The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-07

| has done great damage, A scientist
of the Department of Agriculture has
found the Weeyil at home in Guate-
mala being kept in check by an ant.
which has been brought to our cotton
| fields for observation. 1t is hoped that
! it may serve a good purpose.
The soils of the country are getting
| attention from the farmers stand
! point. and interesting results are fol-
| lowing We have duplicates of the
soils that grow the wrapper tobacco
! in Sumatra and the filler tobacco in
| Cuba. 1T viii be only a question of
time when the large amounts paid to
these countries will be paid to our
| own people. The reclamation of alkaIi
| lands is progressing, to give object les
/ sons to our people in methods by
which worthless lands may be made
/ productive.
| The insect friends and enemies of
! the farmer are getting attention. The
/ enemy of the San Jose scale was
| found near the Great Wall of China
and is now cleaning up all our or
chards. The figfertilizing insect i'm
i ported from Turkey has helped to es-
tablish an industry in California that
amounts to from fifty to one hundred
tons Of dried figs annually, and is eX-
| tending over the Pacific coast. A par
asitic fly from South Africa is keep
ing in subsection the black scale. the
worst pest of the orange and lemon
| industry in California.
| Careful preliminary work is beng
done towards producing our own silk.
| The mulberry is being distributed in
/ large numbers. e~es are being import
! ed and distributed, improved reels
were imported from Europe last year.
and two expert reelers were brought
/ to Washington to reel the crop of
J cocoons and teach the art TO our own
people.
| The crop-reporting system of the
/ Department of Agriculture is being
| brought closer to accuracy every year.
/ has two hundred and fifty thousand
reporters selected from people in eight
Vocations in life 1t has arrangements
| with most European countries for in
/ terchange of estimates, SO that our
people may know as nearly as possible
With what they must compete.
! Irrigation.
During the two and a half years
| that have elapsed since the passage
of the reclamation act rapid progress
| has been made in the surveys and
| examinations of the opportunities for
| reclamation in the thirteen States ana
| three territories of the arid West Con-
| struction has already been begun on
the largest and most important of the
! irrigation works, and plans are being
completed for works which will utilize
| the funds now available. The oper-
ations are being carried on by the
| Reclamation Service, a corps of engi-
neers selected through competitive civ
! il service examinations. This corps
| includes experienced consulting and
constructing engineers as well as vari-
| Gus experts in mechanical and legal
matters and is composed largely Of
men who have spent most of their
| lives in practical affairs connected with
| irrigation. The larger problems have
| been solved and it now remains to ex-
ecute with care, economy. and thor
oughness the work which has been
laid out. All important details are
being carefully considered by boards
of consulting engineers, selected for
their thorough knowledge and pracu-
cal experience. Each project is taken
up on the ground by competent men
and viewed from the standpoint of
the creation of prosperous homes, ana
of promptly refunding to the Treasury
the cost of construction. The recla-
nation act has been found to be re-
markably complete and effective. ana
lso broad in its provisions that wide