St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-05

their best reliance.
The amount of the appropriation for
the bureau 0f animal Industry foc the
current fiscal year IS eooc,cc0. Tho esti'
mate for the ensuing year is 100000.
The regulations of 1892 concerning
Texas fever have been enforced during
the last year, and the large stockyards
of the country have been kept free from
infection. Occasional local outbreaks
have been largely such as could have
been effectually guarded against by the
owners of the affected cattle. While
contagious pneumonia in cattle has been
eradicated. animal tuberculosis, dis
ease widespread and more dangerous to
human life than pleuro pneumonia, is
still prevalent. Investigations have
been made during the past year as 10
the means of its communication and the
methods of its correct diagnosis. Much
progress has been made in this direction
by the studies of the division of animal
pathology, but work ought to be extend
ed in cooperation with local authorities
until the danger to human life arising
from this cause is reduced to a mini
mum. The number of animals arriving
from Canada during the year, and i'll
Spected by bureau officers. was 1852, 092,
and the number from transatlantic
eases were found among imported ami
mails.
The total number of Inspections of
cattle for export during the past fiscal
year was Gil ,542. The exports show a
falling off of about 25 per cent from the
preceding year, the decrease occurring
entirely in the last half of the year.
This suggests that the falling off may
have been largely due to an increase in
the price of American export cattle
during the year ending June 80, 1898.
Exports of Inspected pork aggregated
20,677, 410 pounds, as against 50, 152, S74
pounds for the preceding year. The
falling off in this export was not con-
fined, however, to inspected pork, the
total quantity exported in 1892 being
G65, 49o,6l6 pounds, while in 1898 it was
only 597, 30S 695 pounds.
join the secretary III recommending
that hereafter each applicant TOR the
position of inspector or assistant in
SpectOr i'll the bureau of animal industry
be required, as condition precedent to
his appointment. to exhibit to the Unit
ed States civil service commission his
diploma from an established, regular
and reputable veterinary college, and
that this be supplemented by such an
examination in veterinary science as
the commission may prescribe.
The exports of agricultural products
from the United States for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1892. attained the
enormous figure of $500, 900 in round
numbers, being 1871 per cent of our total
exports. In the last fiscal year this
aggregate was greatly reduced, but,
nevertheless, reached S615, 000, 900. being
75.1 per cent of all American commOdi-
ties exported. A review of our agricult-
ural exports, with special reference to
their destination, will show that in al
most every line the United Kingdom
Of Great Britain and Ireland absorbs by
far the largest proportion. OF cattle,
the total exports aggregated in value
Tor the fiscal year ending June 80, 1898,
S26, 100000, of which Great Britain took
considerably over S25, 100000. Or beef
products of all kinds, our total exports
were S2S.000.000, of which Great Britain
took S24,0O0,000. or pork products, the
total exports were SS4, 600, 600, of which
Great Britain took $50, 900, 600. In bread
stuffS, cotton and minor products like
proportions sent to the same destination
are shown. The work of the statistical
division of the department of agricult-
ure deals with all that relates to the
economics of farming. The main pur-
pose OF its monthly reports is to keep
the farmers Informed as fully as posi-
bic of all matters having any influence
upon the worlds markets in which their
products find sale.
Its publications relate especially to
the commercial side of farming. 1t is.
therefore, of profound Importance and
vital concern to the farmers of the
United States, who represent nearly
one-half of cur population, and also of
direct interest to the whole country,
that the work of this division be eff
GENTLY performed and that the informa-
ton it has gathered be promptly diff
fused. 1t is a matter for congratulation
to know that the secretary will not
spare any effort to make this part of his
work thoroughly useful.
In the year 1889 the congress appro-
priated S1,00U. to be taken from the
patent office funds for the purpose of
collecting and distributing rare and i'm
proved varieties of seeds and for pros
ecuting agricultural investigations and
procuring agricultural statistics. From
this small beginning the seed division
of the department of agriculture has
grown to its present unwieldy and I'M
JustlfiablY eXtravagant proportions.
During the last fiscal year the cost of
seeds purchased was SOC. 1851. The
remainder of an appropriation of $685.
600 was expended in putting them up
and distributing them. 1t surely never
could have entered the minds of those
who first sanctioned appropriations of
public money for the purchase of new
and improved varieties of seeds for
gratuitous distribution that from this
would grow large appropriations fol
the purchase and distribution by the
members of congress of ordinary seeds,
bulbs and cuttings, which are common
i'll all the states and territories and
elsewhere easily obtainable at low
prices.
In each state and territory an agri-
cultural experiment station has been es.
tablished. These stations, by their very
character and name, are the proper
agencies to experiment with aud test
new varieties Of seeds, and yet this in
discriminate and WaSteful\ distribution
by legislation and legislator continues,
answering no purpose, unless it be ia
remind constituents that their repre-
sentatives are willing to remember
them with gratuities at public cost.
Under the sanction OF existing legisla-
ton there was sent out from the agri-
cultural department during the last
fiscal year enough of cabbage seed to
plant 1920 acres OF land, sufficient
quantity of beans to plant 1000 acres,
beet SEED enough to plant $500 acres,
sweet corn enough to plant 1880 acres
sufficient cucumber seed to cover 2, 025
acres with vines, and enough musk
melon and watermelon seeds to plant
1878 acres. The total quantity of flower
and vegetable seeds thus distributed
was contained in more than 100000
packages. and they were sufficient, il
planted, to cover 1886 acres of land.
In view OF these facts, this
enormous expenditure without legit-
innate returns Of benefit ought to be
abolished. Anticipating consumma
ton so manifestly in the interests OF
good administration, more than 100000
has been stricken from the estimate
made to cover this object for the year
ending June 80. 1895, and the secretary
recommends that the remaining $50, zoo
of the estimate be confined strictly tC
the purchase of new and improved va
rieties of seeds, and that these be
distributed through experiment stations
Thus the seed will be tested: and after