Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-12-03

Thousands of Dollars Every Season
Animal Exports over $3.50, 100000.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson in his
annual report calls attention to the fact
that the grand total Of animals and ami
mai products exported during the year
exceeded S2j0,000000 in value THIS
vast foreign market is only preserved,
he says. to our producers by the indefati-
gable efforts of the department and the
rigid inspection required through the
bureau OF animal Industry. This bureau
inspected for export 3S300o cattle, rs
600 sheep and $4,000 horses and mules,
and nearly 1.000 vessels carrying i've
stock. Imported animals were also IN
speeted to the number Of 342,Ooo. ana
where necessary quarantincd.
The Secretary suggests that with the
enormous interests our stock raisers have
at stake, and inspection and quarantine
affording, after all, relative and not an
absolute guarantee Of protection, It might
be we'll for this country to follow the eN-
ample of Great Britain and exclude hVe
stock from other countries entirely.
work of Vast Proportions.
The meat inspection service involves
the inspection Mt time of slaughter OF
nearly 37000,000 animals. or the more
than 100000 cattle inspected, the con
demned carcasses were about one-fourth
of / per cent; of the 100000 sheep, one
tenth Of / per cent, and of 24,00O,OO0
hogs, one-third of l per cent. In the
control of indigenous diseases loO0,o00
inspections were made, and over 4o,OOO
cars disinfected in the Texas fevar ser
vice alone. In the repression OF scabies
in sheep nearly 100000 animals Were
inspected, and over 100000 dipped I'M
der the supervision of the department in
spectors. The Secretary points out the
serious evil resulting ffom a system OF
State inspection which, if it became gen
eral. would effectually prevent the mar
keting of live stock in some sections and
would destroy much of the usefulness or
the federal inspection.
Particular attention has been given TO
the distribution of forecasts by means OF
the rural free delivery. There are now
in operation 800 centers, supplying an
aggregate of nearly $4,000 families in the
farming districts with the latest weather
predictions. With some additional APP
preparation it is the intention to reach
several hundred thousand farm houses
with the daily forecasts and waymngs
during the coming year.
The agricultural conditions of our new
possessions are being thoroughly STUDIED
and SPECIAL attention is being given to the
production in these possessions of tropical
crops. for which the United States pays
ont millions OF dollars annually. Rais-
ing coffee in Porto Rico has been the
subject of special study. Our annual I'M
portations of this valuable crop amount
now to S70000,000.
Studying Value of Foods.
The work of the bureau of chemistry IN
investigating the composition, nutritlve
value and adulteration of food products
during the year was devoted parriculariy,
the Secretary says, to the study of pre-
served meats. the composition and nutrl-
tive value of the preserved article being
compared with the original, and the pre-
servatives If any were employed, deter
mined.
Food products imported into this coun-
fry and suspected Of adulteration or or
containing injurious constituents, nave
also been examined. The Secretary IS
authorized to inspect American food pro
ducts intended for export. Unfortunate
IL. Congress has not provided appropria-
tons adequate to the proper execution
of this law.
| Referring to grazing lands, the Sec
retary says probably 40O,OoO,OOo
acres of the public domain has no agri-
cultural value except for pasturage. IL
| IS at present an open common, with no
laws for its protection or disposal, lie
refers to the frequent conflicts of the
| farmers under irrigation with the range
stocilmen, and recommends rs a remedial
and beneficial measure the leasing of the
grazing land in such a way as not to in
terfere with the homesteader.
The rentals. he believes, would amount
in tbe aggregate to a large sum, which
| could be appropriately applied to the re-
clamation of the irrigable lands. lie
| points out that such leasing is not an ex-
pertinent, as it has been successfully
tried, although in limited way, in Colo
RADIO, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Utah
and Wyoming. He winds MP the discus
sion of this subject by presenting the fol-
| lowing recommendations:
/. That private enterprise will have to
be supplemented by public aid in certain
classes of irrigation works if we are to
secure the largest development of west
ern agriculture.
.. That reservoirs located in the chan
nels Of running streams should be pub
| lie works.
3. That the first step for national aid
of irrigation should be the passage OF
enlightened codes of water laws by the
| States to be benefited
4. That the land laws should be modi-
fed by repeating the desert act and by
! recurring cultivation as well as residence
on homestead.
5. That the non-irrigable grazing lands
| should be leased in small tracts so as to