The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-11-17
AGRICULTURAL REPORT.
Secretary Wilson Submits the Annual
Review of His Work.
SOME STRIKING SUGGESTIONS.

He Recommends Placing Agents Of the
Department at American Embassies
Says s3s2 100000 Sent Abroad For
Sugar. Hides and Some Other Commo.
dlties Might Have Been Kept at Home.
WASHINGTON, D. G. (speciaD Secretary
Wilson presented his report to the Pres
ldent, reviewing the operations Of the De.
partment Of Agriculture for the past year.
The most important recommendation made
by him Is one that agents for the depart.
ment should be stationed at each Of our
important American embassies for the col.
lection Of information Of interest to our
American farmers. Referring to this SUBJ
iect, he says: "We are endeavoring to get
information from foreign countries with
which we compete in the markets Of the
world regarding crops and price. We are
also taking steps to ascertain what crops
are grown on different thermal lines, so
that seeds and plants may intelligently be
brought to this country to assist In the d.
versif1cation Of our crops and add to their
variety. E,... .... .
"There Is necessity for American agents
In every foreign country to which we send
reports 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 increase
In the appropriations In aid Of the Bureau
Of Animal Industry, Of the Weather Bu-
reau, and the publication offices. He
thinks the department should be enabled
to place the results of important opera
tions at agricultural colleges before the
entire country, 50 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 foreign markets for our
dairy and live stock products, which, he
ers familiar with them. Instead Of send
ing abroad for seeds, he says the policy In
the future will be "to encourage the intro.
duction 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 pro.
duce." -.
Mr.. Wilson says the department will con.
tinue its pioneer work In the encourage
ment Of the sugar beet, and expresses the
opinion that the country will within few
years IulSo Ill luo sukaI ~ Ioquuos. no GA
presses the opinion that nearly all OF the
1882, 900 900 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 It's own chicory, castor beans, laven.
der, licorice, 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. The department Is gathering facts
regarding our horse industry at home and
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, 1t is believed,
an agent has been found In a petroleum
product known as paraff1no oil, In which
infected cattle are dipped. -.
The extension Of the meat inspection
work to abattoirs engaged in Interstate
business is recommended, as Is the conttn-
uance of the inspection OF export animals
In order to maintain the market which has
Deem S6CuI6u IOI Gu6u LII OluoE COQutIlcSs
The Secretary criticises the present sys.
tenn Of crop reporting. Hesays It Is extreme.
ly cumbersome, and that instead OF con.
ducing to the completeness and accuracy
1t would appear from the report OF the sta.
tistician to In some measure defeat its own
object by its unwieldiness and by the fact
that the indefinite multiplication Of crop
reporters weakens the sense OF individual
responsibility. He strongly favors the
making Of some slight pecuniary acknowl:
edgment of the service Of careful, selected
corps of correspondents located mainly IN
the principal agricultural States, and that
reliance be placed upon the State statistical
agents for information regarding the States
OF minor agricultural Importance. he re-.
commends the employment Of principal
statistical agent In each State.