Huntsville gazette., 1892-11-26
RusK's REPORT.

secretary Husk OF the Agricultural De-
partment-A Valuable Document fer
Farmers--Miilioas on the Credit Side Of
the Farmers and Stock Growers
Ledgers as the Result OF tue Depart
ments Labors.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.-Secretary
Rusk has lsought to make his fourth
and last annual report as head of the
department of agriculture valuable
document and has grouped together
many interesting facts to show the ag-
ricultural people what we are and what
proper thing it was to make the
commissioner of agriculture cabinet
officer. He says we sent abroad last
year $500, 600, 900 of products more than
we had to import from foreign nations,
and so per cent. of these products were
agricultural
He claims some credit for that, be-
cause he shows an increase of sO,-
100000 pounds weight of pork sent to
countries which formerly excluded
American pork, and $40 600, 900 value
increase in our exports of live cattle
All this comes from the increased pre-
cautions TO secure healthfulness of
American 1ood products The regula-
tions enforced for the prevention of
Texas fever alone have saved cattle
| growers more than three times the cost
OF running the whole department
notwithstanding the assertions to
| the contrary of wicked and prejudiced
London newspapers, he again declares
| that rpleuro-pneumonia does not exist
| in the United States. This result. he
| claims, has been obtained at cost
less by 100000 than was paid out
| by Great Britain during seven years
as indemnity for slaughtered cattle
alone. He also points out that the to-
tai loss to the cattle-growers OF Great
! Britain in deaths alone has amounted
to not less than half billion of dollars,
and that this is the only country in
the world.where the disease, having
once gained a foothold, has been en-
tirely eradieated.
He explains why our wheat did not
realize the big hopes raised by the
short crops in various European coun-
tries in 1891, by saying that those an
ticipations Of enhanced prices failed to
take into account the changed condi-
tions now surrounding the production
and marketing of the worlds wheat
| crop.
Taking the world throughout the
fat crops more than eGualed the lean
crops of 1897 so that there was actually
more yheet grown in that year than
| in 1890. Even the exports from Russia,
where famine existed in so large sec
tion and where exports were for time
| prohibited, amounted to 105, 00O 900
bushels, nearly as much as the average
| of the past four years and more than
the average for the past ten years.
| He says: The conditions which have
at last overwhelmed cotton growers
now confront wheat growers. Hence
| the American farmer must reduce the
wheat acreage and 50 bring production
| down to the normal demand.
| While insisting that southern cotton
| growers must continue to reduce the
| acreage of cotton planted, he has some
| encouragement to offer them in the
shape of new varieties of cotton seed.
| He has undertaken experiments with
| imported seed to secure the production
| of homegrown cotton, which will
meet all the requirements for which
| Egyptian and other cottons are now
| imported.
He also wants the United States to
raise its own raw silk instead of send
ing s25, 100000 year abroad for the
raw material; and he thinks we might
also save s67, 900 year which we
now spend on imported fibers.
He has some hopes of getting the
Germans to use our Indian corn. Many
| difficulties have attended the introduce
| tion of new food, heretofore gencr-
| ally regarded in Europe as not suita-
| BILE for human consumption. A mixed
| corn and rye bread was found neces-
sary to secure keeping qualities in
country where all bread is made and
| sold by the bakeries. and corn-grind-
| ing machinery purchased 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 increased exports, conditions
| which have heretofore always accom-
| panied a great depreciation in price.
The corn exports for 1890, the only
| year III W nave C1udl OIiOoS
of the present year, brought the
price down to fraction under
40 cents bushel at the port
of shipment, against fraction over
55 cents bushel this year, differ
ence aggregating on the exports of the
past fiscal year, not less than $4,000.
| 900.
The report is the first from the cab
met TO find its way to the presidents
| desk.
Secretary Rusk throws cold water
on the rain-makers. The experiments
are being Loyalty made as congress di-
I rected, but the facts in his possession
DO not justify the anticipations formed
| by the believers in this method of arti-
fetal rain-making.
As his last word, the secretary ex-
presses his profound appreciation Of
the cordial sympathy and broad intel
ligence with which the president has
uniformly. throughout his administra-
! ton. 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 admin
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