The times., 1899-05-14
YEAR BOOK OF AGRICULTURE.
An Interesting Publication of Grent
Value to Producers.

The year book of the Department of
Agriculture for 1898 has just been issued.
The volume contains nearly 500 pages of
interesting reading and facts relative to
the products of American soil, together
with the usual statistics and comparisons.
Many excellent half-tone engravings and
sketches are used to illustrate the various
topics under discussion, and altogether the
work presents a very attractive appear
ance. The frontispiece is an excellent
photogravure of jeremiah NJ. Rusk. Sec
retary of Agriculture, 1889 to 1898.
There are three general divisions in the
work, beginning with the report of the
Secretary of Agriculture to the President
for 1898. following which are numerous
miscellaneous papers. prepared with few
exceptions by the chiefs of the bureaus and
divisions and officers of the department of
their assistants, and concluding with a
summary OF useful information published
in the form of an appendix Much atten-
tion has been given by the editor. George
William Hill, to this part of the work
with a view to increasing its scope and
usefulness, and so well has he succeeded
that the appendix partakes very largely
of the nature of an agricultural directory
for the whole country. In addition to the
usual list of department officials is given
the agricultural colleges and experiment
stations. and the officials having charge
of the same; the various State agricultu-
raj officials; managers OF farmers insti-
tutes; national and State dairy officials;
the several associations of cattle. horse,
and sheep breeders. with their secretaries;
State veterinarians; State health officers;
/ forestry associations and their officers, and
/ officers of horticultural and kindred So
! cieties. Information regarding Cuba, Porto
Rico. Hawaii and the Philippine Islands
| is also given from an agricultural point
/ of view.
The statistical matter includes the croI
/ reports prices of farm products, import!
and exports of agricultural products. ant
/ transportation rates. In this report on thi
/ bureau of animal industry, the Secretar,
says that the service of meat inspection
has been efficient and satisfactory From
the tables furnished by the chief of thu
bureau, it is learned that during the yea
there were 922S, ,237 ante-mortem inspec
tions of cattle; loops. .2S7 of sheep; i5S, 10
of calves, and 81 1,610,675 of hogs, making
total of 81. $780, ,59S inspections. This Is
total gain over 1897 of 9,025, ,291. The con
formations were 104 cattle, 7i1 sheep, 8
calves. and 9.679 hogs, total of 1881
The reflections in stock yards were 27,49
cattle. 1854 sheep, 2,439 calves, and 66,
06l hogs, a total of 105, ,5S5. The Secretar
seems very well satisfied with the wor
of this bureau.
In concluding his report the Secretar
says that the operations of the department
during the past fiscal year justifies tn
statment that the record OF the year ha
been one of most satisfactory growth an
development. There has been manifesto
in many ways a widespread Interest
| the work of the department and an appre
} citation of the value of its investigation
TO the producers of this country. The de
, mand for information from the departmer
has been unprecedented and covers til
: greatest variety of agricultural problems
Day by day the fact is more and moi
, fully acknowledged that the services OF th
department to the producer are OF the fir!
Importance. and such as can be rendere
to him through no other agency.