Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-11-28
FACTS FOR FARMERS
MORTON NAMES THE TRUE DEBT
OR CLASS.
AGRICUITURlSTS NOT INIT
Raw Potatoes a Good Fall Feed for
Hogs-Methods for Preparing Corn
Fodder for the Cows-Wheat Guilt
walton Decreasing Miscel-
lany.

! Secretary Morton's third annual re-
| port discusses the work of the several
! bureaus OF the department of ag1Icul-
ture asserting that expenditures have
! been reduced in some of them for the
sake of economy and increased in
others Tor the sake of efficiency. The
report states that during the past year
! over 10000 animals, cattle and
sheep, were inspected for foreign mar
kets, of which $4,000 were shipped
abroad. Over 45,000,000 pounds of pork
were inspected microscopically and ex-
ported, as against 81, 000,00 in 1894 and
% 900 900 in 1898 Of the amount ex-
ported last year nearly $1,000, 900
pounds went to Germany and over
5000, 900 pounds to France. The secre-
tary says that the protection of do
nestle health will be much improved
when each purchaser of meat demands
that which has been governmentally
inspected and certified.
States is large shipper of cheese to
British markets, but holds a place in
the extreme rear as to quality and
price and is the only one Of the COM
petitors for this trade whose business
shows serious falling off. This he
attributes to the deterioration in the
quality of American cheeses by adul
teration with oleo and other ingre-
dents. The United States supplies
less than l per cent. of the British de-
mand for foreign buffers, notwith-
standing the fact that Great Britain
report says that the work of the
W Gather bureau for the year cost $S7S,-
439, and owing to reduced expenditures
which were accompanied by increased
efficiency $4,000 will ultimately be
covered into the treasury from the
amount appropriated. 1t is claimed
that the warnings of cold waves Sc
cured from freezing more than $685.
coo worth of perishable agricultural
products
The secretary calls attention to the
report of the chief of the division OF
statistics, which reiterates an argu-
ment in favor of taking an annual agri-
cultural census. Speaking of the chem
istTy division, he says that the people
are frequently miSled by perverted
reference to the analysis and official
decision by advertisers OF baking pow
WIN d
ucts have been analysed in the course
o. Investigations OF food authorizations
or other official work. In hundreds of
advertisements in which the work Of
this division was referred to, there
was scarcely single case in which the
facts were accurately set forth as Off
cially published. 1t seems to the Sec
! rotary that advertising misrepresenta-
lions of official analysis should be pre-
vented. The report relates the efforts
made by the department to introduce
improved varieties of fruit from
abroad, and says that during the fiscal
year there were shipped S18,711 barrels
of apples abroad, valued at 1854, 318,
and 7,137 ,S42 pounIs of dried apples Of
the value of S461,214. The variety
which sold for the highest price in the
British markets was the Albemarle
pippin.
Improved road construction, the re-
port says, is progressing in many
states, notably in Massachusetts, North
, Carolina and Kentucky. The secre-
tary condemns the gratuitous diStribu-
ton of the publications of the depart
ment. In the year 1S94-5 they aggre-
gated in bulk 500 tons, the distribution
of which added to the deficiency of the
postoff1ce department. He recon-
mends that all publications by the de-
| partment be furnished to only such
! citizens as will pay for their net cost
and added postage and gTatuitous dis
| tribution be confined - public libra
! ries and benevolent and educational in
! situations, with the exception of such
publications as may be for specific pur-
poses and properly termed ''eXigency'
! or emergency" documents. The eX-
penditures of the department for the
yeas lS94-5 were S1,311,766 less than
| IIlC cIIAOU1I LIS
with 100000 or 100000 that could be
secured from a sale of the property
now occupied by the weather bureau,
the, secretary thinks, should be in
vested in the construction of suitable
! building for the department.
| The report discusses The future OF
farms and farming in the United
F., States" The secretary compares the
! Indebtedness Of the various classes OF
owners and says that the figures show
! an enormous and constant indebted
ness CT the banks and bankers along
side of which the money in farm
mortgages and the debts owed by farm
ers are relatively insignificant. The
debts of railroads, bankers, manufac-
turers and merchants entitle them
and not the farmers, to be called the
debtor class" in America. The secre-
tary argues that as the area or supply
of farm lands remains stationary OF
from careless tillage decreases, while
the added millions of our population
augment demand, the prices of farms
must in the next 20 years, and possibly
in 10 years, advance more markedly
than those of urban real estate.
Potatoes for Hogs-A subscriber
writes: Please tell ne how to feed Pc
-1-o - - 49, EA,, I,