The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-16

The agricultural welfare Of the nation
has impesied James Wilson. secretary OF
that department OF the government, to
start on . tour Of the Pacific coast He
has already been through the tier Of states
from Lake Superior to Puget sound. and
regarding Western Washington. The
eastern part of the state has already had
his attention. The secretary will be here
several days. and viii make tours into
the country and confer with the actual
raisers Of various productA
Mr.. Wissoa 10 here to gather. not to give.
information. They told me that II
would speak In Tacoma they would have
an audience OF 500 people there to hear
me-" said the secretary. 'but ! told them
that / did not know anything about this
country. and had come to learn. II they
had speakers / should be glad to hear
them. for knowledge is what want"
The secretary Is a practical agriculturist,
and for several years prior to his appoint
ment 10 the head of this bureau was In
charge OF the government experimental
work in Iowa, his state Since his exalta-
ton he has had the whole country as his
field The South. the East. the Middle
CATION. and now he is finding out about
the Pacific coast.
The great problem Is not how to raise.
s srdas e M w1 Ds
effort TO try and solve the former. for
no problem Is there for you--the enormity
Of the products OF the state OF Washington
East. But there is future. and We must
prepare for It. For instance. farmers
should not SCH everything on of their land,
but should keep some OF their products.
out and nothing returned. the land will
become barren, and after awhile win be
capable OF raising nothing.
The Sugar Beet.
Now. the sugar beet raising IL receiv-
ing a great deal Of attention. This coun-
try Is admirable for the raising of sugar.
but 1t is too expensive. sent an expert
down to Cuba and Porto Rico last win
ter TO look into the manufacture OF sugar.
from the raising of cane and beets down
TO the time II was sent to the factories.
He went thoroughly into everything
the methods Of planting, the culture. the
cost there cents pound 10 raise the
product In this country II costs 3k cents
This difference Is what we must learn
The principal way to do this is to get
the sugar factories and the dairymen near
e: together The farmers must get to the
point where they win sell their beets. to
the factories with the understanding that
they are e Get back the pulp. This makes
q nne food TOT dairy cows, and has every
thing that fodder lacks. learn here that
products This should no. be 90. ana The
condition win not exist after there are
more people In the West and the country
j. ..o more mo c. settled Iowa, for instance made
year, and If what l hear Of your state 10
correct there is no reason why Wash
ington should not do at least as we'll, X
not better.
Horses are another branch Of this SUBJ
jet that should receive attention There
IS great demand from Europe for cav
sen; 5l.0e horses 10 Europe. all receiving
good prices, and there should be more I
learned that 100 horses back in Montana a
short time ago went for 500. and they
81. Your Western horses have many e,e-
ments that are required in cavalry horses,
but they are not heavy enough. A cav
airy horse must weigh 100 pounds These
horses in the West grow fine in the sum
mer, but how to get them to thrive
through two or three winters is the prob
lem confronting US"
To Investigate Forests.
The secretary said that before long the
chief OF the division OF forestry would be
out here from Washington to Investigate
more thoroughly the timber field. The
rapid !essening CT the forests OF the Uni
ted States has become matter OF serious
concern among government officials con-
necied with that branch Of the agricultural
department and they feel that within a
&tW wars the nation viii De FORCED TO de-
pend upon other countries IL care IL not
taken 20 preserve existing forests. AL
ready the chief Of the forestry division has
had turned over to him 100000 acres of
land. in which are various scientists
showing how TO take the wood from the
land without inturing the permanence OF
the forest.
.'You have no hard wood here on The Pa
effc coast. said the secretary. but what
a fine thing II would be II the next gener-
alton should wake up and find large for
ests OF oak and other hard woods That
Is an easy matter II the trees are planted
now. The immensely OF the Northwest
crn lumber forests = We'll appreciated hu,
they will not last more than for a gener-
alton, and that Is pretty serious matter
for the government to consider. II we do
no lock out. II will not be long until we
shall be importing wood from the Philip
pine islands
Mr.. Wilson discussed other matters OF
interest 10 farmers In general He g a
practical man, ana well acquainted with
all matters pertaining to farming Inter-
ests He is not a politician. but a farmer
he says. and II is for the purpose CT having
the government better acquainted with
farming In all parts Of the country that he
Is here now.
When any matter concerning any rar-