The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-12-06

graduate work TO Ave hundred young
/ men during the last seven years, pre-
pairing them for advanced lines OF work
in the department and In the state In
| stitutions.
The facts concerning meteorology and
Its relations TO plant and animal life are
being systematically inquired into. Tenn
perature and moisture are controlling
factors In all agricultural operations.
The seasons OF the cyclones Of the Car
| ibbean sea and their paths are being
forecasted with increasing accuracy. The
cold winds that come from the north are
anticipated and their times and intens-
] ity told 10 farmers, gardeners and fruit
erers In all southern localities
We sell two hundred and hfty million
! dollars worth OF animals and animal
products to foreign countries every year.
in addition TO supplying our own people
more cheaply and abundantly than any
other nation is able TO provide for its
, people. Successful manufacturing de-
pends primarily on cheap food. which ac-
| counts to considerable extent for our
| growth In this direction. The depart
I ment OF agricuItnrs. by careful inspeo-
tion OF meats. guards the health OF our
people and gives clean bills OF health to
| deserving exports: II is prepared TO deal
promptly with imported disease OF ami
| mails. and maintain the excellence OF our
| focks and herds In this respect. There
should he an annual census OF the live
stock Of the nation.
We sell abroad about six million dol
| lars worth OF plants and their products
every year. Strenuous efforts are being
made TO impert from foreign countries
such grains as are suitable to our vary
ing localities Seven years ago we
bought three -fourths OF our rice: by help
ing the rice growers on the gulf coast
TO secure seeds from the Orient suited
to their conditions. and by giving them
adequate protection, they now supply
home demand and export TO the islands
OF the Caribbean and TO other rice
growing countries Wheat and other
grains have been imported from light
rainfall countries TO our lands In the
west and southwest that have not grown
| crops because Of light precipitation. re-
sulting In an extensive addition 20 our
cropping area and our home making ter
ritory that cannot he irrigated. Ten mil
lion bushels Of first-class maca roni wheat
We're grown from these experimental Inn
portations last year. Fruits suitable TO
our soils and climates are being import
ed from all the countries Of the Old World
the fig from Turkey. the almond from
Spain, the date from Algeria, the mango
from India. We are helping our fruit
growers TO get their crops into European
markets by studying methods of preserva.
tion through refrigeration, packing and
handling which have been quite SUCCESS
full We are helping our hop growers By
importing varieties that ripen earlier ana
later than the kinds they have been
raising, thereby lengthening the harvest
ing season. The cotton crop OF the coun-
try is threatened with root rot. the boil
worm and the boil weeviL Our patholo-
gfsts will find immune varieties that will
resist the root disease and the bollworm
can be dealt with. but the boil weevl
is serious menace to the cotton crop
IL is a Central American insect that has
become acclimated In Texas and has
4 done great damage. scientist Of the
department of agriculture has found the
weevil at home in Guatemala being kept
I'm check by an ant, which has been
brought to our cotton fields for observa-
tion. II is hoped that IL may serve q
good purpose.
The soils of the country are gettin0
attention from the farmers standpoint,
and interesting results are following. We
have duplicates OF the soils that grow
the wrapper tobacco In Sumatra and the
filler tobacco i'm Cuba. II will be only Q
question Of time when the large amounts
paid to these countries will be paid to
our own people. The reclamation OF al
kali lands is progressing to give object
lessons TO our people I'm methods by
ductive.
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 clean
Ing up all our orchards. The fig gfertiix-
ing insect imported from Turkey has
helped To establish an industry I'm Calf
fornia that amounts to from fifty to one
hundred tons of dried figs annually. and
is extending over the Pacific coast.
parasitic fly from South Africa Is keep
ing In subsection the black scale. the
worst pest OF the orange and lemon in
dustry I'm California.
Careful preliminary work il being done
towards producing our own silk Tbs
mulberry Is being distributed in large
numbers eggs are being imported and
distributed. improved reels weFe-imperted
from Europe last year, and two expert
reelers were brought to Washington to
reel the crop Of cocoons and teach the
art 10 our own people.
The crop-reporting system OF the de-
partment of agriculture is being brought
closer to accuracy every year. 1t has two
hundred and fifty thousand reporters So
lected from people I'm eight vocations In
life. II has arrangements with most
European countries for interchange OF es-
Inmates, so that our people may know az
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 I'm the surveys and examinations OF
the opportunities for reclamation In the
thirteen states and three territories OF the
arid West Construction has already been
begun OH the largest and most important
OF the irrigation works. and plans are be-
ing campleted for works which will utilize
the funds now available. The operations
are being carried on by the reclamation
service. n corps OF engineers selected
through competitive civil-service exam
nations. This corps includes experienced
consulting and constructing engineers as
well as various experts In mechanical and
legal matters. and is composed largely
OF men who have spent most of their lives
I'm practical affairs connected with irri-
Thn 1ar rear he, lx.av