Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-08-15
THE AMERICAN FARM
1t Is the Source of Our National
Wealth and Greatness.
secretary of Agriculture Wilson
Makes N Prediction and Gives
Some Excellent Reasons
in support of 1t.
Especial Washington Letter.1

l. n a prophecy" said Secre-
tary Wilson, of the depart
ment of agriculture.
there is some talk of a combina-
ton of all Europe against the United
states, commercially, if not inimical-
~ we can come nearer now to sup
porting ourselves than any nation on
earth. Any combination of countries
against us, to embarrass us in any
way, would soon discover tina they
were getting the worst of it.
The object of all of the work of
department. of agriculture is to
enable the United States to produce,
as near as possible, everything which
our people require, under the Amer
1can nag. 1t will only be a reason
'aoIe number of years when we will
produce our own wooden and cotton
clothing, our shoes, socks, shirts and
everything of hat character. 1t will
be very soon when we will be able to
produce all of our own food, our tea,
coffee, sugar, rubber, spices, bread,
butter, cheese, nuts, r~aisins, oranges,
.apples, peaches, cherries, plums,
olives; in fact everything that neces-
s1ty or luxury requires or suggests.
All of these things, and many more
too numerous to mention, will be
produced in the United States or in
our island possessions"
No writer could portray the earn
'~estness and forcefulness of this typ
1cal farmer leader, as he drops his
:s~pectacles, leans back in his chair,
rises and moves his hands and arms,
or wal ks ahn11f fha rnnn uvhi1a ha
dwells upon the glory and greatness
of the imperial republic. He glories
in the fact that the United States
government and people are free, be-
cause valorous, and independent be-
cause prosperous and thrifty; there
fore to-day more free and independ-
ent than when the declaration was
promulgated on July 4, 1776. The
secretary is an intensely patriotic
man, and back of all of his work is
the energizing influence of his love
of country and pride in its grand
achievements and marvellous POSSIBLE
tiles and probabilities. That is what
impelled him to make the statement
and prophecy concerning the defiant
capability of the United States in the
presence of suggestions of foreign
complications and combinations.
II will tell you what the depart
ment of agriculture is doing for the
present veal and the future COM
monweal," continued Secretary Will
son.
From the beginning of the colon
ia1 development of our country to-
bacco has been one of our greatest
ITTls1- = - k,1 4L14 $1,000
people do not approve of the use of
tobacco in any form, it still continues
to be one of our staple products.
We annually sell $50, 600, 900 worth of
tobacco; but we buy $13,OOO,OOo
worth. This department is trying to
reduce our buying necessities. Of the
S13, 900, 1000 bought, 100000 are for
Sumatra wrappers. The other S.
600, 900 are expended for what is
known as filters, mostly from Cuba.
We are teaching our people how to
grow filters and we expect soon to
be growing all the filters and wrap
pers we need in our own country.
We are experimenting now in Penn
sylvania and also in Texas with great
success. We also expect to grow
large quantities of these kinds of to-
bacco in Porto Rico and the Philip
pines. We intend to save $13,000,0 900
for our own people in this industry,
and that amount will increase every
year We ought soon to be selling
about $50, 900, 900 worth of tobacco
annually, and buying, substantially,
none
1--WE cannot grow coffee in the
United States, because every part of