New-York tribune., 1902-12-04
AIDING THE FARMERS.
VII son REVIEWS \ YEARS
WORK OF THE. DEPARTMENT
OF ACUICUITURE.

OF ACNIC1I1L iif.
y-osbi,gton Dec s-The annual report "' -
rstar1- WILSON of the Department OF u
was made public to-day The secretary T'S -
A6ucation work OF the department. "A> M nj, re
effectiveness since his last previous 'epi'
ga that the demands of many puntic h9H'"''"'
for men 10 conduct research IN seiehtihe "ei"s "
fer ability manage AGRICULTURAL enter -, ~
courage young to take adVahtase u a.
nortunties thus afforded. The teachlhS .. @
ioroo Of as,r,ruIture and of the sciences teld'is
4o II &c receiving more attention ~ 'ee r"'i' ~
instituted for the purpose many oi """
neglected their full duty in the past ,,,
research into the principles governing 'he sl"".i
r Ia,ts has resulted in increased varieties 10
sa1.ct from The department is helping tnf peop'e
in many localities to an intelhgent Nho"e -,
their soils. and OF the most prohtao'e uses u ~
tba1 may he devoted. The departments e1eofelS
- onr+ipuinq tn search the Old World for vat
uab,e nIants which may be successfully 'raHS-
planted here The purpose IS TO help '""a+n l,
production in country OF eFefs thihs t"4'
soil and climate will permit and 10 aFsn ourselves
of our new island possessions 10 slo" sui" p'VV'S
as demand tropical conditions
Under the inspection service Of the bureau Oh
Animal Industry antemertem inspections TOT tie
year aggregate nearly 100000 at cost OF a frae-
tfon over one cent each. The number Of post
r,ortern inspections was nearly 3s,60eGH. The meat
inspection stamp was affixed 70 over 25OoU. PACK
ages of meat products, and the nuhleeF "t e1i
tificates of ordinary inspection issued 1or meat
products
327it The quantity OF pork examined miereseop,'
caIIv and exported exceeded 100000 pounds Az
together the value OF exports of animals ana dni-
NAL productions the year amounted 10 S=f4r 'ss
Os2 The elearances of vessels carrying I'VE STOCK
was s37 and the inspection of these vessels has re-
aueed the percentage of loss In ocean transit TO
013 per cent cattle. 0s9 Per cent for sheep anu
to 065 per cent for horses
ExoerfmentaI exports OF dairy products have been
made to Japan, China. Cuba and Porto Rico Inc
obstacles to the rapid increase I'm this trade are
principally inadequate transportation facilities ana
climatic conditions Results however, ehcouiaso
further cultivation of the markets or Japan.
The reorganization of the bureau OF plant IN
dustrv IN accordance with the provisions OF the last
Congress has proceeded during the year, everything
now being practically complete. and the nine main
branches of the bureau conducted so as 10 orins
forth the very best results. The Secretary re-
norts the establishment within the bureau of an
Office of farm management. He announces It's
object as 'the bringing together in concrete form
of all the facts developed In the bureau. as
whole sitting the results. and applying them IN
practical way where they will do the most good
He reports Investigations having for their pur-
nose the extension of the export trade In fruits ana
vegetables and Improvement IN methods on hand-
ling these products for foreign and domestic use
The lines of work introduction OF foreign SEEDS
and pIants have been pushed forward as rapidly
as the means available would permit. Ine asri-
cultural explorers of the department nave Fisiteo
MANY countries and secured many valuable intro
auctions in the way of seeds and plants. The in
troduction and establishment of macareni wheat
in the United States may be regarded as as accom- com
BS Been harvested the last season the demand
is S IN and tested promise great value Par
ticuIar Improvement has been made IN the rice
thpomgi the efforts of the department in the in
PRODUCTION of new forms AS AS h rseS 9egnenS
The Bureau Of Forestry has notably increased i.s
and has made 81 gs % both n P9Se and pns
TfS
and has been carried on IN forty-t"o states ahu
The secretary makes an earnest plea plea 5rn for the
establishment OF the Appalachian Forest Reserve,
a1si ae y value Of $40 o5o oo is being gradually
ffGyed sn tb Tog washed Down from the
slopes are rendering lgissgD annaag @ aa osr rvers
These are results of the deforestation OF these
The soil survey has been greatly extended. and
the division OF soil management gives sSsss % ox TT
EMPLOYS force of more than one hundred persons.
seyenty-hve of whom have had seientino usanln3.
tbe h9 9uTpasa OF 9eternnng whether they contain
sur R1ea, Of cbemistry Several new laboratories
have been established. including contract "a oefa
materials purchased by the government. and also
drug laboratory to study The character s'diNAIu
The study Of the San Jose scale in Japan and
has been an important feature of the years work In
the division OF entomology. besides I'M th ~
African cross-hybrid fungus. and the sending
abroad Of OF the benencal insects ui tliS
In agriculture the work has included an importas,
ton of select breeding queens from italy anu
smaller importations from Austria and cyprus
Very favorable reports OF these queens nave peet
received.
Two additional field agents have been appointed
in the division of statistics. with view 10 ths In
proving its crop reporting service furfher ana lne
statistical expert. who for some years mad ehdrse
of the crop statistics of foreign countries colpet
ing with the United States. has now been staIlonsd
in London so as to be in close touch with the
statistical officers of European governments. whose
reports together with authoritative comneFcial m
tellCence of interest to American FARMERS, ne
transmits TO Washington by mail or cable
The Secretary closes his report with some ialer-
esting figures Illustrative of the mesnituds or the
agricultural industry. In 1910 the liked eapitaI OF
agrculture was about so 0o0J1ttn. or four times
mat Invested in manufactures In that year there
were nearly 5,000 740 farms in the country, cover
ne, S4l oNA600 acres, 1850 of which consisted
Of improved land. According to the returns or the
last census about 100000 people, or more than
half of the total population in 1885, lived on farms
OF the 29.0o00o persons reported as engaged IN
were employed in agricultural pursuits The prod
nee of American agriculture in 1S9 including farm
animals and other products. aggregated nearly
s5 ESQ 600 ol0 The most valuable crop was Indien
corn ss2S 0oo 900; then hay and forage. Siste,qUi
then cotton, 1924 COO 900: wheat returned S5suoaUo
and oats $217o 1900. The animals sold and saugh-
tered in year valued at over ssto.Uet ~
products OF the dairy gave sMt.gcc9eg; ~ s; wn,ie
poultry and eggs returned over SZolUo.uO Inc
Concluding statement of the Secretary is that re-
suits in work OF the government for agriculture
are iustifyiag expenditures, and the future VIII
stiIl further show the value of science applied to
the farm.