The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-06
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The annual report of the secretary of
agriculture gives an instructive summary
of the recent operations of the department,
which has grown very much In usefulness
and Importance in recent years. The de-
partment was originally created in 1862.
Prior TO that time it existed as an indie
pendent bureau attached to the Patent
Office in the Interior Department. There
was no propriety in attaching it to that
office. and it had only a feeble sort of ex-
istence. Its head was styled the commits
sioner Of agriculture, and for many years
his principal duty supplying members
of Congress with garden seeds for distri-
button among their constituents. The seeds
were of comparatively little worth. but
many a congressman has made his calling
and election sure by plastering his district
with them. 1t is somewhat remarkable
that so important an interest as agriculture
remained so long with but slight recogni-
ton from Congress. The Republican party
first gave it dignifed place in the organi-
cation Of the government. In 1862 Congress
made the Bureau of Agriculture a distinct
department and passed the agricultural
college act giving to each State 10000 acres
of land at s1.25 per acre for each senator
and representative it might have in Con-
gress 10 constitute an endowment for an
agricultural college. That was the begin
ming and foundation of the agricultural
college and experimental station system,
which has contributed immensely to the
development of agriculture.
1t was not until February, 1889. that the
Department of Agriculture was made an
executive department and the head of 1t
| member of the Cabinet. Since then it's
scope has been much enlarged many new
duties devolved upon it and it's usefulness
greatly increased. Among the compare
lively new duties imposed on the secretary
Of agriculture is that of inspecting and
certifying meats intended for export, when
the laws of the country to which the meats
are destined require an inspection, as all
civilized countries now do. An inspection
| of live animals is also provided for. With
out these inspections our exports of meats
and live animals would cease. The secre-
tary says in his report that during the year
the inspections of live animals aggregated
nearly 6O.00O,00O and those of slaughtered
animals nearly 100000. This is rather
more importent business than distributing
garden seeds. Another important work at
tached to the Agricultural Department is
that of the Weather Bureau, which was
transferred to the department in 1891 The
value of this service to the people, and es-
| pecially to the farmer and to the mariner
cannot be overestimated. Farmers In every
part of the United States are guided by its
forecasts. and the report says ample tes-
timony is afforded that the value of prop
erty thus saved from loss amounts to many
times the cost of maintaining the bureau"
! The weather forecasts announced by means
of bulletins. flags. moving trains and by
rural free delivery routes reach millions of
| persons every day.
| The secretary shows that valuable re-
| suits have been gained by the introduction
of foreign seeds and plants. some of which
| are proving very desirable additions to
| our native products. By the introduction
of new and hardy varieties of wheat our
| wheat-growing area has been materially
extended and the yield increased. Until
within recent years no effort was made to
obtain reports of the condition or prospects
| of the crops, analysis of soils and plants,
or to ascertain the meteorology or climatic
peculiarities of different sections of the
country, the adaptation of their soil or tenn
| perature to different classes, species or va
rieties of plants. Now all of these subjects
| are carefully investigated. The department
has divisions of statistics, of botany, of en-
tomology. of pomology. Of vegetable path
ology, of chemistry, of forestry, of publica-
tions, of experimental stations, of agros-
| tology-the science of grasses-of soils, of
fiber investigation, and of road inquiry. AT
! the head of each of these divisions there
| is a competent chief with trained subordi-
Mates and they are all kept busy. The
| department. has also authority to inspect
and quarantine live animals imported and
| to slaughter such as are found to be dis
eased, and to prevent the transportation of
diseased animals from one State to another
or to foreign countries. The public has
very recently had an exhibition of it's alert
ness and energy in this regard In short
under the progressive methods of sue
cessive Republican administrations the De-
partment of Agriculture, with its head a
member of the Cabinet, has become one of
the most important and useful in the gov
eminent.