The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-30
AS VIEWED AT WASHINGTON.
az wILLIAM q. CURTIsJ

Chicago Record, )-SecluVdi' "'-So
stiil talking enthusiastically Of his re-
cent extended tour through Louisiana and
Texas where he rubbed elbows With the
farmers and exerted his influence to hasten
them in the diyersihcatiou OF their prod
ucts.
zone Of the most striking facts discov-
cred" said the secretary today, was the
advanced work being done by the expert
ment stations OF Louisiana and Texas
They are anticipating what the one-crop
farmer may be compelled to DO in the
carly future. Their inquiries are being
made in the interest OF the cotton grower,
who is receiving meager returns for MS
outlay. Both these stations are expert
menting with alfalfa. 1t grows abundant
ly on the deep rich soils around the gun.
1t can be cut bnce a month. This makes
many things possible. The livery men Of
4 New Orleans have discovered already tnat
ton Of alfalfa hay is much more valuable
to them than a ton OF timothy or wild nay
the dairymen will discover presently that
conditions in the South are peculiarly IA
yorable for the production OF butter ana
cheese. In the hill districts of the South,
where springs are abundant, dairylng can
| be conducted Without ice or refrgeratlng
plants, but around tho gulf, where the
water comes out of the ground at tom
l perature of about 20 degrees, 1t VIII be
necessary to have cooling processes.
saw as fine dairy cows in the two States
visited as | have found anywhere, and
/ 1t is only a question OF extending their
number when dairying will be leading
! industry in the South.
| ~
THE growing OF sugar, rice and to-
bacco is now big part OF the agricultural
has been made in recent years. Northern
capital is being invested in all these in
dustries and Northern men are going
down there. Along the coast "egion con-
siderable prairie is yet being grazed by
ranch cattle. The land is well stocked
and anything can be produced Tho rail-
roads of the section are much more en-
terprlsing than is customary n regard
TO encouraging Industries. The sou,aorn
Pacific Is especially helpful and cNcour-
aging to the rice men.
II stopped off at many places a.d ex-
anllned industries that were new to ne.
/ TO give some idea of the amount of work
/ III connection with the irrlgatils tys-
tens, where watar is lifted Oft OF the
bAycus and deep rivers, which are common
alcng the coast lin' might refer to one
pumping station at Crowley where 4rr.-
GOO gallons OF water is pumped into a
reservoir in a minute, and this i oaly enc
OF many plants. Tens of thoistlly OF
acres are being irrigated by this method.
The United States produces something
like 16 per cent of the sugar it consumes
and about 80 per cent of It's rice. 1t will
only be a short time before the whole OF
its sugar is produced at home, bit the in
crease will not come 50 much from the
South as from the North The State oil
Michigan Is now building nine sugar beet
factories. The increase will he evident
as the field extends from the Atlantic Ia
the Pacific along the northern boundary
We pay something under 81 600, coo a year
for rice from foreign countries. In few
years 1t will all be produced at home
The enterprise of Southern railway
men and Northern capitalists Is rapidly
discovering the tobacco lands Of Texas.
Along the International and Great North
ern railroad are found tobacco planta-
tons Of 1900 acres that have never been
reported by any census taker
4 \ =
yet received the attention that it soon viii
There is difficulty in taking well bred cat.
tie from the Northern States to localities
south OF the quarantine line oeeause OF
The fever tick, but enterprisng men are
doing SO and taking tbolI chances From
10 to 80 per cent of the young animals are
attacked with the fever aud die. The dc.
] no t n1on ,Af ~,
southern experiment stations are studyiue
this question. lnnoculation is practicet
IN the South, but is not entirely sue
cessful, as the right serum has not vel
been discovered
"our export last year Of 81 900 horse.
has suggested to the Southern people what
they can do. Well bred, high-spirited
fancy gated horses are always in demand
and bring high prices. The feeding OF
stock with cotton seed meal is getting
considerable attention. Texas produced \
vast quantity OF this meal, sufficient tc
reed the 100000 head of fat cattle that are
, annually exported from the United States
! Inc people down South can Just as well
! furnish an early spring lamb as an early
/ strawberry or an early cantaloupe. Teya:
! now stands high on the list of sheen own.
ing states. she has almost as many az
any other State, but they are nor muttor
sheep. believe the change will soon
, come because the experiment station mer
are active along all these lines, givIne
pointers TO the producers. They are moi
only experimenting with great care re-
garding what the Texans are doing now
put they ara intelligently anticipatiue
what they Will do in the future.
All the suggestions / made during the
trp were received with interest and In
the kindliest spirit For the people OF
tne south to change their industries there
must be complete reorganization of their
, Methods and their labor The educated
white people must study the sciences re-
: iaung to agriculture outside OF sugar and
rice, and then they must instruct the Ia
norers. This is gradually being done. The
spirit OF progress is abroad in all the gulI
STATES and 1t is being encouraged nv
northern men of capital and enterprise.
When 1t was suggested to the secretary
that his name had been used during nj,
! absence as possible successor to SEN.
} ator Gear, he replied: my head is 80
lull Q. agricultural matters that the sen.
a'oria wedge will not find room TO enter. .
Seneral Wheeler Is religious man
he was brought M in the Episcopal church