The times., 1899-08-20
WHY MEAT Is DEAR.
Secretary Wilson Says Beef Is High
Because Grass L. Scarce.

Secretary Wilson Says Beef IL High
Because Grass IL Scarce.
Il did not return from six weeks tour
over the Northwestern and Pacific States
to talk about the Philippines and poat-es,"
said Secretary James Wilson to Times
reporter yesterday. Il went from Wash
ington city TO ST. Paul and from there
locked over the fields to Seattle and the
Pacific Coast TO ascertain wherein the De-
partment OF Agriculture could make itself
helpful TO the farmer. ! must say that my
trip has been full OF instruction, and ] am
hopeful il will be prolific OF good results
The agricultural industries OF the West
are doing well. as general thing, but u
is my desire to lay the foundation for bet
ter things TO come. since there is plenty
of room FOR Improvement in many locali-
ties where ] have Just been ] gave spe-
cial attention TO the beef question and
want TO tell you the true reasons why
Western meat has advanced in Price The
prime cause OF dear meat is, first. the home
demand. and, second, the fact tnat during
the last few years there has been an indis>
crirninate grazing of cattle permitted,
whereby more than half the feeding ground
has been impoverished and in great
many places reduced 10 deserts The do
iaestic cattle producing States have al suf-
fered in this respect, and until these cat
tie plains are reluvenated with the more
nutritious grasses the great remedy for
dear meat IN this country Will not have
been applied. The meat producing animals
are not keeping pace with the growth o. the
country Another factor in the high price
OF beef is the demand for il in Europe,
where the price has also gene up In view
Of all these conditions the advance in meat
could not be avoided. / studied this mat
ter with care and believe that the Depart
assistance toward restoring these grazing
fields TO their former condition. / told the
cattle rsisers that if they would put limeal
or liginous plants into the soil restoring
10 il the nitrogen which il had lost. il
would furnish something profitable every
year instead OF every other year IL is nay
intention 10 Immediately detail experts of
this department upon this most important
subject, and the farmers bulletins will
hereafter make this question an essential
feature and cover all the points OF study
and practical experiments that are yalua-
bic 10 cattle raisers.
I'm the valleys Of the mountain States
there Is entirely TOO much unfertile land.
The cause OF this is TOO much aIkali IN the
sell which is the result OF Ignorance Of the
laws OF irrigation. Congress made large
appropriation 10 remedy this evil and to
improve irrigation. DR.. Whitney, OF the
Department OF Agriculture, is doing every
thing possible for these unnecessarily de-
Perforated valleys.
The last OF the great timbers OF the
West ] viewed with distress. The scien-
lists Of this department are unit IN the
rpinion that our great Western forests
have been destroyed unwisely. Fires are
etiH allowed 10 destroy great forests, and
sheep eat the young trees that are trying
TO spring up. number OF foresters from
the department are out there studying
these conditions Much OF this timber is
exported to China TO build railroads AMI
10 Puget Sound for all purposes"
The manufacture OF beet sugar, irTiga-
tiol. and forestry are three things per-
laining 10 the West in which the Agricul-
1uTai Department is deeply interested, the
Secretary said, and the trip was made
mainly &c gather information regarding
these He visited number Of beet sugar
factories and stuGied the details OF their
workings the tonnage of beets raised, the
percentage OF sugar obtained cost OF man
uiacture. etc. The Secretary believes that
il Is important 10 get just as much as
possible out OF each product. and he sug
Resis that from the beet product there
could not only be made the sugar, but the
pulp should be used in the dairy TO in
crease the butter product There is, he
said, no doubt in hts mind that this could
be successfully done. he is convinced that
the production Of sugar cane in some Of
the Western States could be made profit
able industry, for, while beet sugar could
be produced for approximately IA cents
per pound, cane sugar could be made for 2
cents. By the introduction aud successful
raising OF cane these States would be given
another profitable crop TO the planters and
another paying industry would be added
While the present tariff = said the Secre-
fary. gives a fair profit TO the producer,
yet IL can be clearly realized that II should
b. the aim Of al 70 lessen the exlsnse
OF procuction SO as 10 meet a situation
which might arise should some subsequent
Administration lessen the protection 10
the producers. Should the effort now be-
ing made 10 open the ports OF the China
Sea 10 the agricultural products OF this
country De successful. the farmers Of the
Pacific Coast would be greatly profted by
reasoned q good market for largely-ia ia
creased production"