Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-08-17
EXPORTS OF MEAT IN 1891 AND IN 1900

EXPORTS OF MEAT IN 1881 AND IN i9OO
us about one-half of our silk, and
China comes next in the amount sent
over. Italy and France also send
goodly quantities. Utah has given
much attention to this industry, and
the secretary suggests those skilled
in it teach residents of other states
whose soil and climate are adapted
to the growth of the mulberry tree.
The picking of the leaves, feeding the
worms and winding the cocoons can
be trusted to the class of labor made
use of in tea and cotton fields.
So not only are we to produce our
own silk, but in working for this de-
sirable end we shall help also the So
luton of our race problem. In that
not far-distant future when myriad
mulberry trees put forth their leaves
myriad little darkies will be set to
the conjugal task of plucking these
self-same leaves for the myriad silk
worms that are diligently to work
in the interests of American silk; the
very undesirable surplus population
they threatened. 1t all sounds beau
tiful, and appeals to our Yankee pa
triotism and spirit of enterprise.
The United States buys $30,O00,000
worth of rubber every year, when it
is thought she might just as well
stay at home and raise it herself.
,a4s Of o1i a
and soil we have added to our stock
of late, there is no reason why we
should not produce our own rubber
at least so the department of agri-
culture tells us. Caoutchouc-yieldin
trees grow in many tropical coun-
tries, and do not we have possessions
in both tropics and subtropics? The
latitude of the United States, which
has always been wide. is fast broad
ening; reaching from Icy cape in the
frozen north to Pago-Pago in the
South seas. On the authority of the
department, which has been carefully
collecting specimens of rubber the
last few years, Porto Rico, Hawaii
and the Philippines will be able to
produce all the rubber we need.
The department of agriculture has
its hands pretty full at present. In
addition to the development of home
products, scientists are at work
studying our insular possessions;
their present products and future
possibilities.
A movement is on foot for the es-
tablishment of agricultural expert
ment stations in Hawaii and Porto
Rico. DR.. Stubs, director of the
three experiment stations in Louisi-
ana, was sent to the Hawaiian is
lands for the purpose of investigation
with reference to the organization
and work of an experiment station in
that territory. He recommended that
a station independent of existing To-
cal institutions be established, and
that it be under the direct control Of
the department. AS the sugar inter-
ests are already looked after by the
Hawaiian Sugar Planters association,
DR.. Stubs suggests the station give
it's attention to other interests-cul-
ture of fruits and vegetables, coffee
growing, stock raising, dairying, ir-
rigation, forestry and diseases of
plants Prof. S. G. Knapp, who Wis
tied Porto Rico, reports that he
would recommend the experiment
station be established on broad
basis; that special attention be given
to demonstration, experiments and
the dissemination of information re-
garding improved methods of agri-
culture. @ '.-'4s rs
If the dissemination of improved
methods of agriculture be general
throughout our broad area of 1870.
900 square miles, may we not conf
IDENTIFY look forward to agricultural
independence for the United States?
KATHERINE POPE