Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-12-02
AGRICULTURAL WORK
Secretary Wilson Summarizes the
Services of His Department.
The LIFE.SAVINC SERVICE REPORT.
The Superintendent Tells About Disasters
TO Vessels and People Saved from
Drowning ommlssioner Evans
Pension Recommendations.

Washington, Nov. 3o.-The annual
report OF Secretary Wilson sum
marizes an immense amount OF val
liable work done by the agricultural
department during the past year. He
comments particularly on the success
full extension of the weather bureau
service around the Caribbean sea, Civ
ing timely storm warnings to the yes
sells of the navy and merchant marine.
The division Of entomology has done
valuable work this year in showing
fruit-growers on the Pacific coast the
proper method Of fertilizlng Smyrna
figs. It is believed that In few years
the Pacific coast will be able TO produce
as fine figs as are now imported from
the Mediterranean.
The department has gathered much
information regarding the plants
which supply India rubber and gatta
percha and expects, the coming year,
to locate in our island possession zones
suitable for the culture Of these plants.
The United States imports about $780,
600, 900 worth of rubber annually and IL
Is thought that large portion OF this
supply can be raised in our new posses
sions. The same Is true Of Egyptian
cotton, Of which we import $4,000, 900
worth annually, while he thinks that
$500, ZOO. 900 worth Of tropical products
which we now import can be raised In
Porto Rica, Hawaii and the Philip.
pines. Much work has been done In
the hybridizing Of grains to secure va
rieties which will resist drought, rust
and cold, the same methods are being
used to produce hardy orange trees
and sea island cotton, which will be inn
mune TO the fungus disease now at
lacking that staple.
Practical forestry work is being done
on large scale among the lumbermen
of several states. Irrigation work In
the west has been carried on and much
alkali land has been reclaimed. The
secretary's recommendations in this
line include irrigation experiments In
the east andsouth outside OF the arid re-
gion. He thinks that congressional
action also may be necessary in the
west on the subject Of water rights
and reservoir sites.
The experiment station work OF the
department has been extended to
Alaska and also to Hawaii, Porto
Rico and the Philippines, SO thai
they may be able to supply the
United States with the tropical prod
ucts OF which our importations are
now 5000, 900, 900 nnually. Extensive ex
periments are being carried on in road
construction in connection with the
local authorities of several states, in
GLIDING the building of sample road'
from the materials found in different
localities and laying Of steel track
wagon roads. The third year OF exper
imentation with hog cholera shows
that from rs to 80 per cent of the hog
| injected with serum are saved.
LLFE-sAvIN6 SERVICE REPORT.
Washington, Nov. 3o.-The annual
report of the general superintendent
of the life-saving service states that at
the close Of the year the establishment
embraced 265 stations, 103 being on thu
Atlantic and Gulf coasts, So on TIT
great lakes, 20 on the Pacific and ont
at the falls Of the Ohio, Louisville, KY
The number of disasters to documente'
vessels within the field Of the opera
tions OF the services during the yea
was 42S. There were ON board thes'
vessels S,90S persons, of whom S,S4
were saved and SO lost. Seven hundred
and fifty-one shipwrecked persons re
ceived succor at the stations, to whom
l, $50 days relief in the aggregate wa
afforded. The number of vessels total
" lost was y. In addition to the fore
going, there were, during the year, 90
casualties to small craft, such rs small
| Yachts, sailboats, row boats, ETC., OIL
board Of which there were 67l persons
664 of whom were saved and seven lost
The property involved in these in
stances Is estimated ut sl3S. 5S5, o
which Si29, 2S5 was saved and 50, $50 lost
oLAY's RECOMMENDATIONS ENDORSED.
Washington, Nov. Senators Gal
linger and Hansbrough, OF the senat
pension committee, called on Secretar.
Hitchcock yesterday to discuss pension
legislation ut the coming session. TIL
secretary notified the committee OF hi
approval of the policy OF Commissions
Of Pensions Evans and suggested tina
the recommendation made in the lat
ter's report be carried out, furthe
than which he had nothing to recon
mend.