The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-11-20

ture Details the Work OF His Department
and Makes Some Interesting RecOm-
lnendations.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17-Secretary
Morton's third annual report is
briefer document than the two which
preceded it. 1t discusses the work of
the several bureaus of the department,
asserting that expenses have been re-
duced in some of them for the sake of
economy and increased in others for
the sake of efficiency. Much of the re-
port has been anticipated in publica-
tions from time to time during the
fiscal year. The information and rec
concentrations not heretofore made
public are here subjoined. Over $780,
900 animals, cattle and sheep, were
inspected for foreign markets, of which
675,OOo were shipped abroad. Over
45,0O0,O00 pounds of pork was inspected
microscopically and exported, against
35,0OO,OO0 in 1894 and 23, 0OO, 900 pounds
in 1893. Of the amount exported last
year nearly 2S,oO0,O0O pounds went to
Germany and over 100000 pounds
went to France. The secretary saws
on the subject: "The protection of
domestic health will be much improved
when each purchaser of meats demands
and insists upon that which has been
governmentally inspected and certi-
fed"
Speaking of the export trade in dairy
products of the United States, the re-
port points out the fact that in cheese,
the United States, while large ship
per to British markets, holds the con-
spicuously unflattering place in the ex-
treme rear as to quality and prices, and
is the only one of the competitors for
this trade whose business shows a seri-
GUS falling off. This he attributes to
the deterioration in the quality of
American cheese, by adulteration with
oleomargerine and other ingredients.
The secretary calls attention to the
report of the chief of the bureau of
statistics, which reiterates an argu-
ment in favor of taking an annual ag-
ricultural census: "If, however" says
the secretary, "the congress finally
provides for a permanent census bu-
reau to gather populational, agricul-
tural, commercial and manufacturing
statistics each year, instead of once in
ten years, the entire business of col
lecting agricultural data and statistics
should be vested in that bureau, which
is now proposed and advocated as a
permanency by many of the most
thoughtful economists and statisticians
of the United States.
Improved road construction is pro-
crossing in many of the states, notably
in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Ken
lucky. More than half the states have
passed new road laws within the last
year and there is general effort to as
certain the best methods of developing
the country roads, for using the county
prisoners or state convicts for this pur-
pose and for organizing state commits
sions to look after these matters.
1t is proposed during the coming
year to secure the cooperation of agri-
cultural colleges and experiment sta
tions in the object lesson method of
disseminating information regarding
improved roads. They will be taught
to construct model roads on the farms
of their experiment stations or on their
college grounds, where they can be
regularly used and thus become les
son to all the farmers who visit them.
The report closes with discussion of
the future of farms and farming in the
United States, in which the secretary
compares the Indebtedness of the vari-
GUS classes of owners
'These figures, he says, "show an
enormous and constant indebtedness
of banks and bankers, alongside of
which the money in farm mortgages
and the debts owed by farmers are
relatively insignificant. The debts of
railroads, bankers, manufacturers and
mechanics entitle them, and not the
farmers, to be called the debtor class
in America"
In conclusion he says: "The value
of farm lands, being governed by the
relation of supply of those lands to the
demand for them, will therefore stead
lily increase. The area or supply re-
mains stationary and from careless till
age decreases But the added millions
of our population augment and intcnsi-
fly demand. Therefore the prices of
farms must in the next twenty years
and possibly in ten years, advance more
markedly than those of urban real es-
tate. The owners of fertile fields, how
ever, must understand now that agri-
culture is swiftly becoming a scientific
profession. The more the farmer cul-
tivates his mind, the better and more