Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-05
REPORTS ON AGRICULTURE
Wilson Tells What Has Been Done for
Farmers During Year,
IRRIGATION REQUIRES LEGISLATION
Huch Has Been Done to Educate Hus-
bandmeh, Largely owing 20 Cour-
tesy of Government ON
ciRIs I'm Egypt.

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-The report Of
the secretary OF agriculture, presented TO
congress today, opens with a reference 20
the educational work OF the department,
which has grown In effectiveness. He
finds the demands OF public Institutions for
men to conduct research and for ability TO
manage agricultural enterprises encourage
young men to take advantage Of the op-
portnities afforded
The report continues:
The year Affords evidence Of the value
OF warnings by the Weather bureau in
saving life and property. Ample testimony
is afforded that the value of property thus
saved amounts to many times the cost of
maintaining the bureau. i urge the desira-
bility OF extending the distr.sution OF daily
forecasts. CoeXtensively with the rural
free delivery. OF the 10000 rural free de-
livery routes existing August /, 1902, It has
been been found possible TO serve only 100 To
rural free delivery would cost about $780,
Under the inspection service Of the Bu-
reau Of Animal Industry ante mortem in
specuons for the year aggregate nearly
SsD, SeUvO%o S at cost Of a traction ,o,l over J
Inspections was nearly 80 10000, The meat
inspection stamp was affixed TO "a, 100000
packages and the number Of certificates Of
ordinary inspection issued for meat prod
ucts for export, exclusive of horsehesh
VS. S.t4t Jhe quantity OF pork examlned
100000 pounds.
There were inspected and admitted from
Mexico over 5000 cattle and fully 5000
sheep lambs and goats. Imporations from
Canada of cattle numbered only 27,7l6. We
Imported from that country 1888 sheep.
The strictest quarantine is maintained at
the ports OF the seacoast in order TO prevent
the Introduction Of animal plaques
Experimental exports OF dairy products
have been made to Japan. China, Cuba
and Porto Rico. The obstacles TO the
rapid increase In this trade are princi-
NnahennafR fran a far
and climatic conditions.
Prevention of Animal Diseases.
The Bureau of Animal Industry has con-
unued its Investigations in contagious dis
eases Eases WIN & visW E To- 10 their prevention or
vaccine were distributed during the year.
Reports show that its use reduced the loss
mated. ~ WI pei ''"' u '''O'e ''e''
A movement to secure improvement in
the methods of inspection in the large
OF the organization of the chief inspectors.
The department is aiding the movement as
much as possible. The study Of the merits
OF red clover of America as compared with
that OF European regions has been con-
unued, with the aid OF a number of expert
ment stations 1t seems evident that the
European clover unless II be some from
the extreme north, is not adapted to the
States.
The losses to sheep owners from poison
Gus plants aggregate annually 100000. The
study OF these poisonous plants has de
Veloped an antidote for some OF them, not
only effective, but which can be rapidly APP
piled.
Grasses and Forage Plants.
Investigation of grasses and forage crops
are OF vital Importance TO American agri-
culture, and these have shown during the
past year that the maintenance of soil fer
tility is Intimately associated with the
production of forage crops and their proper
utilization on the farm. The success at
tending the, efforts OF the department to
fntFnArna In fha ~Io aoNo Nu
most encouraging, and II will be pushed
vigorously the coming year. Experiments
promising variety of alfalfa from South
America which resists the rust which so
frequently attacks the common form.
Of range management and recofnmend that
congress- give TO the president authority to
secure for the experimental needs OF the
department such tracts OF public range
land as may be necessary to continue its
experiments on an adequately large scale.
In the experimental garden. plans have
been put In operation TO bring together the
various collections of valuable plants on the
be useful TO visitors and others who wish
70 study them. A special feature of this
work will be the development on the
effort will also be made to secure and dis
tribute Seeding trees, which have more or
less historic interest, the seedlings when
grown to be sent TO schools throughout the
country, each one accompanied by a concise
statement setting forth the historic events
connected with II.
seeds and Plants Introduced.
During the year the lines Of work on in
PRODUCTION of foreign seeds and plants have
been pushed forward. The introduction ana
United States may be regarded as accom-
plished. About 900 bushels of this
wheat have been harvested the past season.
supply. The winter wheats introduced and
tested promise great value. Varieties OBJ
much more hardy than our own and will
extend winter wheat several miles north
A possible increase OF five 10 ten bushels
per acre over the standard spring wheats
may be had.
cial trees during the year, and studies OF
the forest and It's industrial relations were
New Mexico, Arizona, South Dakota,
Wyoming, Montana, California and Iowa
Among the questions involved were tbs
hres. relation OF the forests to stream flow
irrigation and grazing; The bureau has
pentine Orcharding than that hitherto en-
In tree planting the bureau has sought tc
enlist the interest Of the private land a.
owner. Up to the close of the last fisca
year 2e2 applications ood for Or assistance hat
and 22t plans made.
Reclamation of AIkaM Soil.
An investigation was begun during tn,
year as to the possibility OF reclaIminl
? coils In the arid regions injured by seepa &,
water and the accumulation OF alkali I'm
portsnt work on this line is being carrieC
out or a tract of forty acres near Sal
Lake City. Arrangements are being mad
10 carry on similar work at Fresno, Cal.
and IL is proposed to extend II to the trop
ical area in Montana and possibly In Ari
zona, to demonstrate that these unfaVor
able conditions can be controlled. Ian,
located In the immediate vicinity OF Sal
Lake City can be increased In value BY a
least g. 900. exclusive of the cost OF recla
nation. should IL prove successful.
The native fauna and horz OF a region