The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1893-05-09

quarantine when necessary, supervise
the removal of cattle from State to
State, and inspect live stock killed for
| food.
This official farmer must also over
see the work of the statistician of his
department. This official attends to
the collection of information concern
ing the crops abroad as well as at
home, and Of all other information
useful to men engaged in agriculture.
He publishes monthly bulletin for
the information of producers, consum-
ers and editors. This bulletin, i'm the
words of the law, is intended to pro-
tect producers and consumers against
combination and extortion in handling
of the products Of agriculture.
This last task alone would keep anv
able man busy, as those can testify
who have looked into the stock mark
cts, grain elevators, freight deals
between railroads, and other great
American enterprises.
In addition to the departments
named there are half dozen others
which the Secretary of agriculture
must attend to. He must look after
the insects, birds and quadrupeds, as
well as the farmers of the country,
and do all no can to encourage thef
useful and discourage all others. Mr..
Morton, the new Secretary, devotes
fourteen hours day to the task which
he has undertaken. He does not
think the constant confinement hurts
him, in spite of the fact that he has
always been used to a outdoor life. He
has not asked a doctors advice i'm
twenty lone years, and does not expect
to soon.
ORIGINATED ARBOR DAY.
The following facts give an idea of
the things to which Secretary Morton
has devoted his life, and will help to
explain his character.
He takes more interest in forestry
than in anything else. He is the
originator of Arbor Day, which is a
fine idea, and would be more useful if
the school children and others took the
trouble to look after the trees which
they plant. Mr.. Morton's idea concern
ing Arbor Day appeared on January
4, 1872, in the form of bill which he
put through the Nebraska Legislature
AS compliment to him, April %, the
day of his birth, was selected as Ar
Dor Day. Since then forty-two States
out of forty-four have a dopted
the idea, as have England and Aus
tralia. .,
Mr.. Morton has lived on the same
farm, adjoining Nebraska City, since
he was twenty-three years old. |
He was sixty-One on April %.
The origin of his homestead was a
Government tract, One-quarter section
TO l6O acres of Government land,
which he pre-empted at $1.25 an acre.
Since then he has increased his hold
ing by buying adjoining land at 5000
an acre. The street cars now run to !
his farmhouse door.
Mr.. Morton's greatest delight is the
raising OF fine apples. He has eighty
acres of orchards, and sells from 5000
to 5000 bushels year in Colorado
and i'll the two Dakotas.
As a private citizen Mr.. Morton is
interested, among other things, in the
business of making starch, in stock
yards and in cereal mills. He grinds
TOO bushels of oats day into oatmeal.
He uses five or six thousand bushels of
corn each day as well. His mills run
night and day till Sunday morning.
They begin again at o'clock on Sun
day evening.
Mr.. Morton grinds up 500 bushels
of corn into cornstarch for food and
for laundry starch.
He considers that it is a good idea
to have Mr.. Murphy abroad introduce
ing our corn foods among the Europe
ans. Mr.. Murphy reminds him of the
French gentleman who at the Kings
command, wore potato blossoms in
their buttonhOles to make potatoes
popular. Mr.. Morton points out the
fact that at first the French would
have nothing to do with potatoes,
whereas now they are cooking them
in two or three hundred different
ways.
AS TO THE FAIR.
Mr.. Morton has great hopes of Mr..
missionary labors on behalf
Of the Government and of American
corn. Mr.. Morton's eldest son has
correspondent with Mr.. Murphy, and
The results are already apparent. Last
year Mr.. MortOn's mills shipped to
Liverpool sixteen carloads of white
This meal, which is ground
wonderfully fine and made of deger-