Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-11-02
TELLS OF HIS WORK.
Report of Secretary Of Agricul-
ture Wilson.
YEARS DOINCS In HIS DEPARTMENT.
Many Valuable Suggestions Are Madc
American Farmers Urged to
Raise Horses for Market
in Foreign Lands.

Washington. Oct 30.-Secretary Wilson
has presented his report to the president
reviewing the operations of the depart
ment of agriculture for the past year Inc
most important recommendation made by
him is one that agents for the department
should be stationed at each of our more
important American embassies for the col
lection of information of interest to Amor
lean farmers. Referring to this subject, ne
says: I'VE are endeavoring to get infor-
nation from foreign countries, with whom
We compete in the markets of the world,
regarding crops and prices. We are also
taking steps to ascertain what crops
are grown on different thermal lines, so
that seeds and plants may intelligently be
brought to this country to assist IN the
dlversiflcation of our crops and add to their
variety There is necessity for American
agents in every foreign country to which
we send representatives who have had edu-
cation in the sciences relating to agrl-
culture. The agricultural colleges endowed
by congress are educating along these
lines"
The secretary recommends an increase
in the appropriations in aid of bureau OF
animal Industry, of the weather bureau
and publication offices. He thinks the de-
partment should be enabled to place the
result of important operations at agri-
cultural colleges before the entire country,
j 80 that the farmers of each state may
| get the result Of the good work done In
other states"
1 Extension of Foreign Markets.
/ He refers to the efforts of the depart
| ment to extend the foreign markets for
our dairy and live stock products, which
he thinks can be done by making the for
4 eigners familiar with them. Instead Of
sending abroad for seeds, he says the pol
icy in the future will be "to encourage the
introduction of such seeds as will enable
our people to diversity their crops and
keep money at home that Is now sent
abroad to buy what the United States
should produce"
Might Have Been Kept Mt Home.
/ Mr.. Wilson says the department will
continue it's pioneer work in the encourage
ment of the sugar beet, and expresses the
opinion that the country will within FEW
years raise all the sugar 1t requires. He
expresses the opinion that nearly all of the
$685., 900, 900 sent abroad last year for sugar,
hides, fruits wines, animals, rice, flax
hemp, cheese, wheat, barley, beans, eggs
and silk might have been kept at home
He also thinks the United States should
grow their own chicory, castor beans, Law
ender. licorice, mustard, opium, etc.
The American Horse.
with reference to horses, the secretary
says: 1.-The American farmer can grow
horses as cheaply as he can grow cattle
we have a heavy and profitable expor
, trade in cattle, and may have an eXpor
trade equally heavy and profitable. II
horses. The department is gathering fact:
. regarding our horse industry at home, ant
the requirements Of purchasers abroad, 81
, that our farmers can learn what foreigt
buyers demand"
The most important work in which thu
animal industry bureau has been engaged
4 is. he says, that looking to the destruction
of the cattle tick, for which, 1t is believed
that an agent has been found in a pc
troleum product known paraffin oil. II
which infected cattle are dipped.
The extension of the meat inspection
3 work to abbatoirs engaged in interstat
, business is recommended as is the continu
ance Of the inspection of export animals, II
q order to maintain the markets which hay
. been secured for them in other countries
: The secretary criticises the present sys
\ tenn Of crop repeating. He says 1t is eX
tremely cumbersome, and that instead O
conducting to completeness and accuracy
: 1t would appear from the report of the sta
b tician to in some measure defeat it's ow
/. object, by its own unWieldiness and by tn
: fact that the indefinite multiplication Q
: crop reporters Weakens the sense of In
It dividual responsibility. He strongly ia
= vors the making of some pecuniary &C
:, Acknowledgement of the service of care
fully selected corps of correspondents, sc
u lected mainly in the principal agriculture
= states, and that reliance be placed upo
a the state statistical agents for informa
a ton regarding the states of minor agr
~ cultural Importance. He recommends TIL
n employment of principal statistical ager
d In each state,