The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-11-06
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

-
Secretary Wilson's Annual Report to the
President-The Work and Projects OF
the Agricultural Department Summar-
ixed-Necessity for American Agents
Abroad.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29.-Secretary VIII
son has presented his report to the
president reviewing the operations OF
the department of agriculture for the
past year. The most important
mendation made by him is one that
agents for the department should be
stationed at each of the important
American embassies for the collection
of information of interest to American
farmers. Referring to this sub ject, he
says:
I'VE are e~ndeavoring to get informa-
ton from foreign countries with which
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 in
diligently be brought to this country
assist in the diversifcation of our crops
and add to their variety.
There is necessity for American
agents in every foreign country &c
which we send representatives who
lating to agriculture. The agricultural
colleges endowed by congress are edu.
eating along these lines"
The secretary recommends an in
crease in the appropriations in aid
of the bureau of animal industry, OF
the weather bureau and publication
offices. He thinks the department
should be enabled to place the results
of Important operations at agricultural
colleges before the entire country. $50
thai the farmers of each state may get
the result of the good work done in
other states"
He refers to the efforts of the depart
meut to extend the foreign markets for
American dairy and livestock products,
which he thinks can be done by max.
ing the foreigners familiar with them.
lie says the policy in the future will
be to encourage the introduction OF
such seeds as will enable our people tc
diversity their crops and keep money
at home that is now sent abroad to buy
what the United States should pro-
duce."
Mr.. Wilson says the department will
continue its pioneer work in the en-
enlargement of the sugar beet. and ex-
presses the opinion thai the country
will, within a few years, raise all the
sugar it requires. He expresses the
opinion that nearly all of the $685., O00,-
700 semi abroad last yeas 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 its own chicory,
castor beans. lavender, licorice. nus
tard, opium, etc. With reference to
horses, the secretary says:
The American farmer can grow
horses as cheaply as he can grow cat
tie. We have Il heavy and profitable
export trade in cattle, and may have an
export trade equally heavy in horses.
The department is gathering facts re-
garding our horse industries and the
requirements of purchasers abroad, SO
that our farmers a learn what for
eign buyers demand.
The most important work in which
the animal industry bureau has been
engaged is, he says, that looking to the
destruction of the cattle tick. for which
it is believed hat an agent has
been found in a petroleum product
known as paratine oil, in which
infected cattle are dipped. The ex.
tension of the meat inspection work to
abattoirs engaged in interstate bust
ness is recommended, as is the con
tinuance of the inspection of export
animals. in order to maintain the mar
ket which has been secured for them in
other countries.
The secretary criticises the present
system of crop reporting. He says it is
extremely cumbersome, and that in
stead of conducting to completeness and
accuracy, it would appear, from the re-
port of the statistician, to in some
measure defeat its own object by its
W unwieldiness, and by the fact that
the indefinite multiplication of crop re-
porters weakens the sense of individual
responsibility.
Il strongly favor the making OF some
pecuniary acknowledgment of the serv-
ice of "a carefully-selected corps of cor
respondents, selected mainly in the
principal agricultural states, and that
reliance be placed upon tie state sta
tistical agents for Information regard
ing the states of minor agricultural
Importance"
He recommends the employment of
a principal statistical agent in each
state.