Evening star., 1898-12-02
Report of Secretary Wilson of the
Agricultural Department.
OUTLINE OF TIE WORK DONE
The PracticabJity of Exporting
Dairy Products.
n ED IN THE SCHOOLS


made public. In it he adopts the plan of
| preiNing a summary calling attention in
brief paragraphs to some salient feature
! of the work of each bureau, division or Of
| flee of the department. follows:
Weather rbureau-ObservatiOn and forecast
| stations have been EXTENDED around the
| Caribbean sea. and increased through the
| interior of the country, especially in the
mountain states.
Division Of vegetable physiology and pa
| thology-Good work has been done by this
| division in hybridizing The orange and other
citrus plants, and in the crossing of pine
apples whereby the size and vigor of the
| fruit much increased and the flavor
| greatly improved.
| Section Of foreign marl;ets-Our Knowledge
of the islands Of the Caribbean and China
| seas is increased by the publications of this
| section. Our foreign trade in agricultural
! products is over two-thirdS of oNr domestic
| exports and is steadily growing while the
| production of field products introduced from
| foreign countries is rapidly increasing, caus-
| ing a corresponding decrease in agricultural
| imports.
| biological survcy-The survey is mapping
the natural life zones of the United States
and determining the areas best adapted to
| various crops.
| Farmers bullotinS-The department is un-
| able 10 furnish members of Congress as
| many farmers bulletins their constitu-
\
! sresSmen desire them, and the appropriation
| for this purpose should be enlarged.
Scientific cxplora Jion-Thc department has
| four scientific explorers abroad, getting
| seeds and plantS-0ne in Russia. one in the
| countries around the Mediterranean, one
| in the China seas and one in South America.
| foresuy-The treeless region is now get
! tlnS vigorous attention. Species adapted to
| dry regions ale being introduced. Mr..
| Pinchnt. the new chief. is planning To intro
| duce better methods Of handling forest lands
! in public and private ownership. the pri-
| Vatc owners paying the expenses of depart
| ment agents who give instruction. A mil
| lion acres in twenty states have been offered
| for experimentation and 1o0mU acres are
now under management. 4 study of fire
! prevention and fire fighting is being made.
| Soils and tobaccO-alany states are in
! ter"stel in the herCdity, favoring and fer
mcHtauon Of tobacco, and the department
! has these features under research. The di-
| vision of soils is getting facts in regard to
| irrigation for The benefit of farmers i'm the
| mountain states who are making their lands
sterile by using TOO much water.
| Postgraduate work-The divisions of the
| Department of Agriculture should be avail
| able 10 graduates Of agricultural colleges
Tor postgraduate study in special lines. thus
| securing the best facilities in the land for
| preparing teachers for the agricultural col
leges and economic scientists for department
| work.
| The grasses-The best pastures produce
! animals at least cost The division of argos
| toiogy studies grasses and the grass require
iitIItS VI lOcdlilleS- ne depart tntDt IL
! GeaForlng to find grasses and legumcs for
| worn-out lands in the east and south, and
binding grasses, TO arrest sand drift.
! Division of botany-This division is at
work 10 reduce our importatiOns of the lit
| tie things that have been costing us 81 u0o.-
out annually, such as chicory, ginseng. etc
| Economic chemistry.-We are not giving
proper attention to economic chemistry
! We pay foreign countries large sums for
! cOai-tar products. for example while we
| have skilled chemists. capital and raw
material at home. Attention to this by the
| iaWmaking power should find the remedy
| Crop statistics.-The division of statistics
| collects and publishes information regard
| ing the principal crops and the number of
! farm animals at home and abroad. so that
the isolated producer may get notice IF
quantities and demand as soon as the
dealers Strenuous enorts are being made
| to get the truth concerning production. and
| great care is taken to publish reg, Its for
general information only.
| Agriculture in Alaska.-A practical scieI.-
tiSt was sent to Alaska TO select sites fpr
experimental work-to test grains and
grasses, leeumes and vegetables and study
| the possibilities of future production. He
grew all OF these crops with great success.
Alaska will grow along the coast oats bar
| ley. flax. rye, grasses and vegetables of as
good quality as many of cur northern
states produce. The interior will be eN-
pored next summer, in order that its ca
paclty to support population may be
learned
| Road inquiry.-Good roads save time and
expense. steel rails are perhaps the COM
ing material where rock is not convenient
EXper III mt stations.-The eXoeIimant sta
tions are more effective than ever before
and are doing more original work. The
| feeding of mankind is being studied in con-
neCtion with state Institutions.
| Nature study in common schools-Nature
studies should be inr1'oduced into the COM
mon schools, so that the young farmers
! mind may be turned early to hre-wrrk
studies.
Animal industry.-The bureau of animal
industry has perfected dip that take; l',e
fever ticks from cattle, 50 that thev can le
moved noith at an. season Of she year.
The bureau has continued eXperimp9tarion
with antitoxin serum for the prev ention
and cure Of hog cholera.
Emergency appropriation.-The nature of
the work IN the department is such that
future requirements cannot all be antici-
pated specifically III an appropriation bill.
Urgent needs of producers call for expen-
ditures in special directions through some
of the scientific divisions; investigation of
animal or crop conditions: inquiry into con-
ditions in foreign countries where we sell
| or with whom We compete: exploration by
scientists of islands coming under control
| OF the United States and such like. call for
a special appropriation 10 be used ny the
Secretary of Agriculture. subject to the
laws regarding vouchers and auditing.
Inspection Of foreign goods.-There is an
evident necessity for the inspection of many
articles imported from foreign countries
that contain substances injurious 10 tie
public health. 1t may become necessary
where there is ground for suspicion and
open packages at the port Of en;ry as l. $
proposed in foreign countries to do With
our own exports in certain cases.
Butter shipmcntS.-The experimental ,x-
ports of butter to Great Britain have peen
continued. and decided gam is evident in
the favorable impression made by our first
quality butter upon the best class of the
butter trade in London and Manchester
The department lbrary.-The number Cf
| books added to the library during the wear
was nearly 5000, bringing the whole num-
Der of volumes close to 80 600. making CT e
of the largest collections of books on agri-
cultural topics in the world.
Experiment gardens. - Nearly 10000
young plants Were DISTRIBUTED to various
parts of the country. Among these were
olive, fig and camphor plants and cuttings.
Paris eXposition.-The Paris exposition Of
1900 affords an opportunity 10 extend to the
! people of Europe knowledge Of the extent
and variety of our agricultural resources.
This duty is imposed upon the Secretary by
special act of Congress, and preparations
to carry it out To the best of his ability are
already under way.
The SECRETARY follows this summary with
the presentation of some considerations re-
| lating to the general work of the depart
ment, which serve as the basis for special
recommendations and explain more fully
o