The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-12-07
WORK OF SECRETARY RUSK.
Aims and Achievements of the
Agricultural Department.
Showing Of Exports and Imports
of Farm Products.

Secretary Rusk has sought to make his
fourth and last annual report as head OF the
Department of Agriculture valuable doc.
ument. and has grouped together many in
teresting facts to show what a great agri.
cultural people we are. He says we sent
abroad last year s2OO, 900, 900 worth OF prod
ucts more than we had to import from for.
elgn Nations, and eighty per cent. Of these
products were agricultural.
He shows an increase of 40 900, 900 pounds
OF pork sent to countries which formerly e1-
cluded American pork and $40, 600. o 10 value
increase in our exoorss OF live cattle. All
this comes from the increased precautions
to secure the healthfulness of American
food products. The regulation enfor led for
the prevent n Of Texas fever alone have
saved cattle growers more than three times
the cost of running the whole department.
As to the suppression Of the pleuro- pneu-
monla, the Secretary grows emphatic and
eloquent. He again declares that pleuro-
pneumonia does not exist in the United
States The result hesays, has been obtained
at a cost less by s10l. 900 than was paid out by
Great Britain during seven years as iniem-
nifty for slaughtered cattle alone. He also
points out that the total loss to the cattle
growers of Great Britain by this disease in
deaths alone has amounte to not less than
half billion dollars and that this is the
only country in the world where the disc tss,
having once gained footbold, has been
eradicated.
He explains why our wheat did not realize
the big hopes raised by the short crops in
various European countries In 1891 by saying
that those anticipations Of enhanced prices
failed to take into account the changed con-
ditions now surrounding the pro iuction and
marketing Of the worlds wheat crop. "fak.
ing the world throughout" he says, 1.-THE fat
crops more than equalled the lean crops OF
1891, so that there was actually mora wneat
grown in that year than in 1890. Even the
exports from Russia, where famine existed
In so large section, and where exports were
for time prohibited, amounted to los. OD,-
600 bushels, nearly as much as the average
Of the past four years. and more tlau the
average for the past ten years. The con-
ton growers now confront wheat growers.
Hence the American farmer mustreducs the
acreage, and so bring production down to
the normal demand"
While insisting that Southern cotton
growers must continue to re luce the acre.
age OF cotton planted, he has some encour-
agement to offer them In the shape Of new
varieties of cotton seed. He has under
taken experiments with imported seed
to secure the production Of a home
grown cotton which will meet all the
coCtons are now imported. He also wants
the United States to raise its own raw silk
instead of sending s25, VOC, 900 a year abroad
for the raw material aud he thinks we
,, might also save s67, ,O00, 900 year which we
now spend on imported flores.
He mas some hopes Of getting the Ger
mans to use our Indian corn. Many difficult
.sx,H-
ID heretofore generally regarded In
Europe as not suitable for human con.
- ~ption. A mixed corn and rye bread
was found necessary to secure keeping
al, tiles in a couatry whsre all bread
Is made and sold ~ the bakeries and
cora grinding machinery pure lasei in
America is now in use In several mills In that
country. One result Is the maintenance OF
the price Of corn in the face OF largely In
creased exports, conditions which have hero.
tofore always accompanied great deorecia-
ton in price. ie corn exports for 1880, the
on,y year in which they have equalled those
Of the present year. brought the price down
to a fraction under forty-two cents Z. bushel
at the port Of shipment, against traction
over ftty.ive cents per bushel this year,
q difference aggregatlng on the exports OF
the past fiscal year not less than $40, 600, 00O.
Secretary Rusk throws cold water on the
rain makers. The experiments are being
Loyalty made, asConyress directed, but the
facts 10 his possession do not Justify the an
ticioations formed by the be,levers in this
method Of artificial rain making.
As his last word, the Secretary expresses
his profound appreciation Of the cordial
sympathy and broad intelligence with
which the President has uniformly,
throughout his Administration. needed
the needs of agriculture. and he predicts
that the people Of this country will learn
to appreciate more and more the tact
that the first Administration during whicn
the Department Of Agriculture held the
rank of an Executive Department OF the
Government was presided over by the Chief
Executive, who never failei to appreciate
the importance Of agriculture, its dignity,
and its yalue to the country at large. .