Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-02
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson
Reviews at Length Production
and Exports Of United States.
CREDIT DUE FARMERS.
They Have Paid Foreign Bondholders,
According to Secretary-Beet Sugar
Industry Satisfactory.
DISCUSSES FOOD EXPERIMENTS.

Washington, D. c., Dee. 1.-Sccrc-
tary of Agriculture Wilson has submit
ted his seventh annual report TO the
President. Secretary Wilson reviews at
length the production and exports Of
American agricultural products. The
increase III the exports Of farm products
for the half century ended 1901 was
from $147 100000 to 1852, 900, OO0--550
per cent. The exports of farm products
for the closing decade Of the last cen
tury was over $7O0,OOO,000, and for
1903 over $87S,000,OO0, an amount sec
ond only to that of 1901.
Discussing the balance Of trade, the
secretary shows that the favorable bal
ance to the credit OF this country is due
entirely to the farmers. The balance of
trade in favor of farm products during
ed, aggregated $4,S06 100000 In prod
ucts other than those Of the farm, during
the same period, the balance Of trade
was adverse to this country to the ex-
tent Of 100000. The farmers not
only Cancelled this immense obligation,
but placed $3,940,O00,00O to the credit
OF the nation when the books of inter
national exchange were balanced. He
concludes that lit is the farmers who
have paid the foreign bondholders"
Magnitude Of Agricultural Production.
Reviewing the magnitude of agricul-
tural productions. after giving the figures
Of the most important crops, Mr. Wilson
states that the value of all farm prod
ucts, not led to livestock, for 1908. con
siderably exceeded their value in the CEN
sus year, when it was given as So, 712,-
600, 900.
According to the department inven-
tory Of farm animals for January /,
1903, the value Of horses was over ST.
OOO,0OO,0OO. ard Of mules nearly $780,
L
considerably exceeded 81 300. 000.0 600, Of
600, COO.
Sugar and Tea Culture.
Secretary Wilson reports a satisfactory
development in the beet sugar industry.
In 1896 1920 tons of sugar were made.
and year ago 100000 tons Careful es-
Inmates put the present crop at about
100000 tons.
Work in tea-culture Investigations con-
tinues at Summerville, n c.. where,
though the season has been somewhat I'M,
satisfa Glory. the yield of tea will proba-'
bly, approximate 5000 pounds.
An important part Of the forestry work
OF the department is the study of forest
fires, with the view to discover practical
means for reducing the immense losses.
due thereto. The present year fires of
extraordinary severity occurred An in
yestigation of the great forest fires of
September. 1902, in Washington and!
Oregon, discloses a total loss aggregate q
nearly S13. 100000; most of the destruc-
ton was due to carelessness and might
easily lave been avoided.
Human Food Experiments.
The secretary reports in some detail
the experiments made by the chemist
with a view to determining the effect of
certain preservatives used in human
foods. The experiments made already
with the volunteers who undertook to-
comply with the necessary conditions
have covered foods to which borax or
boracic acid had been added. The
analytical data resulting from the ex-
pertinent will shortly be published, with
such conclusions as an unprejudiced
Judgment would approve. The expert
ment is to be continued and salicylic
acid will be next considered
Discussing the invasion of the cotton
boil weevile the secretary reports that
after personal visit to the south and n
thorough canvass of the situation with
representative men in Congress and win
others he is Of opinion that a cotton
investigation fund should be appropriate
ed for immediate use in connection with
this problem. He believes that not less
than 100000 should be appropria fed
and made immediately available