Evening star., 1898-12-02

can be prohtabiy seni TO both France and
| Germany. The American farmer y now
| selling cheap grains and mill feeds 10 the
! European dairymen, who meet us in Euro
\ pean markets with products made from raw
| material furnished by US But there is
| reason TO believe that there is a growing
| tendency toward the consumption II grains
ana mill feeds al home and exporting the
| products of skill and intelligence. The
| trade IN American farm products is gEnwing
! IN the China seas. and. In order that mar
| kcts may he opened up I'm Japan china
| ana other countries Of the Pacific ocean.
| an agent Is now in that region estahlishin
| agencies, to which the department will
| make trial shipments and gather all infor-
| nation possible Tor the American producer.
Inspection of Dairy Products for Ex-
| pert.
| The Secretary recommends the extension
| and adoption OF the provisions of tho law
regarding the inspection and ccrtiacatiou
of meats and meat products for export. 50
as TO make them apply TO butter and
cheese The brands OF pure butter and
| 'full-cream cheese should then he affixed
by United States inspectors 10 such prod
| t'cts rs come up TO the required standard
OF quality. This would place the good but
ter and cheese of this country Ia foreign
| markets under the identifying label and
guaranty of the United States government.
| The dairy products OF Denmark and Cam
| ada, which are the chief competitors Of the
nited States in the markets of Great Brit
/ ain. bear the inspection certificate and guar
anty OF quality from their respective gov
| emments.
| Nature Feacbing i'm Common schools.
| The Secretary enlarges upon the need OF
| nature teaching in the common schools.
| He says that there is growing interest i'm
| education that relates TO production. and
all classes Of intelligent people favor il.
| More knowledge by the farmer Of what he
! deals with every day would ennhl" him 20
| tone
| acre, and contribute more to the general
| welfare.
| With the exception OF the very few per
! sons who have found their way into our
agricultural colleges. the education OF our
| people has not been designed to prepare
| them for producing from the soil. Nothing
Is being done in most CT the comm n schools
| of the states to cultivate a taste and lead
| the mind to inquire into and store lIp facts
regarding nature, SO that the young farm
! er may be directed into the path thar leads
| TO education concerning his future life
work. The teacher should be educated for
| this work.
Nature Teaching Under State Auspices
The College of Agriculture Of Cornell
| University has special state approprla-
| ton OF SD, 600 per auuum TO aid IN the III
| PRODUCTION of nature teaching into the conn
| mon schools and i'm carrying on simple
agricultural experiments I'm different parts
! Of the state. Experts I'm the different
| sciences have been employed To prepare
| brief leaflets containing lessons different
! subjects for the use of the teachers in the
common schools. and these leaflets are dis
| tr:buted to the teachers throughout The
| state. Many OF these leaflets relate 70
agricultural subjects. The professors and
| other agents of the university from time
| to time attend meetings of teachers and
| explain the scope Of this work and show
| the teachers how 10 carry out simple in
| struction on nature topics.
nj,
| deriaken a similar work and IN a number
| OF other states nature teaching has been
introduced into the common schools, but
! chiefly In the larger towns and cities where
| there were teachers who had had some
| training in natural science.
The greatest difficulties In the matter are
| 10 overcome the conservatism Of the local
| boards managing country schools aaJ 10
| get competent teachers.
The Department as nm Aid In poxt
Graduate Work
Regarding the facilities Of the department
| for postgraduate instruction the Secretary
| says there is no university i'm the land
| where the young farmer may pursue post
| graduate studies in all the sciences relating
| TO production, but that the scientific iiyi-
| sions of the Department Of Agriculture can
| TO some extent provide postgraduate Ia
clities.
The chiefs of divisions are YER, proa,isn.
IN their lines, the apparatus the best OBJ
| tainable. the libraries the most compete OF
any IN the country and the studies of a f.v
bright people could bc directed in each aI,t-
sion, so that when the department REQUIRES
! he!p, as 1t often does, the services of These
young scientists would be available
These students should be graduates Of ar-
iicultural colleges and should come To tha
department through an examination that
would bring the best young men The ca
pacity OF the department is limited: hut as
SlstantS are often tcmpted to accept high
er salaries in state institutions and the
opening of the laboratories to post-era,luate
work would provide an eligible list 10 MI
vacancies as they occur, supply tempo 'ary
agents. and be a source from which state
institutions might get assistants in scion-
lifc lines.
Agriculture i'm Our InsuIar Depend
encies.
The Secretary calls attention to the neces-
sity of his department undertaking an ln-
yestigation of the agricultural conditions
of the insuiar d,nrndencies of tn, United
States, emphasizing the fact that the de-
partment should soon as possible pLt
| itself in position 10 extend To the pro-
ducers Of these new regions, largely depcn-
dent for their prosperity upon aerfcultl-a
the benefits which it now admittedly com
fers upon our own farmers. He also adj
Vises the careful study of the insect pests
and plant diseases in these islands with a
view not only of discovering preVentivcs or
remedies, but of guarding against their in
PRODUCTION into the United States.
The report then proceeds to revi w at
length the operations of the several bu-
rcaus, divisions and offices which carry on
the work of the department, reports Of
some of which have already been ma le
public.
In conclusion Secretary Wilson expresses
the opinion that a review of this work fCr
the past year shows il to have been cne Of
satisfactory growth and development and
he refers to the many manifestations of a
widespread interest in the work and 20 the
constantly growing demand upon his de-
partment for irCorma ton conce-nllg the
greatest variety Of agricultural ursEierns
and which. the farmer can obtain through
no other agency.
1t pays 10 read he want columns Of The
Star. Hundreds Of situations are filled
through them.