The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-09-21

in libraries. but very little is taught In
school or practlced on the farm. Droughtx
shorten crops. dry up pastures and destroy
the hopes of communities, while four or
i've times as much rain falls during the
year as crops require. Is II not very sinGu-
lar that more attention is not given to IL
by scholars? II one college would make
the movement OF moisture In the soil
speciality. and turn full faculty toward
Its demonstration from every standpoint,
II would bless the country more than any
university under our flag. The south will
probably have 100000 bales less cotton
on account of droughts. Kansas will have
2000000 bushels less OF corn because of
drought, and yet the south has from So
to 60 inches Of rainfall. while Kansas has
five times as much as a full corn crop can
use, II evaporation could be controlled OF
limited. Six inches OF rainfall Is about
what the crop uses, the rest is wnsted.
The United States will have l00.0OO0OO or
more bushels of wheat less than an av-
erage crop because We do not conserve
moisture.
Eve buy the products of skill from other
countries. and we buy raw material, the
product of cheap labor. We sell the prod
ucts OF skill to other countries. and we
sell raw material. the product Of cheap la
Dor within our own land. a study OF this
condition of affairs Will lead us TO get n
correct estimate OF our standing compared
with other countries. While we sold SI92,-
Sil,78 worth of domestic products from
the United States in 1899. we bought $685.
5li.ssl worth OF agricultural products dur
ing the same year. We paid s9i.O0O0OO for
sugar. SIS. 100000 for coffee. Al.O00,0D for
hides and skins. $32,OO0.00O for silk, SIS 0ho.-
90 for fibers. siS.ooo0o0 for fruits and nuts.
100000 for tobacco, $40. GOO, 90 Tor tea, and
$4,000 Tor wool. which. however. is only
half as much wool as we bought in 1888.
Several OF these things we can produce
in the United States. Some OF them we can
not on account Of climatic prohibition, We
can produce our own sugar. We can pro-
duce some OF the ilbers we buy, and much
of the fruits and nuts that we import. 1
think 1t is only question OF time when
we can produce as fine tobaccos in some
parts OF the United States as are produced
anywhere in the world; or at any rate.
II there are some delicately-fiavored va
rieties which we cannot produce we VIII
help our brown men in the Pacific ocean
TO prepare them for US. I have no doubt
that We can produce our own tea. Exten-
sive experimentation is being conducted
now. with the help OF the United States
government. in South Carolina. The de-
partment of agriculture Is in cooperation
with the experiment stations OF all the
gulf states along this line. need not tell
an Ohio audience that we can produce
our own wool OF all kinds. and we are
getting pretty well along toward doing II,
having cut the importation in two between
ls9S and 1893.
."The great activity now existing Ia all
departments of industry in the United
States has had most beneficial effect on
the prices OF farm animals.
1.-The total increase In the value Of the
farm animals OF the United States from
January /. 1897. to January I. 1900. is &72.-
1os, So. The decrease in the number of
horses during the last three years has
been pronounced. although II is becoming
less and less every year. During 1896 the
decrease was IG9, 26l. In 1887 IL was 1880
IN 1885 II We 400. 49, In 1899 II was 80. Con- and
in 1900 the decrease In the number Of horses
in the United States was lH.7s3. This de-
crease was brought about by the discour-
aRement to the breeding OF horses result
Ing from low prices. Now that prices are
remunerative the decrease n fading out
and It is only question of time when an
Increase Will begin again. We sold a.700
horses last year to foreign countries and
received N.6l2.05s for them. There 10 an
active demand in foreign countries for
horses OF all kinds. especially the more val
liable ones.
The principal reason for the better
prices for domestic animals is that our
people are at work everywhere. Good
wages are being paid. We are sending con-
.ignments OF dairy PRODUCTS to European
and Asiatic countries. few years ago
shipments of that kind would have been
very profitable. but at the present time
the American workman uses our butter
and pays such good prices that It really