The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-21
RUSK ON AGRlCUL TURE.
Interesting Report from the Head
of the Departl lnent.
NO PLEUR0 PNEUMONIA HERE.

The Secretary Says the Disease Has
Been Completely Obliterated in
This Countryside Advises Re-
duction in the Wheat Acreage.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 81. - Secretary
Rusk has sought to make his fourth and
last annual report as head of the depart
ment of agriculture valuable docu-
ment, and has grouped together many
interesting facts to show what a great
agricultural people we are and what
proper thing it was to make the prime
commissioner of agriculture cabinet
officer. He says we sent abroad last
year 5000, 900, 900 worth df products more
than we had to import from foreign ma
tions, and so per cent. Of these products
were agricultural.
He claims some credit for that, be-
cause he shows an increase of 40, 900, 900
pounds weight of pork sent to countries
which formerly excluded American pork
and i0,000,O0 value increase in our ex-
ports of live cattle. Ali this comes from
the increased precautl lons to secure
healthfulness of American food products.
The regulations enforced for the preven-
ton of Texas fever alone have saved
cattle growers more than three times the
cost Of running the whole department.
And as to the Suppression OF pleuro-
pneumonia, the secretary grows EN-
phatic and eloquent.
No Pleuro-Pneumonia Here.
Notwithstanding the assertions to the
contrary of London newspapers, he again
declares that pleuro pneumonia does not
exist in the United STATES. This result,
he claims, has been obtained at cost
less by $780, 900 than was paid out by
Great Britain during seven years as in
demnity 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 amounted to
not less than $500, 900 600, and that this
is the only country in The world where
the disease, having onde gained a foot
hold, has been entirely 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 these anticipations
of enhanced prices failed to take into
account the changed conditions now
surrounding the production and market
ing Of the worlds wheat crop. Taking
the world throughout, the fall crops
more than equaled the lean crops of
1891, so that there was actually more
wheat grown in that year than in 1890.
Reduce the Wheat Acreage.
Even the exports from Russia, where
famine existed in so large a section, and
where exports were for a time prohib-
tied, amounted to 1D5,000,00O bushels,
nearly as much as the average OF the
past four years and more than the ave.
rage for the past ten years. He says,
"Ihe conditions which have at last over
whelmed cotton growers now confront
wheat growers" Hence the American
farmer must reduce the wheat acreage
and so bring production down to the
normal demand.
While insisting that southern cotton
growers must continue to reduce the
cotton planted he has some encourage
ment to offer them III the shape of new
varieties of cotton seed He has under
taken experiments with imported seed,
to secure the production of home
grown cotton which will meet all the re-
quire lents for which Egyptian and other
cottonS are now imported. He also
wants the United States to raise its own
raw silk, instead of sending $25, 900, 900
year abroad for the raw material, and
he thinks we might also save $57, 900 900
year which we now spend on imported
fbers.
He has some hopes Of getting the Ger
mans to use our Indian corn. Many
difficulties have attended the introduce
tion of a new food heretofore regarded
in Europe as not suitable for human
consumption. A mixed corn and rye
bread was found necessary TO secure
keeping qualities in a country where all
bread is made and sold by the bakeries,
and corn grinding machinery purchased
in America is now in use in several mills
n tbat Ono rnGI1lt ic thn 11aiU-
tenance of the price of corn in the face
of largely increased exports, conditions
which have heretofore always accompa-
nied great depreciation in price, The
corn exports for 1890, the only year in
which they have equaled those of the
present year, brought the price down to
fraction under forty-two cents bushel
at the port Of shipment against fraction
over fifty-h cents per bushol this year,
difference aggregating on the exports
of the past fiscal year not less than SlO,-
000, 900.
Takes No StoeA In Rain Makers.
Secretary Rusk throws cold water on
the rain makers. The experiments are
being loyalty made, as congress directed,
but the facts in his possession do not
justify the anticipations formed by the
believers in this method Of artificial rain
making.
As his last word the secretary ex-
pressed 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 fact
that the first administration during
which The depar tment of agriculture
held the rank of an executive depart
ment of the government was presided
over by chief executive who never
failed TO appreciate the importance of
agriculture, its dignity and its value TO
the country at lage.