The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-06-28


Of bacon and hams against sc. 217 900
in May, 1897; of lard, 6s, 662, 900 pounds
against 40, 800, 900, and of total hog
products 15S, 80, 900 pounds in May,
1898, against 100, 764. 600 pounds In May
of the preceding year. Exports Of beef
products have not been quite as heavy
as in May of last year, but the sum
total of exports of provisions for May,
1895, amounts to 80. 764. 600 pounds
against 1876, 597, 600 pounds for May,
1892.
GOOD CROPS REPORTED.
Assistant Secretary Brigham, Of the
Department of Agriculture, has re
Gently returned from a trip to Omaha,
where lie participated in the opening
of the Trans Mississippi Exposition. He
reports a fine condition of crops and
smiling prospects all along the line OF
his observation. 'In Ohio, it is GER
tainly going to be a farmers year"
he remarked. ''The farmers are in
excellent spirits and the State is boom
ing. In Iowa the rains have been a
little too heavy for the best growth Of
corn, but take it as a whole, the coun
try is looking remarkably prosperous. "
Mr.. Brigham says his department is
making some experiments in regard to
the bacon hog, which, when completed,
will be of considerable interest, and, it
is hoped, benefit to the hog grower. He
rather doubts, however, whether the
bacon hog will ever become a great
factor in American hog raising, unless
the foreign demand should force that
branch of the industry to the front.
VALUE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE TO
THE FARMER.
At the recent commencement exer-
cises of the Maryland Agricultural
College, Secretary Of Agriculture viii,
son delivered an address on the value
Of scientific education. Mr.. Wilson
said in part:
"TheS State Of Maryland can well at
ford tosustaine college for keeping the
farmers boy for the sole purpose her
soil in a fertile condition, and she can
afford to maintain a college for the
purpose of enabling sons Of the soil to
increase their earning capacity. The
uneducated man earns on the farm
from SO to $50 q month; the educated
man earns easily from $50 to $1OO.
The native horse without blood or de.
velopment, in some Of our Northwest
ern States is valued at $40 a head; a
well bred, we'll developed horse is
worth from 800 to 81, 900. The native
COW, in some of our newer States yields
81 so worth Of products in a year; the
improved 20 in the hands of q skilled
dairYman yields &75 Of products in the
same time.
Corn, In Iowa, some years, is worth
ten cents a bushei where it is the one
crop of the farm, but the skilled feeder
makes iE worth forty cents. The com.
mon pine apple weighs from three to
four pounds and sells for from ten to
twenty cents; the scientist hybridizes
the same pine and makes it weigh
from eight to twelve pounds, worth
20 cents or 81, besides improving its
favor, Tho young mans labor when
he comes to college, ia worth no more
than that Of the uneducated farm
hand; but If he studies the science re
lating to some mi industry, his labor
is in demand everywhere His earn.
ing capacity was equal to one laborer
when he entered; 1t is equal to half a
dozen after he has graduated.
81 believe in a government post
graduate course" continued Secretary
Wilson. 1.-THE graduates of the agri.
cultural colleges of the several States,
who have laid the foundation Of a
scientific education should be invited
by Congress to go Washington to pur.
sure their studies in special lines and
obtain facilities and dire ctions from
the chiefs Of divisions without expense
to the student. They should have &C
cess to the departmental and congress.
sional libraries, the laboratories of the
department. and the Smithsonian In
stitutIon. The university that George
Washington had In mind in the CAPT.
tai City is now in Washington. II
lacks only the students. I shall in my
next report TO the Pre- sident and Con
gress ask that this authority Le given
to the Secretary of Agriculture. No
additiodal appropriation would be
necessary until large numbers of stu.
dents require lecture rooms, which
would then be promptly furnished by
Congress. l have strong faith in our
great hearted President and our far
seeing Legislators. that they will favor