The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-21
THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.


Annual Report of tho Secretary of the
That Departmc ont
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20.-The annual report
of tho secretary Of agriculture begins with
q comparison Of the export trade of the
past fscal year with that of the former
year. He says that Of more than one bill
lion dollars, representing the exports OF do
mestio products the past year, nearly SO per
cont consisted of agricultural products, thus
not only making thu United States the cred-
itor of the world for a sum exceeding swo
hundred million dollars in excess of exports
over imports, but relieving the home mar
kets from the surplus product, which would
otherwise have reduced prices TO a point be-
low the cost of production.
Since the last report the prohibition
against American pork products has been
withdrawn in all countries where Shey ex-
listed and forty million pounds of inspected
pork, which, without inspection. could not
nave founda market abroad. were exported.
He compares the prices for September,
1892, with those of September, 1890. the
year before pork inspection was adopted,
and shows an increase OF 80 cents per hun-
dred pounds in favor Of this year. an aver
age of 81 per head on every hog.
Referring to the proclamation declaring
the country free from pleuro-pneumonia.
he emphasizes the precautions taken before
the pt exclamation was issued, and the thor
ouRhly satisfactory grounds existing for
the declaration of immunity and for the
control and prevention of Texas fever. lie
concludes with the declaration that three
times as much money was saved to cattle
growers yearly as is required to run the
whole department.. He says she inspection
laws have restored the confidence OF Tor
eicners in the healthfulness of American
cattle. Live cattle exports in 1859 amounted
.Nr ~ N--l -L.-- ~. To- "a h - n yunrn Nv
ported $4,000. at an increase In value
averaging SIS per head.
With reference to cereals the secretary
attributes the excessive antlclpatlons
formed regarding the price for wheat
thioughout the crop year OF 1881 to the
failure to appreciate the changed conol,
tions now SURF the production and
marketing of the worlds wheat crop.
Hence the American farmer must reduce
the wheat acreage and so bring production
down to Their normal demand.
The rainfall experiments the secretary
says, are being made as congress directed
but the facts in his possession do not, IN
his opinion, Justify the anticipations
formed BY the believers in the method OF
artificial rain making. He insists upon the
necessity for a universal inspection of all
animal food products. applicable not only
to products intended for interstate or ex'
port trade, but those entering into domes-
tic consumption everywhere. The score
tary also points out many reasons making
a national standard of grain highly desit-
able, and concludes that some system of
national inspection and grading must be
established i'll the interest OF grain grow
ers, under conttol of the secretary of agri-
culture. Reviewing she work Of the bureau
of animal industry he cities the gratifying
confirmation, not only by the previous his
tory of the animals. but in many cases BY
distinguished authorities abroad. of the
diagnosis made by the American inspectors
in Europe. r~efuting the existence of con-
tsQious pleuro-pneumonia claimed by
British inspectors to have been found in a
few cases among American cattle.