Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-25
FOR FARM INTERESTS
THIS GOVERNMENT SPENDS LESS
THAN ANY EUROPEAN POWER.
Despite the Greater Need Of Experiment
tation Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
tive Statements.

The report of the committee on agricul-
| ture and forestry of the Senate, accom-
| panying the agricultural appropriation bill,
| contains some very interesting figures in
| relation to the amounts of money expended
| by foreign governments in aid of agricul-
| tural work. According to this statement
| the United States is expanding less for the
aid of agriculture than any of the European
governments for which statistics are avail
able, both in proportion to it's area of land
in agriculture and to the number of people
engaged in agriculture, and this in spite
of the greater need of experimentation and
aid to development in a new country, where
| such variety of conditions are presented
and such a multitude of problems arise in
the working out of methods of agricultural
practice. To equal the appropriations made
for agriculture by any OF the foreign gov
ernments mentioned, the area OF lana undef
| agriculture in this country would call for an
expenditure by the federal and state gov
ernments Of $SO,UOO.OvO a year instead Oh
$40 600 900.
The government expenditures for agricul-
ture as given by the latest obtainable hg-
ures, are: France, 5000 coo; Austria, w.
275Ooo; Hungary, 50 100000; Russia, s25,-
$50 900; Japan, $5,75O.OOO; the United States
blouse estimate), $0,75O,0oO.
Comparative Expenditures.
Based on the estimate per acre of tillable
land the amounts expended are. in cents:
France, 9S; Austria, 1873; Hungary. ia;
Russia (abouD, A. and the United States,
13.
cents France 81; Austria, 60; Hungary, w,
and the United States, 90.
In France and Germany.
Continuing, the report states that in no
section of the United States are there as
in, nronnrtiOD to land area
as in France or Germany. In our smallest
states along the Atlantic coast We have l
station for $4,000 square miles; France and
Germany have eight times as many. The
south central states with their 10 stations
are 40 per cent larger than all OF france
and Germany with their 151 stations and
Texas alone with l federal statlon, is ~
per cent larger than either of these coun-
tries The ratio of stations TO area IN
France and Germany is 96 to as compared
with Texas % to 1 as compared with MIN
neSota and the DakotaS and ~ TO l as
compared with the Pacific states. But there
is q reason for more liberal expenditure
for agriculture in this country than IN the
countries of Europe. In the countries OF
Europe it is condition of practically nm
ished growth. Many years of experience
haved settled the crops and methods OF
agriculture suited to their conditions,
while we are constantly introducing new
crops and bringing vast new areas under
profitable cultivation OF the total appro-
priation for the Department of Agriculture
approximately 1900, 600 is expended an
nually on routine administrative duties con-
nected with the weather service and The
inspection of meat, dairy products, foods.
etc, leaving only approximately $3,WouVO
exclusive of the appropriations or the
state experiment stations) for the conduct
ing of Investigations for the pronoton ana
extension of agriculture.
Work of Experiment Stations.
1t is interesting to compare the work In
experiment stations that is being done in
this country with foreign countries The
following statement shows some of the
more important agricultural producing
countries, the number of experiment sta
lions in each of these countries, and the
ratio of stations to the area:
Russia, 102 stations; / to every S4,9O6
square miles.
Germany. 80 stations; / to every 2.610
square miles.
France, II stations; l to every 2,916
square miles.
Austria Hungary. 81 stations; to every
3 956 square miles.
United States, 90 stations; 1 to every
81 $50 square miles.
Sweden, 26 stations; 1 to every 6,645
square miles.
Italy, % stations; to every 5.025 square
miles.
Belgium. Is stations; to every 75s
square miles.
Japan; Is stations; to every 9,sH square
miles.
Norway, u stations; 1 to every 1924
square miles.