The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-09-08
THIN WESTERN FARMERS
Secretary Wilson Found Them in
Especially Good Spirits.
RESTORATION OF CONFIDENCE.

The Head of the Agricultural Depart
ment Declares That the Country Is
Justified in Its Anticipation of Bet
ter TImes-Predicts Higher Wheat.
Washington, Sept. 8.-secretary Will
son was at his desk in the agricultural
department yesterday for the first time
for a month, having just returned from
his tour of the Mississippi states.
He went as far west as Montana and
| Utah, giving special attention to the
/ agricultural interests of the states Wis
tied, with particular reference to irri-
| cation, horse raising and sugar beet
growing.
Il found the farmers in especially
| good spirits wherever l went" he said
to a press representative. There is
no doubt that confidence is restored
and that the country is justified in it's
| anticipations of better times The peo-
pie are all busy in the west Indeed,
[ do uot believe there is an idle man
west of the Mississippi who wants
work"
Mr.. Wilson predicted q still further
advance in the price of wheat, due to
the fact that there is not only a short
crop abroad, but also because of the
fact that, according to his observation,
the crop will not be so extensive in this
country as has generally been antici-
pated.
with the improvement of the times,
he said, the average American Is go
ing to have all the flour his family can
consume, even though he may have to
pay a little more for it. ! believe that
even without the shortage in the for
| eign crops the conditions in this coun-
| try would have forced wheat to a dol
| lar a bushel. But the improved con-
dition of the farmer is due not alone to
the enhanced price in wheat, but there
has been corresponding Improvement
in all farm products"
Mr. Wilson said he found the people
Of the semi-arid region disposed to
think that the government should ap-
propriate money for the building of
storage reservoirs. "I told them" he
said that I could not recommend that
system, but that I felt sure that with
the vast increase in the value of arid
land produced by the addition of water
capital would certainly be attracted to
such enterprises. When we consider
that the addition of water to those
and their planting in fruit trees, as at
Grand Junction, Colo, worth $1,000 an
acre, capital will certainly in the end
take hold. I also told them that a
change of their sentiments on the cur
rency question, on the l6~to l idea,
might be conducive to prosperity, as
such a change would no doubt have a
tendency to influence eastern capital
Secretary Wilson said that the re-
cent decline in the price of silver was
| closing many mines which were de-
pendent entirely on silver, and would
inevitably work hardship in individual
cases. But" he said, "the miners who
are losing their places are generally
getting employment in mines where
other minerals are produced"
Mr. Wilson said that he advised the
western farmers to feed their horses in
the winter months, as by so doing they
| could so increase the weight of the an
imals as to make a demand for them
in the European markets for army and
draft purposes. He found the farmers
in the irrigated regions generally dis
posed to experiment with the sugar
beet, and made the prediction that ~
! new beet sugar factories would be
built next year.
w. p. Atwell, commercial agent Of the
United States at Robaix, France, sends
to the state department a report or
the short crop in France. He says the
crop of France, and in fact in all
Europe, has fallen much below the
average. and that it is estimated that
the United States and Canada will be
called upon to export from l2OOOO,OOO tc
100, 100000 bushels more than they ex-
ported to Europe last year. France vii
require about 6O,OOOOOO to meet the de-
|. nciency in that country.
Consul Heenan, at odessa, Russia
hcs made quite an extensive report tC
the state department concerning the
failure Of the crops in Russia. The re-
port predicts that little wheat Will b'
J exported from Russia during the sea
son of 1878, as there is little available
for that purpose, the old stocks being
D practically exhausted and the new
2 crop little more than sufficient for homt
, demand The failure of the wheat crol
in Austro- Hungary, Roumania an'
2 Bulgaria Consul Heenan continues
S has brought buyers from those coun
r tries into Russia, and wheat whicl
! would ordinarily leave Odessa b!
steamers is destined TO go by rail from
the interior into the countries named.