Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-16
IN AID OF THE FARMERS
SECRETARY WILSON TELLS WHAT
HIS DEPARTMENT IS DOING.
Delivers an address Before Southern
Industrial Convention at Chat
tanOOEa, Tenn.

CHATTANOOGA. Tenn, May 16.-Secre-
tary Wilson Of the Department of Agrlcul-
| ture delivered an address here Clay before
| the southern industrial convention.
Secretary Wilson said. in part:
Progress has been made during the last
three years in carrying out the instructions
| of President Mckinley that the Department
| of Agriculture be made useful to all sec
| lions Of our country and to all producers
| in the United States.
The establishment OF weather bureau sta
| lions around the Caribbean sea in 1898. as a
war necessity, resulted in such signal bene-
| fit to the commerce of all nations that an
appropriation was secured from Congress
with which to make permanent this extern
sion Of our service ev,a, In edition 70 the the
| Cuba, the commerce Of the Gulf OF Mexico
will, in the future receive ample warning
of the approach Of tropical hurricanes
This work has been beneficial to the COM
merce of the whole world and has attracted
the attention and ELECTED the commendl-
| ton of mariners of all nationaities.
Additional weather bureau stations have
been established in the southern cotton
states and the western mountain states for
the purpose of getting more exact informa-
ton for the people who are interested in the
crops of those localities. These new sta
tons enable US to measure the SouthH II
movement of cold areas and to make more
accurate predictions of frost for the i'm
portant fruit interests of the Pacific states.
Bureau of Animal Industry.
During the past three years important
problems concerning the suppression and
eradication Of contagious and infectious
diseases OF domestic animals have
been carefully studied. The diseases
selected for investigation have been
those which experience and recorded OBJ
servation have proved to be most injuri-
Gus from an economic point of view. Es-
pecal attention has been given to the cattle
disease known as blackleg, a disease which,
although it occurs more or less throughout
the United States. was not recognized as
cause of very serious losses until about four
years ago, when this investigation was lee
gun.
The animal parasites Of sheep have been
given careful attention. and comparative
tests have been made of the most promising
methods of treatment. The gasoline treat
ment has given most satisfactory results,
not only destroying the parasites of the
stomach and intestines. but apparently also
those of the lungs. and air passages. includ-
ing the larvae of the grubs in the nasal
chambers
The preparation of anti-toxic serums for
hog cholera and swine plague has been con-
Quoted on a large, practical and expert
mental scale.
Experimental exports of selected cream
cry butter were made to England with The
purpose of directing attention to the fine
butter produced in this country and gain
ing Information for persons desiring to sell
in English markets. Experiments along
the same line were conducted in 1895 and
in 1S.E' in the shipment to Asiatic countries
and with like satisfactory results. A re-
port Will soon be made by the bureau of
animal industry on this work In addition
10 the above some interesting and satisfac-
tory experiments in the shipment of eggs.
with the same objects in view, have bann
conducted. Within a few weeks SHIPMENTS
OF sweet potatoes have been made to Great
wit vic,
over there the value of that article of food.
ana also TO ascertain the facts regarding
practical methods of shipments
Inc inspection OF live stock and its prod
ucts Is now being carried on at 14S abattoirs
In forty-hve states. Inspection has been
established at one abattOir where horses
are slaughtered and the flesh prepared for
expectation.
Division of AgrostoIosy.
experiments with grasses and forage
plants have been vigorously prosecuted dur
Ing the past three years. These experi-
ments are necessary in order that ranchers
and farmers may be informed of the kinds
OF grasses suitable for their respective dis
tricts.
An investigation of the trees of arid re-
glons In foreign countries has been begun
10 determine such species as would be suit
able for the plains and arid regions of the
United states. Cooperation is being had
with the Secretary of the Interior regard
Ing forestry in the public reserves.
Division of Soils.
The most important work Of this division
has been the survey and mapping of the
soils In number of important agricultural
districts in the United states The most
notable work of this kind has been in the
arid regions of the United States. where ir-
rigation is practice:i. About 10000 acres
have been surveyed and mapped in some of
the irrigated districts of Montana, Idaho,
New Mexico and Arizona, the maps 50 pre-
pared having a very practical value, as
they show the distribution of different
with safety, those which require special
care in the application of water on account
of alkali. and those which have too much
alkali for cultivation without special effort
for recla m a tiop