Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-12-26
OUR AGRICULTURE
IN THE LEAD OF ALL OTHER IN
DUSTRiES.

More Than 4 Third Of Our People Engaged
in tt The Fixed Capital Invested About
$4,000. .000. .000-More Than Half the Peo
pie Live on Farms - The Product in One
Year Reaches $4,000. 900, ,0OO-Our Govern.
ment Doing More for the Farmer Than All
Other Nations Combined - These Figures
Supported by Census Statistics.
In the industrial progress made by
the United States during recent years
there has been no more conspicuous
feature than the growth of agricul-
ture," says Secretary of Agriculture
James Wilson, in his report to the
President. He gives figures, mainly
taken from the last census. to prove
his statement.
The amount of fixed capital invest.
ed in agriculture is about SIC, ,OOO, 600, ;
600, or four times the amount invest.
ed in manufactures. More than hall
OF the people OF the United States live
on farms, and more than a third OF all
the people engaged in gainful occupa-
tious work on farms. In one year the
products of American farms have
reached an aggregate value of nearly
$4,000, 100000.
American brains supplied to Ameri-
car farms is what is causing the value
OF our farm exports to continue stead
lily on the increase. according to the
Secretary, and he sees the greatest
hope for the future. "The science oil
agriculture" he says, ais in rudimen.
tary stages in all lands. The educa.
ton OF producers from the field, SO
long neglected, has recently been un-
dertaken in earnest in the United
States. Our government is doing
more for the farmer than all other
nations combined. Results are justi.
flying expenditures, and the future will
still further show the value OF science
applied to the farm"
Secretary Wilson's display Of the
work Of the department during the
past year is almost bewildering, SO
many fields OF investigation does it
describe. 1t makes volume OF 12l
pages, and there is hardly page that
does not report on at least two or three
different enterprises undertaken in the
search for facts that will enable agri.
culture to be more successfully carried
on.
Some of the different kinds of work
are touched upon by the Secretary in
the following paragraphs:
Research by the department off.
cisls into the principles governing the
growth Of plants and the creation oi
new species by hybridizing to give va.
rieties from which to select for new
purposes. has brought gratifying re.
suits. We have new fruits and grains
OF numerous kinds adapted to locali'
ties that have been needing them for
many years.
"We are helping people in many To-
calities to an intelligent knowledge oil
their soils and Of the most profitable
uses to which they may be devoted
Results are showing the value Of this
service. The best sugar lands, rice
lands, tobacco lands, truck lands, and
lands best adapted to particular fruits,
grains. grasses, legumes and other
crops are being discovered as certainly
- any other unknown thing is brought
to human knowledge for the first time
"Few of the plants of most value to
our people are natives of the United
States. They are products OF other
countries and have been useful in theis
localities for long periods OF time
Our various soils and climates are
adapted to many things that have not
yet been introduced to them. Depart.
ment explorers are searching the old
world for whatever is valuable there
and useful here, with results that are
quite encouraging. Our aims are to
help toward the production in the
States and Territories Of everything
! their soils and climates will permit,
and to help our new island possessions
to grow whatever products require
tropical conditions.
"Our growing commerce is accom-.
panied with danger from invasion oil
animal and plant diseases and para.
sites calling for vigilance on the part
Of department scientists to keep them
out and to deal with them when they
cross our borders, as they occasionally
do"
One method of aiding the farmers
which the Secretary is most anxious
to avail himself of is the distribution
OF daily weather forecasts through all
the rural free delivery postal routes.
OF the 10000 routes the department
has been able to send forecasts over
only 1000, but the service has been SO
appreciated that an appropriation OF
500, 1000 is asked to extend it.
One Of the recommendation OF the
report favors an Appalachian forest
reserve. Mr.. Wilson makes the start
ling statement that the denudation oil
the mountain slopes has caused floods
that for the twelve months ending
April last caused damage of $lS ,000,-
600. He says further that water pow.
J er with an aggregate annual rental OF