The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-12-08
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
New and Important Lines of Research,
jnlertnleap.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
New ana Important Lines of Research,
Undertaken.
The department of agriculture has un-
~aerlaken during the year two new md
Important lines of research. The first
relates to grasses and forage plants, with
the purpose of !nstructing and familiar
LING the people as to the distinctive
grasses ef.tie United States and teaching
them how to Introduce valuable foreign
TINS country. The second relates TO agri-
cultural soils AMI crop production mvolv-
ing the analysis of samples of soils from
ail sections of the American union, to
demonstrate their a%daptability to %particu-
llr plalits and crops. Mechanical analysis
%esti,nable utility that it is
foremost in the new lines OF agricultural
research, and the secretary therefore rec
ominends that Il division having Ii in
charge be permanently established in the
department.
Weather bureau.
The mount appropriated for the
weather bureau was 1851 ,10o. OF that
sum s13S.J0o, or II per cent, has been
snva;! and is returned to the treasury. AS
illustrating the usefulness of this service
it may be here stated that the warnings
which We're very generally given of two
tropical storms occurring in September
and October of the present year, resulted
III uetalnlng safely in port 2,3o5 vessels
valued at Sd, 2s3, 9l3, laden with car
Eoes OF probably still greater value.
what is much more important and graft
iHlns many human lives on these ships
We're also undoubtedly saved.
Bureau of Animal Industry.
The appropriation to the bureau of ami
ma! Industry was $780, 600 and the expendi-
tuTcss for the year We're only $495, l29. "a,
thus leaving unexpcnded 1854, $50. So. The
inspect OF of beef animals for export and
Interstate trade has been continued and
i2,4tl, 056 head We're inspected during the
year at a cost of Ia cents per head, against
AZ cents for 1899. The amount of pork
mlcroscopicailv examined was 35,43I, O37
pounds. against 2O,671.4lO pounds in the
preceding year, The cost of this ipspec-
t!on has been dim nishcd from So. cents
per head in 1898 to G1@ cents in 1894,
The expense of inspecting the pork sold in
1871 to Germany and France by the United
states WAS SSs, 922 10. The quantity in
spected was greater by l5,0o0, 900 pounds
than during the preceding year when the
cost OF such inspection was ST., 3G7. The
secretary Of agriculture recommends that
the law providing for the microscopic in
spection OF export and interstate meat be
so amended as to compel owners of the
meat inspected to pay the cost of such in
siection, and | call attention to the
III support of this recommendation.
The live beef cattle exported and tagged
during the year numbered S6s, 535. This is
an increase of !,533 head over the previous
ysnr. The sanitary inspection of cattle
shipped to Europe has cost an average of
iioSs cents for each animal. and the cost OF
inspecting southern cattle and the dis
Infection of cars and stock yards average
~ cents per animal. The scientific in
GuirieS of the bureau Of animal industry
hivc, progressed steadily during the year.
Much t~uberculin and mallein have been
the agricultural colleges aud ex-
pertinent statements for the treat
ment of tuberculosis and CHAMBERS.
Quite recently this department has pub-
lished the results of Its Investigations of
bovine tuberculosis and its researches will
the District of Columbia will be thor
oughly inspected and will probably supply
adequate scope for the department to in
telligently prosecute its scientific work
and furnish sufficient material for pur-
poses Of illustration, description and def
milton. The sterilization of milk sus-
pested OF containing the haccilli of tuber-
colosis has been during the year very thor
ougiy explained in n leafet by DR.. ID. f.
Salmon, the chief of the bureau, and given
general circulation throughout the coun-
try.
Experiment Stations,
The Office of experiment stations. which
IS n part of the United States department
of agriculture, has during the past year
for publication works based upon the re,
potts OF agricultural experiment stations
and other institutions for agricultural
inquiry in the Unite states and foreign
countries. The secretary, in his report for
1888, called attention to the fact that the
experiment. stations throughout the union
we're the only moneys taken out of the
nationa! treasury by an act of con-
gress for which no accounting to
federal authorities was required.
iha pE;ftr id to this suggestion
preparation for the department. for the
present fiscal year provided that the sacrc-
tary of agriculture shall prescribe the
form of annual financial statement re-
CURED by section 3 of said act of March 2.
1881, shall ascertain whether tho expendi-
lures under the appropriation hereby made
are in accordance with the provision OF
said act and shall make report thereon to
congress. The best source of the ~statisti-
clan of the department of agriculture is
the entertainment by diligence md care of
INC actual and real conditions favorable
-. w Alls 81 lllCIS eIll u
the country, and to the causes which pro-
unce these conditions, to the end that the
facts asceTteincd may guide their intelli
gent treatment.
In obedience to this law the department
OF agriculture Immediately sent blank
forms OF expense accounts to each station
and PROPOSE in addition to make, through
trusted experts, systematic examination
OF the several stations during the year for
the purpose OF acquiring by personal in
~vestigation the detailed information ncccs-
sary to enable the secretary of agriculture
TO make. as the statute provides. a salts
factory report to congress. The boards of
arrangements Of the several sta
tions, with great ~alacrity and cordiality.
nave approved the amendment to the law
providing this supervision of their ex
penditurcs, anticipating that il will in
crease the efficiency OF the stations and
protect their directors and managers from
loose charges concerning their use of pub
nc funds. besides bringing the department
OF agriculture into closer and more conf
DENTAL relations with the experimental
stations and through their joint servi.e
largely increasing the usefulness to the ay-
rlculturc OF the country.
Acting upon recommendations con-
tanned in he report OF 1898, congress an
propristed $4,000 to enable the secretary
o. agriculture to Investigate and
r'~'ort upon the nutritive value Of
various articles and commodities used for
human food, with special attention to
Wholesome and edible r:tions less waste.
full and more economical than those in !
common use" Under this appropriation
the Department has prepared and now has
nearly ready for distrilsution an elementnry
discussion of the,nutritire value and pecli-,
mary economy Of fool. When we consider
thatfully one, half of all tho money earned
by the wage esrners of the civilized worldisi
expended by them for food, the Importance
and utility of such an investigation Is ap-
parent. The department expended in the
fiscal year 1892, s2, 49,, SO9.5G and
out OF that sum the total
amount expended In scientific research
was 45,O per cent. But In the yenr end