Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-11
SECRETARY WILSON'S WORK.
A Years Operations OF the Axrx
cultural Department.

n Iear's Operations OF the AXwk-
cultural Department..
Secretary Wilson has presented his re-
port TO the President reviewing the opera
tions 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 sta
toned at each of our more important
American embassies for the collection OF
information OF interest 10 American farm
ers. Referring to this subject, he sayi:
I'VE are endeavoring to get information
from foreign countries with which wc
compete in the markets Of the world, re-
garding crops and prices. We are also
taking steps TO ascertain what crops are
grown on different thermal lines so that
seeds and pants may intelligentIy be
brought to this country to assist i'm the
diversihcation of our crops and add To
their variety. There is necessity for
American agents in every foreign coun-
try TO which we send representa- tives, who
have had education in the sciences relat-
ing TO agriculture. The agricultural col
lcges endowed by Congress are educating
along these lines
The Secretary refers TO the efforts Of
the department to extend the foreign mar
kets for our dairy and live stock products,
which he thinks can be done by making
the foreigners familiar with them In
stead of sending abroad for seeds he says
the policy in the future viii be Ito en-
courage the introduction or such seeds
as will enable our people to diversity
their crops and keep money at horne that
is now sent abroad to buy what the Unit
ed States should produce"
Mr.. Wilson says the department will
continue its pioneer work ia the encour-
agement of the sugar beet and expresses
the opinion that the country viii within
few years raise all the sugar il requires.
He expresses the opinion that nearly all
of the $3.50, 600, 900 sent abroad last year
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 their own chicory, cas-
tor beans, lavender, 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 in gathering
facts regarding our horse industry at
home and the requirements OF purchasers
abroad, so that our farmers can learn
what foreign buyers demand"
The most important work i'm which the
animal industry bureau has been engaged
is, he says. that looking to the destruction
Of the cattle tick, for which, IL is believed,
that an agent has been found i'm petrole-
um product known rs paraffin oil, in which
infected cattle are dipped
The extension of the meat inspection TO
abottoirs engaged in interstate business
is recommended, as is the continuance of
the inspection of export animals in order
to maintain the market which has been
secured for them in other countries.
The Secretary criticises the present sys-
TEN of crop reporting. He says it is ex-
G-emely cumbersome. lie recommends the
employment of a principal statisticalagent
in each State.