New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-30


reviewing the Increase in farm capital the Sec
rotary estimates 1t conservatively at $4,000 0O0
within four years-this without recogniy.np Tho
marked increase in the value OF land in the last
TWO years Inc most startling figures shown as
frustrating the farmers prosperity those pre-
sented by deposits in banks in typical agricultural
States. He selects for this Illustration Iowa. Kan
sas and Mississippi Taking all kinds of banks
national, State. private and savngs-the deposits
increased from June 80 1885, to October ST. $780, in
Iowa 16i per cent, in Kansas 219 per cent and in
Mississippi sol per cent in the United States 81 per
cent. similar favorable comparison may be
made as to the number of depositors
The Secretary concludes that the farmers rate
of financial progress need fear no comparison with
that of any other class of producers.
The Secretary reports great advances In the i'm
provement of plants and methods of growing them
Since the Bureau OF Plant Industry organized
three years ago It has been necessary TO increase
its force nearly so per cent. and it employs
five hundred workers. 60 per cent OF whom
gagged in scientific investigation and its application
the farm, the orchard and the garden The
bureau is striving to train young men for this
work.
Secretary enumerAtes. first rice, Of which. under
the encouragement Of the department there has
been enormously increased production in Louisiana
and Teaxs. Preliminary estimates give the area
devoted to rice 1904 these States at 100000
acres, and the crop will approximate 65O0OoVO
pounds. In reference to durum. or macaroni wheat
the success attending its introduction continues
undated. Probably no less than 100000 bushels
OF such wheats will be grown this year Inc
durum wheats are now being handled without
difficulty by many raillers These wheats have
been found valuable for bread. and can be grown
successfully where many other crops falL
Special work has been done on cotton with
view to bringing home TO farmers of Texas and
louisiana especially in the boil weevn districts
the advantages of better methods OF cultivation
and the value Of early maturing seed The secre-
tary believes it to within the range OF possibll
in tropical America or developed by selection
Much important work has 6e@n cone adj IN in p'e se
curing and desirable long staple G0dt96ns; Inn
and improvement OF and Of oats and potatoes
Some Of the important investigations IN oreeG,
w! No less than I29 selected kinds of seeds and
plants We're Introduced from foreign countries arr
established in the United States These incinGiea
ties of grapes from the ussian Caucasus ~ varle
ties of mangoes of recoE ized superiority from I'll
trail India. 20C0 pounds Of the famous new n ai
from Moravia zoo trees Of the haEdy rta9l asr
Extensive practical tests were made the past sea
son with nitrogen bacteria for use in connection
with leguminous crops Results have been even
more successful than was o M baVs
proved valuable soils containing the uncut
ttvated organisms in abundance: The material for
inoculating an acre OF soil costs the department
The demand for the organisms is constantly IN
creasing 49, 49, ...,h,,,,
Another important item has been the estaptsn-
tary has been authorized by Congress to fix stand
ards. and the work OF ascertainng these proper
standards In collaboration with the association
of official agricultural chemists has been committed
to the Bureau of Chemistry. It would be extremely
desirable TO extend this work until practically all
the substances used as food. beverages or condt-
ments shall have fixed standard of purity.
The Secretary devotes considerable space to dis
| cussing the experiments with borax in food. As
| result OF extended experiments conducted in the
| Bureau of Chemistry he concludes that the argu-
| ment that small quantities Of deleterious sub
| stances may be used without harm is not logical
nor can il be based on the results of the expert
| ments which have been made. The logical conclu-