Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-06
AGRICULTURE IN THIS COUNTRY.

In his recent annual report,
secretary of Agriculture Wilson claims
mat appropriations made for his de-
artment should be regarded as an in
estment, for the reason that 1t makes
direct returns therefor by adding to the
wealth Of the country.
During the last year important extern
SONS have been made in the Weather
Bureau. These have been mainly In
experiments with wireless telegraphy
netwepn land points and vessels at sea.
Already messages havo been success
ally sent and received at distance
IF GO miles over land. The Secretary
'egards the matter IS OF such import
snce that he has authorized further
experiments.
The number of abattoirs and pack
ny houses receiving the benefit Of in
section was 148 In 45 localities, as
against 1873 in Al localities the preced-
ing year. The total ante.mortem In
5pections Of cattle aggregated 53,0S7,
j94; animals rejected, subject To post
norton, at abattoirs, 5,958, and in
stock yards, lj3,56l. The total post.
nortem inspections were "a, 737, 613,
nd the total carcasses condemned 81,
O6. In the microscopic inspection Of
ork 500, 554 carcasses were examined
)f these hut 10, 44s, or .95 per cent,
we're found to contain living trichina.
The total cost OF inspection was little
!, lver 500, 600.
over a million head of cattle were
moved under the supervision Of the
bureau from the district infected with
hn tsnlE L.
slona over 357, 900 cattle were inspected
or shipment to other sections. The
sheep industry has suffered greatly
attention have been given TO securing
is control and eradication. Results so
Jar are encouraging, and the Secretary
relieves that few more years OF ear
nest work will etfectually eradicate the
disease. Over / 300, 600 sheep were in
5peoted and nearly 627.000 dipped
inder the supervision of the inspectors.
With regard to rallies the Secretary
declares that this disease is unfortun-
,tely on the increase in the United
states, and that local authorities have
in most cases not efficiently controlled
;s outbreaks. He refers especially to
Is existence and increase in the Dis
tiict of Columbia, and points out the
special danger to children. from rabid
dogs.
The Secretary reviews at oonside fable
length the work of the experiment sta
lions first established in this country
% years ago. Until 1887, the date Of
| the Hatch act, stations had been estab-
isbed in only IA States. Under this
act the enterprise was extended to
cover the entire country, aud the great
success which, on the whole, has at
| tended the establishment Of the stations
| in all the States and Territories is very
remarkable Including the S720, 600
received from the National Govern
nient, the total revenues Of the stations
during the year amounted to 81, 200, :
600. The stations now employ nearly
| 100 persons, and in 1899 their publica-
tions aggregated 445 reports and bulle-
| tins.
The study of markets abroad with
| special reference to extending the de-
mards therein for the agricultural
products of the United States has been
prosecuted with zeal and intelligence.
| During the fiscal years 1897 1900 our
total sales Of domestic farm products
TO foreign countries aggregated the
enormous sum of So, 1856, 600, 600, an ex-
cess of $500, 900, 600 over the preceding
four-year period. The agricultural
exports of the United States for the
past fiscal year amounted to SS44, 600,
QUO. The rapid growth of our export
trade to the Orient in recent years is
most striking. Five years ago our
total shipments of domestic merchan.
disc to Asia and Oceania we're valued
at $40, 900, 00U. of which only SO, TOO, 00C
were agricultural. There has been a
steady increase in each succeeding
year. until in 1900 our export trade
with the Orient amounted to sl07, 600,
900, Of which $50, 600, 600 worth was
farm produce. Of this great increase
in the growth of our agricultural ex-
ports to that quarter of the globe,
amounting to something over 500. 600,
600, Sill, $780, 600 consisted OF cotton and
So, 400, 900 of wheat flour.
During the past fiscal year Cuba,
Porto Rico the Hawaiian Islands and
the Philippines furnished market for
Sl5. 600, 900 worth of cur domestic pro.
ducts. Five years ago these islande
took but S13 900 600 worth. During the
fiscal year 1900 we sold 10 these islands
$50 000, 600 worth Of farm pronuce, an
increase of Sl3, TOO, 900 over 1863.