The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-12-16

capital, the secretary estimates IL con-
servatively at 1000 million dollars with
in four years-this without recognizing
the marked increase in the value of
land during the past two years. The
most startling figures shown as illustrat-
ing the farmers prosperity are those
presented by deposits in banks in typ
ical agricultural states The secretary
selects for this illustration Iowa, Kan
sas and Mississippi. Taking all kinds
of banks, national, state, private and
savings, the deposits increased from
June 80 1896, to October 81, 1904, in
Iowa, 1874 per cent, in Kansas 219 per
cent, and in Mississippi 301 per cent
in the United States 81 per cent. A
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.
GOOD WORK OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS.
The secretary finds results of great
Importance from the extensive work in
many lines of the stations, and en-
phasizes particularly work done by
them in relation to cheese and to feed
ing stuffs
PROGRESS OF AGRICULTUREC COLLEGES.
He enumerates instances of the liberal
ity of many of the states in their deal
ings with the agricultural colleges in
making provisions especially for new
buildings and increased equipment.
He reports an increased interest in
courses in rural engineering and the
provision in several of the colleges of
special facilities for instruction in this
important subject.
He reports the attendance at land
grant colleges i'm 1908 of over SO, 900
students, of whom 3, LAG were taking
four-year courses in agriculture, and
1850 were taking shorter courses in
agriculture, dairying, horticulture and
veterinary science. Graduates of these
institutions in 1908 numbered A, 524.
SECONDARY AND PRIMARY INSTRUC-
TION IN AGRICULTURE.
Progress has been made during the
year along the lines of secondary in
struction in agriculture, not only in
schools maintained in connection with
the agricultural colleges but in many
! other separate schools, and considerable
attention has been given of late to the
practical instruction of women along
agricultural and horticultural lines. In
one way or another, thousands of
children of the common schools are al
ready receiving some instruction in re-
| lation to agriculture, and the move
ment is rapidly spreading, and in this
the department is helping as far as il
can without having funds specifically
for the purpose,
Work in the interest of the farmers
institutes throughout the country has
been regularly organized in the Office of
experiment stations and attention has
been definitely called to the numerous
publications which the department and
the experiment stations are issuing, and
they have been put in the way of re-
ceiving these publications regularly
FORAGE CROP INVESTIGATIONS.
Considerable advances have been
made in the forage crop work. More
attention has been given to alfalfa in
in the eastern half of the United States
in the past two years than to any other
crop. The department has denonstrat-
ed that this valuable crop can be grown
in almost every state in the union. A
large amount of information has bee
gathered the past year as to the carry
ing capacity of the ranges in various
parts of the west. Intelligent manage
ment will bring the ranges back to their
primitive state of productiveness, but it
is definitely demonstrated that there is
no chance of improving range condi-
tions except where stockmen are able
to control the ranges upon which
their stock feed. 1t has also been de-
monstrated that many new plants may
be introduced upon the range success
fully. Plants that may be grown upon
alkali lands have been studied
IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR BEET SEED.
In regard to the sugar beet the chief
effort of the department has been to
effect improvements in the seed and to
study the diseases with view to the
discovery of remedies. Strains of ped
igreed seed are being established in
New York, Michigan. Utah and Wash
ington, having already assumed COM
mercial Importance in the last two
states. 1t seems to be question of but
few years when the entire 5000, 900
pounds used in the United States will
be produced at home. American grown
seed has produced beets testing as high
as "a per cent and the average in all
beets tested from American grown seed
in 1908 was 1873. The average percent
age in all beets grown in the United
States is but q little over II per cent.