The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-01-20
Our Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON, D. C.. JAN. l., 1898. At
this beginning OF the new year, it is not
unseemly to look back and note some
OF the things which the Department Of
Agriculture has done since President Nc
Kinley' inauguration in March last.
Secretary Wilson came into the office and
found thai the Department had been
practically standing still during the past
four wears. if not indeed actually ret
regarding in many respects. Secretary
Morton had been Jealous in attempting to
suppress the free distribution of seeds
provided for by Congress, ana had develop
ed mania for turning back money into
the Treasury. Although he reduced eA-
penses in various ways by simply stop
ping work which had been going on he
continued each year to make his full
estimates to Congress, so that at the end
of the year he would have large balance
OF unused funds to turn into the Treasury.
But the farmers of the country knew
nothing of his works, other than to see
him roasted in the grange and agricultural
papers. I'll the present Secretary the
case is markedly different.
Long in advance of the enactment of
the Dingley tariff law fixing the duty on
sugar, the new Secretary began investigat-
! ing the beet-sugar proposition and i'm
mediately commenced operations looking
to the trial by the farmers in every part
! of the country of sugar beet seeds, with
view to having the beets tested in the
fall and determining what sections could
raise beets profitably from the sugar
! standpoint. One hundred million dallars
the Secretary said, was annually sent
abroad for sugar and there was no reason
why the farmers of the United States
should not raise that sugar themselves.
Events appear to be amply justifying the
| Secretary's predictions. The tests of
beets from all over the country show that
we have soil and climate which will grow
superior beets to any raised in the old
world, whence we import our sugar, and
enough of such soil to not only produce
our own sugar but to supply half the rest
of the world. The result of the tests are
that beet sugar factories representing
millions of dollars of capital are going
up in various sections and next year will
see practically new and very considerable
I
The Secretary Immediately put under
way efforts to secure new and valuable
seeds. especially those of a nitrogen pro-
ducing character, which would produce
fine quality of lean meat for our export
trade rather than the fats which had pre-
viously been called for by foreigners.
New seeds when received by the Depart
ment are Immediately sent out to the gov
ernmental experiment stations in the diff
ferent States, and the sections where they
will best thrive are thus determined be-
fore any general use is recommended. In
this the government has great advan-
tage over any individual for the testing of
seeds, as it can from central point di
rect experimentation including the vari-
Gus thermal lines throughout the entire
country.
Another undertaking which the Secre-
tary was quick to commence was the
opening and widening of foreign markets
for our meats and our dairy products.
Various inquiries were made by our spec
ial agents in England and elsewhere as to
the kind of butter desired and the style of
package and the size, and arrangements
were made with steamship and refrigera
tor companies to carry samples of the best
products of our diaries, the result being
that considerable and constantly grow
ing foreign market has been developed
for our butter and cheese.
The Secretary has also directed investi-
cations as to the expectation of fine bred
, horses and cattle. He finds ready market
in Europe, the only difficulty being that
our people have not heretofore seemed to
know what was required by the Europeans.
They have sent over poor class of horses
from many sections and gotten poor re-
turns and thus in many cases become dis
couraged, whereas the European army
officers want high bred, mettlesome horses
and, if suited, are willing to pay high
prices for them. The Secretary says no
country in the world can compete with us
in the breeding and raising of this fine
stock. We have the pasture and the
grain for the breeding of fine and fancy
horses and cattle, the two requisites to
the highest success in this line. The same
thing is true of sheep and hogs.
Secretary Wilson is great believer in