Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-11-25
WILSON'S REPORT FILED.
Secretary of Agriculture Reviews the
Work of His Department..

Secretary of Agriculture Reviews the
Work of His Department..
Washington, Nov. 1.-THE report Of
the secretary of agriculture, James
Wilson, for the year 1897 has been filed.
Following is brief synopsis:
Seven tons of imported sugar beet seeds
were distributed last spring in q states,
among $4,000 farmers, through the expert
ment stations Of those states, to ascertain
where the sweetest beets can be produced.
Samples are now being analysed at the
experiment stations. and where they are
not prepared to do the work the beets
are forwarded to the laboratory Of the
department at Washington. There is album
dant encouragement to lead US to conclude
that our country will within a few years
produce what sugar 1t requires.
The appropriation at the disposal Of the
bureau has not been sufficient to enable
II to Inspect all the animals slaughtered
in the United States designed for inter-
state and foreign commerce. The force
engaged in the work has been enlarged
from time to time, and the number Of ami
mails inspected has increased each year.
During the past year all the beef exported
to Europe and a great part of the pork
and other meat products have been in
spected in accordance with the law, but
the bureau has found 1t impossible to in
spect the large amount of meat slaughtered
for interstate trade. The force now used
in the inspection Is competent and efficient,
and it should be extended sufficiently to
meet the intent of the law looking to the
inspection of all the meat entering into
interstate and foreign trade.
The extension of the scope Of the weather
bureau and its increase in usefulness are
well known to the American people, In
1888 weather maps were not issued except
at the central office In Washington Dur
Ing the last fiscal year 4,3l5.000 maps were
issued al 81 stations outside of Washington,
and there has been an increase Of csc, 900
copies within the last two years to meet
the constantly increasing demands of the
public. In 1883 forecasts and warnings were
sent to 1904 places by mail, no other method
of distribution, except through the daily
press and the railroad train service be-
ing then in use. During the last fiscal year
daily forecasts and warnings were sent to
1894 places by mail, telegraph and tele-
phone, and there has been an increase in
the number Of places receiving forecasts
in the last two years Of nearly 10000.
Recent events have greatly augmented
the importance Of active measures to de-
velop the agriculture of Alaska. The in
formation recently received from Unofficial
sources, as well as that previously gathered
by officers Of the government, seems 20
make 1t clear that it will be practicable
to develop the agriculture of that region
so that 1t may furnish food supplies and
lation.
The development Of agriculture in this
region, as elsewhere, can undoubtedly be
greatly promoted by experimental inquiries
conducted systematically under the SUPER
vision of expert officers / would, there
fore, urge that the appropriation for in
vestigating the agricultural resources and
capabilities of Alaska be continued and
that provision be made for carrying on
experiments in that region in case the Of
fetal inquiries now in progress there seem
to make this desirable.
Many of the colleges of agriculture and
mechanic arts, together with scientific,
technical and industrial schools, now main
tain department of domestic science.
Cooking and sewing are quite commonly
taught in the public schools, and cooking
schools for women have been organized in
numerous places. While useful instruc-
ton in these lines Is impaired it is general
ly recognized that much remains to be
done before the teaching Of domestic sci
ence can assume its most effective form.
An investigation of the disposition which
Is made of street sweepings and other
refuse Of cities has been undertaken by
this division and will be prosecuted Wig
orously during the coming year. The d.
vision has placed itself in communication
with all the cities of the United States
having a population of 10000 and over. 1t
has also perfected arrangements for OBJ
tanning information in regard to DISPOSE
tion of street sweepings and sewage in the
largest cities of Europe. The Importance
of this work Is twofold-first, from a hy-
gienic and economical point Of view, in
regard to the best method of disposing Of
this refuse, and. second, in regard to the
value of these materials for fertilizng pur-