Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-04

with a pneumatic air pump, having {
pressure of 10 pounds to the inch. The
young mans stomach became great!
distended. and after several hours OF
great suffering, he died.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| increased in value by at least $4,000, 900
exclusive Of the cost OF reclamation
should it prove successful.
| The native fauna and flora of a re-
| gion afford suggestion as to climatic
peculiarities and agricultural possibil-
ties, which aids one to conclude what
foreign crops and varieties OF frui s
| will or will not be likely to succeed in
a particular place. The biological SUI
vey is engaged in the preparation of
maps showing the natural distribution
of the fauna and flora areas and con-
sequenrt courses for crop belts. Much
important work in this direction has
been accomplished in California and
Texas, and field work has been done in
Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kan
sas, Indian Territory, and New Mexico.
The increase in prairie dogs as a nat
ura result of the destruction of their
called for special investigation, and
assistance was sent to the various
points in the afflicted area, from Mon
tana to Texas, resulting in the collec-
of ya1 n I'm ,ot
Statistics of attendance at the land
grant colleges show over 1000 students
enrolled-an increase over the previous
year of per cent. The attendance for
the four year course in agriculture In
creased more than 26 per cent. The sec
retary points to the marked success Of
agricultural high schools in Minnesota,
and Nebraska as an Indication that
there is demand for agricultural
courses With those afforded in various
manual arts in the city high schools.
He states that all over the country
farmers are sending their children to
public high schools and paying for
their tuition.
IRRIGATION INVESTIGATION.
The distribute, ann use of the wa
ters of western rivers requires legisla
tion on the irrigation industry, which,
in turn, renders it necessary that there
should be better understanding of
the subject than now exists. The de-
partment is securing information as to
the quantity Of water used, where it is
used, how much water is required in
Tie matter of crops, how 1t can be dis
trbuted with the least loss and applied
to the best advantage. Much has been
done to educate farmers and ditch
managers as to the direction in which
improvement in the method of practice
must come. They have made plans,
have shown the need of better work in
constructing and maintaining canals,
and have shown that the loss of water
through leakage in transit is far great
er than is generally supposed. The
large problems which the complete use
of the waters of western rivers is des-
tined to create and the measure of
public control which recent legislation
renders inevitable, give added interest
to the departments studies Of the le-
gal and economic phases Of irrigation.
Through the courtesy of government
officials in Egypt the representative of
the department was enabled to become
fully acquainted with the administra-
ton of laws governing the use of the
waters of the Nile. A number of the
arid states cooperate with the de-
partment in these studies of sociologi-
cal and legal problems.
The secretary concludes his report
with figures illustrative of the magni-
tude of the agricultural industry. In
1900 the fixed capital of agriculture was
about twenty billions of dollars, or
four times that invested in manufac-
ture. In that year there were nearly
five million seven hundred and forty
farms in the country, covering Sal ,OO0,-
900 acres, 456,000.000 Of which consisted
of improved land. According to the re-
turns of the last census, about 40,0O0,-
UUU people, or more tnan nalI OF the to-
tai population in 1900, resided on
farms. OF the 29,O0O,0OO persons report
ed as engaged in gainrul occupations,
10,000,000 were employed in agricultural
pursuits. The produce of American
agriculture in 1899, including farm anil
mails and other products, aggregated
nearly five billion dollars. The most
valuable crops were indian corn,
sS2S, 100000 hay and forage $4S4, ,000, 900; |
cotton s324,OO0,0OO; wheat returned
$370,00O,00O and oats $217,000,O00. The
animals sold and slaughtered during
the year were valued at over s9O,00O,-
900, the products Of the dairy gave
$472, 100000, while poultry and eggs re-
turned over 1921, 100000. The conclud-
ing statement of the secretary is that |
results in the work of the government |
for agriculture are justifying expendi-
tures and 'the future will still further
show the value Of science applied to |
the farm"