The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-12-17
NEWS OF TIE FARMING WORLD.

u6Ab OL Agriculture, LOT 6Q0 noXF
fiscal year, of 81, ,789, $40, an increase
of practically 81, 900, 900 over the pre-
ceding year. When 1 asked the Sec
retary the necessity for so great an
increase, he replied "The natural de
velopment of the Department. work
For instance, the Bureau of Forestry
will require $3.50, ,180, nearly double
last V ears appropriation, for work
which is the natural outgrowth of
that already begun; the new Bureau
of Soils will require, to properly CON
tinue it's work, $173, 600, an increase
of $4,000; the nvestigatiOns of
plant pathology have reached point
where an extra $58, ,OOO will be need ed
to carry on that work. In my judg
ment there are great possibilities for
the silk industry in this country and
| have included in my estimates So,
600 for the purpose of inaugurating
an investigation and experiments.
WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL,
TURE Has DONE
When asked to briefly enum crate
some of the benefits which the work
of the Department had afforded to
farmers, the Secretary cited, among
things, the introduction of the naval
orange, rust proof oats, Fultz wheat
and numerous plants and grasses :;
the salvation of the California orange
industry from the ravage of the
scale insect which had threatened it's
determination the introduction of
| the blastophaga, an insect which
makes possible the growing of the
Smyrna fig; the general destruction
of insect pests, which the Secretary
believes results in a saving of many
mil1i IN dollars annually the discOv-
cry of remedies for fungous diseases
of vines and plants the eradication
of pleuro pneumonia, a disease which
had cost Great Britain loss of over
SO, 900, 900: the inspections of meats
intended for export, which has made
possible an export trade of many
million dollars in extent; the inspec-
tion of cattle vessels employed in
the export trade, which has resulted
in q decrease of the cost of insurance
from 50 TO 81 per head, total saw
ing t. exporters of over $2,225, 900;
the discovery and distribution of
blaok-leg vaccine, which, it is esti-
mated, has saved the cattle growers
between $5,OOO,OOO and $4,000, 900
per year the heintroduction of Smyrna
tobacco in the Connections Valley,
which will result in an increased
profi5 TO the growers of that section
alone, OF $500, 900 year; the warn
ings of the Weather Bureau, which
have saved lives, goods in transpOr
tation and growing crops to a value
impOssib to estimate; the work of
the Department Statistician in fur
nishing honest estimates of the crops
and last, but not least, the esta blish-
ment of the beet sugar industry on
an extensive and substantial founda-
ton. The Secretary spoke at con-
siderable length but space necessi-
tates the foregoing summary. The
Secretary believes that greater actual
profit accrues to the country from
the monies disbursed by the Depart
ment of Agriculture than from those
expende1 by any other department
of the government.
TO CONQUER THE ROOT WORM ENEMY
OF COW PEAS.
Prof. III. J. Weber, of the Bureau
of Plant Industry, tells me that he
has developed variety of cow peas
which, he is convinced, is proof |
against the attacks of the root worm,
90 destructive of this crop, partiou
laTly in the South. He says that the
root knot worm works on a variety
of plants, including potatoes, toma-
toes and peaches, and many of the
peach growers have been afraid to
avail themselves of the advantages
to be derived from the nitrogen
gathering pea for fear of the intro
duction of the root knot worm into
the peach trees. The new variety,
which is a selection from the Little
Iron pea, will afford no harbor or
sustenanoe to the pest and may,
therefore be used in all localities
without dagger. He believes that
this discovery will result in inoal-