the same period last.
year, he finds an increase in the quantity
shipped this year of 62per cent, ,andan adj
vance in prices which increased values
for the same period 564 per cent. He
compared the prices for September, 1892,
with September, 1890, the year before the
pork inspection was adopted, and shows
an increase of so cents on a hundred
pounds in favor of this year, an increase
of 50 head on every hog sold. The in
crease in price is highly gratifying in
view of the large increase in the number
of hogs marketed.
The Secretary says of the work of his
Indian corn agent in Germany that many
difficulties attend the y introduction of a
new food heretofore generally regarded
in Europe as not snitable for human con-
sumption Corn grinding machinery
purchased in America is now in use in
several mills in that country. One re-
suit of the efforts has been the mainten-
ance of the price of corn in the place of
largely increased exports. The corn ex-
ports for 1890, the only year in which
they equalled these of the present year,
brought the price down to a fraction un-
der AZ cents a bushel at the port of ship
ment against a fraction over So cents a
bushel this year, the difference aggregat-
ing, on the exports of the fiscal year, not
less than ten million dollars.
The secretary declares the regulations
for the control and prevention of Tevas
fever have saved three times as
Much Money to Cattle Growers
yearly as is required to run the whole de-
partment. He says our inspection laws
have restored the confidence of foreign
ers in the healthfulness of our cattle.
Live cattle exports in 1889 amounted to.
POS, 900. In 1892 we exported 395, 900, at
an increase in value averaging $S head.
The Secretary attributes the excessive
anticipations formed in regard to the
price for wheat throughout the crop year
of 1891 to the failure to appreciate the
changed conditions now surrounding the
production and marketing of the worlds
wheat crop. He says the conditions that
at last overwhelmed the cotton growers
now confront the wheat growers. The
American farmer must reduce his wheat
acreage, and so bring production down
to the normal demand. He says the de-
mestic market, which has. heretofore alb
sorbed ten million bushels Of foreign
barley, is now reserved for the domestic
product, and our acreage and production
has increased and been disposed of at
good prices.
The experience of the department in
the domestic sugar industry the past
year, the report states, shows that do
mestice sugar can be produced with
profit to thegrower of the crop and to the
manufacturer, provided the conditions
of culture and manufacture insisted upon
by the department are secured.
The says the total number of animals
subjected to ante and post mortem ex-
animation for the fiscal year exceeds five
millions. The cost of inspection was
1910, 1000. He states that pleuro-pneu-
monia caused a loss to British cattle
growers of half billion dollars and as
serts that this is the only country where
that disease, having gained a foothold,
has been entirely eradicated.
TIE Shaw Brothers Affairs.
BANGOR, November 19-The financial