Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-12-08
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson Re-
ports on His Department.
SERUM TO PREVENT HOG CHOLERA.
Texas Fever Dipping stations to b. Estab.
lisheh At Convenient POints-Efforts
Making to Perfect crop sta
ttstics-FOrest Lands.

lations in foreign fields. He also dis
cusses the agricultural resources il
our island acquisitions. On the prac
ticability of exporting dairy produc
the secretary says that, owing to &
better home demand. it is not com
mercially profitable to send butter tt
Europe just now, as the home demand
at present absorbs the supply. The
secretary recommends the extension
and adoption of the provisions OF
the law regarding the inspection
and certifcation OF meats and
meat products for export, so as
to make them apply to butter
and cheese. The brands, pure but
ter and full cream cheese" should
then be affixed by the United States
inspectors to such products as come up
to the required standard Of quality.
This would place the good butter and
cheese of this country on foreign mar.
kets under the identifying label and
guaranty Of the United States govern.
ment. The experimental exports OF
butter by the agricultural department
to Great Britain were resumed at the
opening OF the season of 1898 on an
enlarged scale, and Secretary Wilson
says decided gain is evident in the
favorable impression made by butter
Of the first quality from the United
States creameries on the better class
of butter trade in London and Man.
chester
Nothing is being done in most OF the
common schools Of the states the sec
rotary says, to cultivate taste and
lead the mind to inquire into and store
no facts regarding nature, so that the
young farmer may be directed into the
path that leads to education concern
ing his future lifework. This scien-
tific educational subject is exhaust
lively discussed, and while there is no
university where young farmers may
pursue postgraduate studies in all the
sciences relating to production, the
scientific divisions Of the department
Of agriculture, it is urged, to some ex-
tent can provide postgraduate facili-
ties.
The distribution of young plants to
various parts OF the country reached a
total for the year Of 10000, including
bulbs. This experimental garden
work is expected to reap material gen
eral benefit.
The report announces that the
bureau of animal industry has per
fected a dip which takes the lever
ticks from cattle, so that they c*n be
moved north at any season, that IL has
continued experiments with anti-toxin
serum to prevent and cure hog chol era,
and it Is recommended that this dis
covery, having been made by public
officials at pu bile expense, should not
be diverted to private cost, and that
the serum manufacture should be con-
tinued under government control at
least for some wears to come. The
Texas fever dipping stations will be
established at convenient points before
the next quarantine season. The re-
suits from the blacllleg vaccine indi-
cate the percentage of loss in herds
has been reduced from ten to 30 per
cent to less than one per cent. This
indicates that If generally used it will
tend to eradicate the disease com
pletely. Detailed figures as to micro
scopic inspection of meat are sub
mitted,
Quick and timely information has
been gained OF foreign markets, under
the direction of Chief Hitchcock, and
our knowledge of the islands of the
Caribbean and China seas largely in
creased. Our foreign trade in agricul-
tural products is shown to be over
two-thirds Of our domestic exports and
is steadily growing, while the produc.
ton of field products introduced from
foreign countries is rapidly increasing,
causing a corresponding decrease in
agricultural imports Good work has
been done in hybridizing the orange
and other citrus plants and in the
crossing Of pineapples, increasing the
size and vigor and greatly improving
the flavor.
Observation and forecast weather
stations have been extended around
the Caribbean sea and increased
through the interior of this country,
especially in the mountain states.
The natural life zones of the United
States are being surveyed and the
areas hest adapted to various crops de-
termned. Four scientific explorers of
the department are abroad getting
seeds and plants in Russia, the Med
iterranean region, the China sea and
South America. Strenuous efforts are
making to perfect crop statistics, and
Statstician Hyde has successful meas.
ures to preclude accurate premature
statements of the official figures. The
Alaskan interior will be explored next
summer to learn its capacity to sup.
port population, while the coastal re-
sources already have been determined.
Steel rails are stated to be the com.
ing material for good roads where
hard rock is not convenient
Regarding forestry, species adapted
to dry regions are now being intro.
duced, better methods OF handling
forest lands in public and private own