River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-08-08

sugar beet industry. We have been
France and Germany. In 1898 we
produced $4,000 tons of sugar from
beets; in 1899, $1,000 tons; in 1890,
$4,000 tons. This year we will pro-
duce upwards of 100000 tons of sugar
from beets. There will also be about
40 factories at work this year max
ing beet sugar. 1t is a great indus
try.
Heretofore the United States has
never succeeded in manufacturing
first-claSs macaroni. We began i'm
porting macaroni wheats from the
Russian empire, and this year there
will be grown in our country about
100000 bushels of this wheat in the
semi-arid regions. Very soon it will
be unnecessary for us to import
100000 pounds of macaroni annual
~, for all that we require will be
grown by our own people, and a
great part of it upon lands which
have not been good food producers.
We are also importing finer bread
wheats and distributing them
throughout the wheat growing re-
gion.
"The Smyrna fig industry is well es-
tablished in California. Fifteen tons
of figs win be raised this year. Date
palms from Tripoli are being success
fully grown at Phoenix, Ariz. These
two industries are of great value and
will increase from year to year.
Or. Knapp, of this department, will
ssoon be on the way to the China seas
to study the forage crops of
those countries, in order that sim
liar crops may be produced on
our southern farms; also to as
certain what plant in the Philip
pine islands will save the expense of
sending hay from this country for 49,
900 horses and mules; also TO find soft
rice for our stock feeding. His work
will be of vast Importance and value TO
our people.
SIN like manner we are studying for
estry in all ATTITUDES. We are intro
ducing new grasses and legumes for
every American latitude. Our object
is to enable the United States to pro-
duce everything that is necessary for
our necessities, not merely for the
continued prosperity of our whole
people, but in order that the whole
world may see that we are ready to
meet any combinations, trade or
otherwise, which may be formed
against us, as suggested in many quar-
ters, and threatened in a few local
tiles"
Secretary Wilson then reverted to
the work of his department. in the
scientific branches which include the
weather bureau, the division of sta
tistics, section of foreign markets, bu-
reau of animal industry, division of
chemistry, Office of experiment sta
tions, biological survey, divisions of
entomology, forestry, botany, agros
tology, pomology, soils, seeds, gardens
and grounds, and public roads. There
is Il veritable department of lifetime
study in each of these, divisions. The
men of science working under the di-
rection of the secretary make investi-
cations into the diseases of live stock,
and make Investigations and expert
ments for the prevention or cxtirpa-
ton of those diseases.
They make special studies of the
best means of extending our agricul-
tural export trade, by cooperating
with consuls of this country in for.
eign ports. They study soils, fertiliz-
ers, authorizations of foods, their pre-
vention and detection. They collect
and disseminate information by pub
fishing accounts of agricultural in
vestigations at home and abroad.
They are doing invaluable work in
studying soils in their relation to
crops, the mapping of soils, the in
vestigation and mapping of alkali
lands; also the Investigations and pub
lications concerning the growth, cur
ing and fermentation of tobacco The
seed division alone. which is particu-
larly of interest to individual farm
ers, performs an amount Of WORK the
publication of which, in detail, would
fill volume.
The secretary says: "AIl Of the
wealth of the world is in the soil We
have it. 1t is our duty to develop it.
We are fully aware of the situation.
and are confronting it,"
SMITH n FRY