The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1899-12-07
REPORT BY WILSON.
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
REVIEWS HIS YEARS WORK.
Declares There Has Been Progress in
the Department Tree-PIantinx and
Road Building Among Reforms-The

|
Weather Service Has Been Extended.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson has
made his annual report for 1899. The
! salient points in connection with each
bureau are briefly outlined as follows:
Weather Bureau-Thc extension of the
weather bureau service around the Carib-
bean Sea has been abundantly success
ful.
Division of Cbemistry-This division is
becoming necessity to every department
of the Government. An interesting in
| quiry has been made into the change
which takes place in the composition of
| grains grown repeatedly on the same soil.
Division of Entomology-Since DIR.
| Howard has shown owners Of Smyrna fig
| trees on the Pacific coast how to get the
| fruit fertilized, there is good reason to
| believe that i'll a few years we shall OBJ.
tain our fine figs from that locality.
Division of Botany-The department is
gathering information regarding the life
history of the plants that supply COM.
merce with India rubber and guttapercha,
and should Congress be pleased to give
uileStlOu, IL Will Stch tHe Dldul LOllcS III
our island possessions where these COM
modities may be produced.
Biological Survey-Plants and animals
thrive and produce best where they are
most at home. The biological survey is
endeavoring to find the most congenial
conditions for our plants and animals.
Division of Vegetable Physiology and
Pathology-The hybridizing Of grains is
being conducted by the division of vege-
table physiology and pathology with u
view to securing varieties (rust-resistlng,
drought-resisting and cold-resisting) bet
ter suited to our varied soils and eli
mates.
Division of Pomology-This division
continues to experiment in many locaii-
ties throughout the country with fruit
bearing trees, plants and vines. For ex-
ample, 110 varieties of the finer table
grapes of Europe have been grated on
Phylloxera- resistant American stocks and
sent to North Carolina and Florida.
Division of Forestry-The division of
forestry is introducing practical and pay
ing forestry on n large scale among lum-
bermen and extensive experimentation i'll
tree planting is being conducted with CO.
operation on the part of those interested
in woodcraft in several States.
Division of Soils-The irrigation farm
er of the West is being helped by the
mapping and extending investigation of
alkali soils and by the reclamation Of in
jured or abandoned land, many acres of !
which have become sterile thrOught the |
iniudicious use of water.
Division of grostology-Cropping re-
duces the organic material in the soil. |
Long-continued cropping renders the soil |
unprOductive. Grasses and legumes are |
the best agencies for restoring this or
ganic matter. The division Of asrostOl- |
ogy is experimenting with home and for |
eign grasses and legumes.
Office Of Experiment Stations-Co-op-
Grafton between the department and the
experiment stations becomes closer every
year. Assistance from the States is in
creasing and the farmers Of the several
States are appreciating their station work
more and more. Experimentation in
Alaska has begun with congressional aid.
Office of Public Road Inquiries
Is great interest at the present time in
the public highways of the country. Ex-
tensive experimentation is being conduct
ed by the department in cooperation with
local authorities in building sample roads
from the materials found in different To-
calities, and in the laying Of steel track.
Division of Notwithstanding the
year 603 publications were issued and
over 100000 copies distributed among
the people.
Section Of Foreign Markets-Shows
rapid growth Of American commerce in
all parts Of the world. We continue to
sell raw material to foreign countries
from which they manufacture high-sell-
ing articles.
Bureau of Animal Industry-The work
IF this bureau increases rapidly. Meat
was conducted last year at 13S
lbattoirs in forty-one cities. The ante
nortem inspections were 53,223, 116,
while the number in 1892 was 3,SO3, 459.
The third year Of experimentation with
log cholera shows that from IS to 30 per
cent of hogs injected with serum are
saved.
Division Of Statistics-Fifty thousand
.rop reporters keep the division of statis-
les informed regarding the condition of
'ur staple crops and every effort is be-
ng made to promptly give the people the
acts as they are found.
Gardens and Grounds-The grounds of
he department and its extensive green
louses serve a useful purpose, more than
90, 900 plants and bulbs, all of economic
alue, having been distributed during the
ear by the superintendent.
The Secretary then reviews in some de-
all the work of the several bureaus, di-
isions and offices of the department. He
lys stress on the great services rendered 9
y the weather bureau to commerce and
griculture and by the bureau Of animal
idustry to the stock growers Of the coun-
ry.
He makes a strong plea for the wide I
xtensions of the forestry work, for
-hich he urges greatly increased appro-
riations. He dwells at some length on
le losses due to the injudicious use of o
-ater in alkali lands of the irrigated re-
ions and pleads for n special appropria- >,
on of $4,000 for the investigation Of
lie subject.
Much work has also been undertaken o
n behalf of tobacco, looking to as wide
substitution as possible of home grown h
,r imported product, by improving the
lality of the former.
He congratulates the country on the
creasing cooperation between the de- n
lrtment and the State experiment sta
ons in many lines of important work, =,
nd strongly urges special appropriations
establish agricultural experiment sta
ons in Hawaii, the Philippine Islands n
I'd Porto Rico. l.
Army and Navy Notes. d.
The British flying squadron will soon II