The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-26
WORK DONE FOR FARMERS
ANNUAL REPORT OF SECRETARY OF
AGRICULTURE WILSON.
Much Accomplished by His Depart
ment i'm n Year-The Bureau of
Animal Industry.

his annual report to the President. He
announces an important extension Of the
forecast field of the Weather Bureau. which
now includes reports from certain points
in the British Isles and on the continent
of Europe, from the Azores, Nassau, Ber-
muda and Turks island. The Atlantic fore
casts based upon these reports now form
part of the regular night forecasts issued
in Washington. Three new forecast dis
tricts have been established-in Boston,
New Orleans and Denmark. An extension
of the forecast TO farmers through the
rural free delivery is contemplated. Sub
stantial improvements are reported in the
departments system of wireless telegraphy,
of which the secretary states in conclu-
sion: While there is much experimental
work yet to be done before the present sys-
tenn is reliable for intership communica-
ton, or before any two systems can work
within the same field without rendering
each the other useless, such progress has
been made by the government experiment.
erS tnat, with no interference by private
systems, stations can be successfully oper-
ated over at least $50 miles of coast line
and they are now in operation on the North
Carolina and Virginia coasts, and soon will
be instituted between the Farallone islands
ana the mainland and Tatoosh island and
the mainland on the Pacific coast.
a large portion of the report covers the
subject of animal industry. The grand
total or animals and animal products eX-
ported during the year exceeded $3.50, 000,0 900
In value. This vast foreign market is only
preserved TO our producers by the indie
fatgdble efforts of the department and the
rigid inspection exercised through the Blu
reau or Animal Industry. This bureau IN
spected for export 3S5, 600 cattle, 22S, 600 sheep
and $4,000 horses and mules, and nearly LOCO
vessels carrying live stock. Imported ami
mails were also inspected to the number of
3t1'VVU, ana, where necessary, quarant1ned-
The secretary suggests that with the enOr-
nous interests our StockraiSerS have at
stake, and inspection or quarantine afford
ing AFTER all, a relative, not an absolute
guarantee of protection, ii might be well
for this country to follow the example of
Great Britain and exclude live stock from
other countries entirely. The meat inSpec-
ton service involved the inspection at time
of slaughter of nearly 81, 900, 900 animals. OF
the more than 100000 cattle inspected, the
condemned carcasSes were about one-tourth
OF 1 per cent; OF the 6,5O,OO sheep, one
tenth OF l per cent; and of 24,0J0, 600 hogs,
one-third of l per cent. In the control of
Indigenous diseases, 100000 inspections
were made and over $1,000 cars disinfected
in the Texas fever service alone. In the
repression of scabies in sheep nearly $780,
OD animals we've inspected, and over 100000
dipped under the supervision of the DEPART
ment inspectors. In combating the disease
known as black leg" the bureau dis
tributed over 100000 doses Of vaccine, the
result being to reduce losses in affected
nerds to less than 1 per cent, where for
merly 1t was in most cases about 10 per
cent. To aid in detecting tuberculosis In
cattle and CHAMBERS in horses, over 1900
doses OF tuberculin and 1000 doses of mall
lein have been supplied. The secretary
points out the serious evil resulting from a
system OF State inspection which, If 1t be-
came general, would effectually prevent the
marketing of live stock in some sections,
would destroy much of the usefulness
Of the federal inspection. He regards the
present conditions as so menacing TO the in
tereSts of the cattle industry in the West
and Southwest that he has requested the
attorney general to cooperate in bringing
the matter before the Supreme Court for
decision as TO the cOnstitutionality of these
State laws. This request has been favora-
bly, received and the assistance of the De-
partment of Justice promised.
a good portion of the report is devoted
to botanical Investigations. seed distribu-
ton, the bureau of chemistry, work of eX-
perment stations and other features of the
Gepartments work. A newly organized
reports that this bureau is cooperating
with the federal government, with several
states and many private owners in hand
ing their forest lands. Altogether, assist
ance has been asked for a total area of
100000 acres, of which 10000 are held
by private oWners. The work OF forest man
agement Is reviewed in some detail. Dur
ing the year nearly 10000 acres under pri-
vate owners were examined by representa-
tives of the bureau, and four detailed work
ing plans, covering $1,000 acres were pre-
pared. The working plan for the BLACK
Hills forest reserve was completed and
working plans were undertaken for the
Prescott and Big Horn and the Priest-river
reserves.
Forest Investigations include the study Of
commercial trees, and economic tree plant
ing, of forest fires, grazing, numbering, for
est productions and other important lines.
The region containing the proposed APP
palachian forest reserve was examined in
cooperation with the United States Geo
logical Survey and nearly 100000 acres
were mapped lands classified and the for
ests carefully studied. The secretary re-
CARDS the creation of the proposed forest
reserve as urgent in order to protect the
headwaters of important streams, to main
tain the already greatly impaired supply
of timber and to provide a national recrea-
ton ground. Upon the request of the sec
rotary of the interior, the effects of grazing
and forest fires were investigated on
twelve of the forest reserves.
In the study of economic tree planting in
cooperation with farmers and others in
making forest plantations, 1915 acres We're
examined and plans were prepared for
nearly 5000 acres, while $4,000 applications
for tree-planting plans were received.
An extensive review OF the work OF soil
survey shows that the areas surveyed and
mappe during the year exceeded 3,500.GO q
acres, making a total of nearly 100000
acres surveyed during the past I'VE years.
The field work, including preparation of re-
ports, transportation and supplies, has cost
an average Of 1926 per square mile, or
ABOUT oil cents per nunQreu acres. A part
of the expense has been paid by state or
CARNATIONS, and effective cooperation has
been had with the stations. The demands
fer soil survey in various parts of the coun-
try continue to be received in excess of
the ability Of the bureau TO comply. The
secretary enumerates sundry important re-
suits in the work of the survey, but dwellS
especially upon what has been achieved in
connection with tobacco. Especially sue
cessful have been the experiments made by
the bureau in the growing of a fine type of
Sumatra leaf on certain soils in the Con-
necticut valley. During the past year near
ly fOrty-three acres a been grown under
the direct control of the department eX-
perts. An interesting feature of the ex-
pertinent is that the bulk of the cost, estf-
mated at $4,000, has been invested by
the farmers themselves, and it is graf
fying to record that their enter
prise has been rewarded far beyond
of the department have also been followed
in the methods of curing tobacco in Penn
~sylvania. with the result of effecting a
saving from the ravageS of the black rot
exceeding One-half million dollars. Urgent
demands for assistance in the tobacco in
dustry have reached the department from
New York, Wisconsin, Texas and Florida.
Referring to the reclamation of the alkail
lands, TO which attention has frequently
been called in the reports of the soil sur
Ney, the secretary says that he Is more
and more convinced that to carry the les
son home to the individual IL Will be nee
essary for the department itself TO under
fcency of drainage. The necessity of a
special study Of ClimatOlogy in connection
with the soil work is pointed out. THE
time has come" says the secretary, when
the work should be taken up on a scale
commensurate with the extension OF AZ