The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-12-05
SECRETARY WILSON.
Valuable Work Done by the Agri'
cultural Department.

WASHINGTON, Dec. LIN his annual
report Secretary Wilson, of the agri--
cultural department. comments par
ticDlarly on the successful extension
of the weather bureau service around
the Caribbean sea, giving timely storm
warnings to the vessels of the navy
and merchant marine.
The divisions of entomology has
done valuable work this year in show
ing fruit growers on the Pacific coast
the proper method of fertilizing
Smyrna figs. 1t is believed that in a
few years the Pacific coast will be able
to produce as fine figs as are now inn
ported from tae Mediterranean.
The department has gathered much =
Information regarding the plants
which supply India rubber and gutta
percha, and expects during the coming
year to locate in our island possessions,
zones suitable for the culture of these
plants The United States now inn
ports about $50, 900, 600 worth of rub
Der annually and it is thought that
large portion of this supply can be
raised in our new island possessions.
The same is true of Egyptian cotton,
of which we import So, 900, 900 worth ,
annually, while he thinks that $780,
900, 600 worth of tropical products,
which we now import each year, can
all be raised in Pc rto Rico, Hawaii and (
the Philippines.
Much work has been done in the
ny bridizing of grains to secure varie-
ties which will resist drought, rust
and cold. The same methods are be-
ing used to produce hardy orange
trees and sea island cotton which will
be immune to the fungus disease now
attacking that staple.
Irrigation work in the west has been
carried on and much alkSh land has
been reclaimed. The secretary's rec
concentrations in this line include ir-
| rigatioD experiments in the east and
south outside of the arid region. He
thinks that congressional action also
may be necessary in the west on the
subject of water rights and reserv DIR
sites.
The experiment station work of the
department has been extended to Alas
ka and should be extended to Hawaii,
Porto Rico and the Philippines, so that
they may be enabled to supply the
United States with the tropical pro-
ducts of which our importations are
now $500, 600, 900 annually.
The third year of experimentation
with hog cholera shows that from 10
to so per cent. of the hogs injected
with serum are saved.
The secretary strongly recommends
more rigid inspection of our export
| jury that has been done to this trade.
by INSCRIPTIONS dealers in the past.
Regarding seed stribution, the Sec.
rotary says that there is no need for
the department to come into compe--
tition with the sales of seedsmen, but
that there is room for valuable work
in the collection and distribution Of,
such foreign seeds and plants as are
adapted to this country but would not
be secured by private enterprises
Tea growing experiments in South.
Carolina are commended, and he notes,
that $500 pounds of good tea were
raised in the gardens at Summerville
in the past season.
/ The Turkestan alfalfa introduced by
the department las been found VAL
liable forage plant in the northwest
for resisting both cold and drought
Its introduction, it is said, probably
will add millions Of dollars to the an
nual hay product of the country.
A valuable quality of rice has been,
introduced from Japan. 1t is superior
to the domestic product, and should it
succeed in Louisiana, hundreds of
thousands of dollars will be added
yearly to the -rice-growing industry.
The secretary asks for $40, 600 to prose
cute technical and scientific investi-~
cation of native drug plants in CO.
operation with the Pan-American con-
gress.