The record-union., 1894-12-04
elaborate arguments or to present per-
SOnal yiews
Ae,ricuIturaI DEPARTMENT..


port reviews the operations OF his de-
l'artment for the last fiscal year and
makes recommendations Tor the further
extension of its usefulness. lie reports a
saving in expenditures OF S6OO, OOO, which
is covered back into the treasury. This
sum is % per cent. of the entire appropri-
alton. special study has been made
of the demand for American farm pro-
ducts in all foreign markets, especially
Great Britain. That country receive
from the United States during the nine
months ending September 30, 1894, 305,-
$40 live beef cattle. valued at S2j, 800 900,
as against 1921 cattle, valued at SIC, ,624,
900, during the same period of 1893. Dur
ing the first six months Of 1894 the United
Kingdom took also IL. .000, 900 pounds OF
dressed beef from the United States,
valued at nearly Sl0.000,0O0.
The report shows that during the nine
months Immediately preceding Septem-
Der 30, 1894, the United States exported 10
Great Britain 2, $4,000 pounds of pork,
and Of horses 2,Sll, at an average value
Of SIS9 per head.
There was a falling off in American
wheat exports of l3, 100000 bushels, and
the Secretary is inclined to believe that
wheat may not In the future be the sta pie
export cereal product of our country, but
that corn will continue to advance in i'm
portance as an export, on account of the
new uses to which it is constantly being
appropriated.
The exports OF agricultural products
from the United States for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1894, amounted TO S62S,
"O5sO3S. being 722S per cent. of American
exports Of every description. and the
United Kingdom of Great Britain took
more than 54 per cent. of all farm pro-
ducts finding foreign markets.
The Department of Agriculture has un-
dertaken during the year two new and
important lines OF research. The first
relates to grasses and foreign plants, with
the purpose OF instructing and familiar
lzlng the people as to the distinctive
grasses of the United States, and teaching
them how to introduce valuable foreign
forage plants which may be adapted 10
this country. The second relates to agri-
cultural soils and crop production, in
volving the analysis of samples of soils
from all sections of the American l Mon,
10 demonstrate their adaptability to par
ticular plants and crops. Mechanical
analysis of soils may be of such ineSti-
mable utility that it is foremost in the
new lines of agricultural research, and
the Secretary therefore recommends that
division having it in charge be perma-
Dently established IN the department.
The amount appropriated for the
" Gather Bureau was S90l,O0O. Of that
sum Sl5S, 800, or Ii per cent, has been re-
turned to the treasury. AS illustrating
The usefulness of this service, il may be
here stated that the warnings which
were very generally given of two
tropical storms occurring in Septem ber
and October OF the present year resulted
in OBTAINING safely in port 2,305 vessels,
valued at s., ,62S, ,293, laden with cargoeS OF
probably still greater value. What is
much more important and gratifying,
many human lives on those ships were
also Undoubtedly saved.
BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY.
The appropriation for the Bureau Of
Animal Industry was S850000. and the
expenditures for the year were only
S495. .429 "A, thus leaving unexpended
SOD, ,750 56. The inspection OF beef AMI
mails for export and interstate trade has
been continued, and 1884, ,056 head were
inspected during the year at cost of l I
cents per head, against Al cents for 1893.
The amount OF pork microscopically eX-
amined was %, 437, ,937 pounds, against
20,60, 40 pounds IN the preceding year.
The cost Of this inspection has been di-
minished from ST cents per head in 1898
TO g cents in 1894. The expense Of in
specting the pork sold in 1894 to
Germany and France by the United
States was SSS, ,92S 10. The quantity in
Rpected was greater by I5,00O,000 pounds
than during the preceding year, when
the cost Of such inspection was 81, ,367 IS.
The Secretary OF Agriculture Tecom-
mends that the law providing for the mi
croscopic inspection of export and inter-
state meat be so amended as TO compel
owners OF the meat inspected to pay the
cost Of such inspection, and | call atten-
ton to the arguments presented i'll his
report i'll support of this recommends
tion.
The live beef cattle exported and tagged
during the year numbered 363, 535. This
is an increase Of 69,533 head over the pre-
Nious year. The sanitary inspection Of
cattle shipped to Europe has cost an
average OF IU3 cents tor each animal, and
the cost Of inspecting Southern cattle and
the distinction of the cars and stock
yards averaged p cents per animal.
The scientific inquiries of the Bureau of
Animal Industry have progressed stead
lily during the year. Much tuberculin
and mallein have been furnished TO State
authorities Tor use IN the agricultural
colleges and experiment stations for the
treatment OF tuberculosis and glanders
Quite recently this department has pub
Eshed the results Of its Investigations OF
bovine tuberculosis, and its researches
viii be vigorously continued. Certain
herds in the District Of Columbia will be
thoroughly inspected, and will probably
supply an adequate scope for the depart
lHent to intelligently prosecute its scien-
titic work and furnish sufficient material
for purposes of illustration, description
and definition. The sterilization OF milk
suspected OF containing the baccih OF
tuberculosis has been during the year
very thoroughly explained in a leafiet by
DIR. ID. u. Salmon, the Chief of the
Bureau, and given general circulation
throughout the country.
EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS.
The office Of Experimental Stations.
which is part of the United States De-
partment OF Agriculture, has during the
past year engaged itself almost W holly in
preparing for publication works based
upon the reports of Agricultural Experi-
mental Stations and other institutions for
agricultural inquiry in the United States
and foreign countries. The Secretary in
his report for 1893. called attention to the
fact that the appropriations made for tho
support of the experiment stations
throughout the Union were the only
moneys taken out of the National Treas
ury by an Act Of Congress for which no
accounting TO Federal authorities was re-
CURED. Responding to this suggestion.
the FlIty-thlrd Congress, i'll making its
appropriation for the department for the
present fiscal year, provided that the Sec
retary OF Agriculture shall prescribe the
form Of annual financial statement re-
Quired by Section 3 OF said Act of March
., 1887, shall ascertain whether the ex-
penditureS under the APPROXIMATION
hereby made are in accordance with the
provisions of said Act, and shall make
report thereon TO Congress.
The best service of the statistician of
the Department of Agriculture is the
ascertainment by diligence and care of
the actual and real conditions favorable
or unfavOrable to the farmers and farms
Of the country and to such causes which
produce the conditions, TO the end that
the facts as contained may guide their in
telligent treatment. In obedience to this
law. the Department of Agriculture i'm
,,,nli iatnlu set ont blank forms of aNrnrsn