Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-04
DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE
Secretary Wilson Tells What
Has Been Done During
the Past Year.
INSPECTION OF ANIMALS
Experiments With Alfalfa and
Investigation Of Soils in the
Arid Regions Affected by
Alkali.

l-~ Alkali.
| Washington, Dee. 4.--Ii!e annual ne
rort of the secretary of agriculture
was submitted to congress today.
The secretary opens his report viii
a reference 10 the educational work o
the department, which he says has
grown in effectiveness since his last
annual report. He finds that the de-
mands OF many public institutions fol
men to conduct research in scientific
fields and for ability to manage agi'i-
cultural enterprises encourage young
men to take advantage of the oppor-
the science of agriculture and of the
sciences relating to it are receiving
more attention in the colleges institu-
ted for the purpose, many of which
have neglected their full duty in the
past.
The past year affords evidence of the
value of forecast warnings OF the Wea-
ther bureau in saving life and proper
ty Ample testimony Is afforded that
the value of property thus saved from
loss amounts to many times the cost of
maintaining the bureau. The secretary
urges the desirability of extending the
distribution of daily forecasts coexten-
sively with the rural free delivery. OF
the 10000 rural free delivery routes ex-
isting August 1, 1902, it has been found
possible to serve only 1000. To make
the distribution coextensive with the
rural free delivery would, he estimates
cost about 100000.
Experiments in wireless telegraphy
have been made under the direction of
The chief of the weather bureau, be-
ginning nearly two years ago, but the
progress reported will not justify the
department in dispensing with its
coast telegraph and cable lines.
INSPECTION OF ANIMALS.
Unofr h inspection service Of the
bureau of animal industry antemor-
tenn inspections for the year aggregate
nearly 60,000,00O, at a cost of a fraction
over one cent each The number Of
postInorteln iIsp9ci2Fs Sas naaMyl
SO 100000. The meat inspection stamp
was affixed to over 23,000000 packages
of meat products, and the number of
certificates of ordinary inspection is
sued for meat products for export, ex-
elusive of horseflesh was 32744. The
quantity of pork examined microscope
cally and exported exceeded 100000
pounds. Altogether the value of ex-
tions for the year amounted to S244,-
733,062 The clearances of vessels car
rying livestock was S37, and the IN
spection of these vessels has reduced
the percentage of loss in ocean transit
to 0.13 per cent for cattle, 0.S9 per cent
for sheep, and to O65 per cent for
horses.
There We're inspected and admitted
from Mexico over $1,000 cattle, and full
ly 5000 sheep, lambs, and goats
The bureau of animal industry has
continued it's Investigations IN conta-
gious diseases with view to their pre-
vention or remedy. Over one and one
half million doses of black-Ieg vaccine
were distributed during the year. Re-
ports show that it's use reduced the
loss of cattle to 051 per cent of those
The losses to sheep owners from pol
sonous plants aggregate annually
100000. The study of these poisonous
plants has developed an antidote for
some of them, not only effective but
which can be rapidly applied.
The department is investigating the
subject Of cold storage as a necessary
adjunct to the rapidly developing fruit
interests. A fruit district survey has
been undertaken to determine the var
ieties of the different fruits best suited
to the conditions prevailing in various
localities, and to study the influence Of
conditions upon their behavior.
ALFALFA EXPERIMENTS.
The success attending the efforts of
the department to Introduce, alfalfa in
the clover regions is most encouraging
and it will be pushed vigorously the|
coming year. Experiments are now
being made with the new variety of al
falfa from South America which resist
the rust which so frequently attacks
the common form.
The secretary urges the adoption of
proper methods of range management
and recommends that congress give to
The president authority to secure for
the experimental needs OF the depart
merit such tracts of public range land
as may be necessary to continue its
experiments on an adequately large
scale.
An investigation was begun during
he year as to the possibility of re-
claiming soils in the arid regions in |
ured by seepage water and the ac-
of alkali. Important work |
IN this line is being carried out OH a |
ract of 40 acres near Salt Lake City. |
arrangements are being made to carry
IN similar work at Fresno, Calf, and |
t Is proposed to extend 1t to the tropi- |
'al area in Montana and possibly in |