Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-08
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
Its Practical Usefulness Greatly En-
hanced-ExpOrts IncreasinE-
Free Seeds Objected To.

The department Of agriculture IS 50 in
tImately related to the welfare Of our peo-
PIE and the prosperity OF our nation that
Il should constantly receive the care and
announcement OF the government. From
small beginning it has grown to be the
r,e4rter Of agricultural intelligence and the
source OF aid ana encouragement TO agri-
cultural efforts. Large sums OF money are
annually appropriated for the maintenance
of this department, and 1t must be con-
fezssI that tho legislation relating to 1t
has no, always been directly In the interest
% practical farming or properly guarded
against waste and eEtravagauce. So far,
however rs public money has been apprO-
priated fairly and sensibly TO help those
who actually till the soil. no expenditure
h1s been more profHtably made or more
generally approved by tho people.
rGer the present management of the
department its usefulness has been en-
HANGED in every direction and at the same
time strict economy has been enforced TO
the utmost extent permitted by congress
sional action.
From the report Of the secretary II ap-
pears that through careful and prudent
fiuarc!al management he has annually
saved a large sum from his appropriations
apgreEatlnE during his incumbency and up
so the close OF the present fiscal year near
~ one-ffth OF the entire amount appropri-
ated. These results have been accom-
piished by a conscientious study OF the
real needs Of the farmer and such regard
Tor economy as the genuine farmer ought
% appreciate, supplemented by rigid ad-
hereuce 70 civil service methods in a de-
partment which should be conducted in the
interests Of agriculture Instead OF partisan
politics.
The secr~tRry reports that the value OF
last fsss3 ye3r amounted to S510. 90 OOl-sn
increase Of $1,000 over those Of the year
Immediately pre,seiiTlg. This statement Is
not tllo less welcome because Of the fact
that notwithstanding such increase, the
proportion o. exported agricultural product
20 our toJa1 exports Of all descriptions fell
of ssIriHG the year The benefits OF an
fTpyreasc IN agricultural exports being as
rsrIUei. the de e3Te--5s IN IS proportion 10 our
total exports Is more gratifying when We
consider Ehs fact that such total exports
for tho year Increased more than SO 90 1stn
The large and Increasing exPorratIon OF
our agr.CsIlttIraI produrts suggests the
great lIssEulness o. the organization lately
established in tho department for the pur-
pose Of getting 10 those engaged in farm
sng pursuits reliable information concern
srr t2le oo1ditzsu. needs and advantages
OF different foreign markets Inasmuoh ss
tre sIccess Of the farmer depends upon the
advantageous sale OF hts products and in
R,zfugerh as foreign markets must largely
be the destination of such proITlsts il il
ouIte apparent that a knowledge og the
conditions and wants that affect these mar
ksts ought to result iu sowing more intel
T-eutly and rear1nZ with "A better promise
q profit. ssEB-h Information points out the
way 10 a ur7IGeut foresight in the selection
and cultivation Of crops ana 10 a release
5 from the bondage Of uureasoD.nE 9uouotany
o. gT04Uct!on Elglted and depTessed mar