Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-08-24
WASHINGTON LETTER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE. !

IL expected this year NY the agriculture
nj dcplrtncnt-somewhere in the
neighborhood Of $500, 600, 600 bushels
or more than twice the yield Of last
year. This wonderful result was
shadowed forth in the technical an
nouncement made by the statistican
of the agricultural department,
when, as is customary he published
the condensed results of the CORE
spondents of this department, setting
| forth the condition Of the crop and
| the conditions of the weather and so
/ forth, on the lst Of the month. These
reports, under the new system adopted
| by Secretary Morton and Statistician
| Robinson, now come from three dif-
ferent sets of observers, and from a
very much increased number Of iQdi-
yiduaIs, so that the results are more
trustworthy than ever before. The
/ agricultural department makes its
announcement of crop conditions
by means Of scale OF points,
| in which 100 stands for what
is called "the normal, which has
hitherto been stated as between 20
and 30 bushels Of corn to the acre,
but which the present statistlclan
thinks should be 30 3-4 bushels per
acre. Taking the latter as normal
the statement given ont that the corn
conditions stood at 1922 3 indicated
crop amounting to over 2,4S4, 600, 600
bushels of corn. No such crop has
been known in this country before,
except in 1889, when the yield was D.
100, 600, 600 bushels, so that unless
some unforeseen disaster occurs, this
will be the great corn year of the
republic. One of the prominent feat
ures in the reports coming to the
agricultural department is the largely
| increased acreage Of corn in the
southern states, indicating that the
South is taking the advice of its best
men and preparing to raise its own
provisions, instead of deyoting itself
| SO largely to raising cotton.
SAVING OF GREAT SUMs-A review
of compilation by Prof. PantOn of
Ontario Agricultural College, in
! which no brings together once more
the figures concerning the annual loss
from the work of destructive insects.
These figures, mostly drawn from
American sources, and mainly from
publications of the United States de-
partmcnt of agriculture, serve n & lod
| purpose in directing attention to the
| necessity Tor active work on the part
Of economic entomologists, but in one
/ way they are somewhat misleading.
We may express the loss from insects
in terms Of bushels of produce, but in
turning it into money value the factor
OF increased price must not be over
looked. For example, prominent
fruit grower in Virginia says that his
income has been increased during the
past few years by from SO, 900 to
81, 600 annually as a result of follow
ing the advces OF the entomologists
in the United States department OF
agriculture, The proprietor OF large
orchard in Maryland said the other
day that the advice of Mr.. L. o.
Howard, the present entomologist, at
II time last fall when more than B, 900
Of his Young trees We're badly affected
by the San Jose scale had resulted in
clear saving to him of $1,000. In
California 1t is a common estimate
that the difference between the in
come from healthy orchard and one
infested with insects is about SO per
acre for II single season. The eXpen.
| diture of S3 per acre, following the
latest methods uscertained by the en-
tomologists, will keep the orchard
healthy. The work of the division OF
entomology during the past few
months on the cotton ball weevil in
southern Texas will result next year
in the saving OF many thousands of
dollars to cotton planters in that sec
ton, if the recommended MS are fol-
lowed.
U. 5. WILL COOPERATE - The
! United States may after all cooperate
to some extent with Great Britain in
the protection of citizens OF both
countries in China, and in regard to
the punishment of the perpetrators of
the recent outrages upon Christian
missionaries. When the proposition
for cooperation was first received
from Great Britain the disposition OF
the United States authorities was to
act independently of all other powers.
It is learned from au official of the
state department, however, that 1t is
extremely probable that the United
States will act jointly with Great
Britain as far as can be done without
in any way giving aid to any scheme
which the British government may
have for interfering with the au-
tonomy of the Chinese government
or increasing her influence in the
Orient.
ALL THE PREs1DENrs-There is now
an oil portrait OF every President of
the United States at the White House,
the last, that of ex-President Harrison
Just completed by Eastman Johnson,
having arrived. 1t was provided,
like the others, by Congress, which
appropriated 81, 800 last session
for the purchase, and Col. Wilson,
who had the disbursement of the
money, authorized Gen. Harrison to
choose the artist As has been stated
the portrait is entirely acceptable to
Gen. Harrison and his family.
To WATCH FOR FIL1BUsTERs-The
navy department has practically de-
cded to recall the cruiser Atlanta
from the duty OF watching for Cuban
tilibustering expeditions off the Flori-
da coast, and to substitute the cruiser
Cincinnati in her place. 1t has been
considered best, however, not to make
the change Mt present, because the
departure of the Cincinnati would
interfere with the forthcoming ma
noeuvres of the North Atlantic squad
ron.
RudyarI Kipling is going back TO
India In the fall and announces that no
will publish Il new book on Back
L., hnG