The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-30
FARMER WILSON'S WORK
A YEARS OPERATIONS OF THE AG-
RICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
What the Secretary Has Done to Adj
vance the Interests of TiIiers of
the Soil and Stock Raisers.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29.-Secretary Will
son to-day presented his report to the Presi-
dent reviewing the operations of the Depart
ment of Agriculture for the past year The
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 Ameri-
can farmers. Referring to this subject he
says: 1--WE are endeavoring to get informa-
ton from foreign countries with which we
compete in the markets of the world. re-
garding crops and prices. We are also TAX
ing steps to ascertain what crops are grown
on different thermal lines so that seeds and
plants may inteligently be brought to this
country to assist in the Investigation of
our crops and add to their variety. There
is necessity for American agents in every
foreign country to which we send repre-
sentatives, who have had education in the
sciences relating to agriculture. The agri-
cultural colleges endowed by Congress are
educating along these lines"
The secretary recommends an increase In
the appropriations in aid of the bureau of
animal industry, of the weather bureau
and the publican officers. He thinks the de-
result OF operations in agricultural colleges
before the entire country $50 that the farm
ers of each State may get the result of the
good work done in other States.
He refers to the efforts of the department
to extend the foreign markets for our
dairy and live stock products, which ne
thinks can be done by making the foreign
erS familiar with them. Instead of sending
abroad for seeds he says the policy in the
future VIII be to encourage the introduce
ton 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.
ffara 1aTAc .ssFatr rvsII
tnue its pioneer work in the encouragement
of the sugar beet and expresses the opinion
that the country will within a few years
raise all the sugar 1t requires. He expresses
the opinion that nearly all of the $685., 900 0OJ
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. lavender, lico-
rice, mustard, opium, etc.
With reference to horses the secretary
says: The American farmer can grow
horses as cheaply as he can grow cattle
We have heavy and profitable export
trade in cattle and may have an export
trade equally heavy and profitable in horses
Ihe department is gathering facts regard
ing our horse industry at home and the
requirements of purchasers abroad, so that
our farmers can learn what foreign buyers
demand"
The most important work in which the
animal industry bureau has been engaged
is, he says, that looking to the destruction
that an agent has been found in a petroe-
UNI product known as paraffin OIL in which
infected cattle are dipped.
The extension of the meat inspection to
abattoirs engaged in interstate business is
recommended as is the continuance of the
inspection of export animals in ORDER to
maintain the market which has been Sc
cured for them in other countries.
The secretary criticises the present sys-
tenn of crop reporting. He says it is ex-
tremely cumbersome and that instead of
conducting to completeness and accuracy,
lit would appear from the report of the
statistician to in some measure defeat its
own object by it's uhwieldiness and by the
fact that the indefinite multiplication of
crop reporters weakens the sense of indi-
vidua responsibility. l strongly favor the
making of some slight pecuniary acknowl-
edgement of the service of a carefully Sc
lected corps of correspondents located MAIN
~ in the principal agricultural States and
that reliance be placed upon the state sta
tistical agents for information regarding
the States Of minor agricultural import
ance." He recommends the employment of
a principal statistical agent in each State