The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-30
MIR, WILSON URGES IT'S COLLEC-
!rfON IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
BY AGENTS.
WORK OF HIS DEPARTMENT.
ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED TO
THE PRESIDENT BY THE
SECRETARY.
CROP REPORTS roo CUMBERSOME
New System Suggested That VIII
Be Less Elaborate and Much
More Reliable.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29.-Secretary
Wilson today presented his report to
the president, reviewing the operations
Of the department 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 I'M
portant embassies for the collection of
information of interest to American
farmers. Referring to this, subject, he
says: I'VE are endeavoring to get in
formation 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 intelligent1y be brought to this
country to assist in the diversiftcation
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
education in the sciences relating to
agriculture. The agricultural colleges
endowed by congress are educating
along these lines"
The secretary recommends an in
crease in the appropriations in aid of
a bureau of animal industry, of the
weather bureau and publication Of
fees. He thinks the department should
be enabled to place the result of i'm
portant operations at agricultural col
legeS before the entire country, so
that the farmers 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 for
eign markets for our dairy and live
stock products, which he thinks can
be done by making the foreigners
familiar with them. Instead of send
ing abroad for seeds, he says the pol
icy in the future will be ''to encour
age 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.
Mr.. Wilson says the department will
continue its pioneer work in the en-
coura cement of the sugar beet and eX-
presses the opinion that the country
will within a few years raise all the
sugar it requires He expresses the
opinion that nearly all of the 1882, ,000,-
600 sent abroad last year for sugar,
hides, fruits, wines, animals, rice, fax,
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, licorice, mus
tard, opium, etc.
With reference to horses, the secre-
tary says: THE American farmer can
grow horses as cheaply as he can grow
cattleS. we have a heavy and profitable.
export trade in cattle and may have
an export trade equally heavy and
profitable in horses. The department
is gathering facts regarding our horse
industry at home, and the require
ments 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 of the cattle tick, for
which, it is believed, that an agent has
been found in a petroleum product
known as paraffin oil, in which infected
cattle are dipped.
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 report of the statisticisn to in
some measure defeat it's own object, by
its own unwieldiness and by the fact
that the indefinite multiplication of
crop reporters weakens the sense of
individual responsibility. II strongly
favor the making of some pecuniary
acknowledgment of the service of a
carefully selected corps of correspon-
dents, selected mainly in the principal
agricultural states, and that reliance
be placed upon the state statistical
agents for information regarding the
states of minor agricultural import
ance." He recommends the employ
ment of a principal statistical agent in
each state.