Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-12-09

noo Within the limits of ascertalnaple
va Ines the farms of 1904 produced an
aggregate wealth with farm valua,ion
that was 965 per cent above the prouec'
of 1908, and 31.29 per cent above the ns
ures for the census year 1899.
An occupation that has produced such
an unthinkable value as one aggresat
inp nearly S5,OOO,0O0000 within year
NAV be better measured by some coin-
narisons. All of the gold mines OIL ene
entire world have not produced since "
1umbus discovered America greater
value of gold than the farmers OF tnls
country have produced in wealth III tWo
wears: this years product is over sl1
times the amount of the capital STOCK Oh
all national banks; it is twice the sun
of our exports and imports tor yeai
it is three times the gross earnings from
the operations of the railways; IL IS loui
times the value of all minerals proquceu
in this country.
Animal Exports increase.
Our animal industry is shown only IN
smoll mart nv the figures giving the ex-
ports. vet these exports are so large as
to he worthy of notice. The animals ex-
norted in the fiscal year 1904 were val
ued at about $4S,00O,OOO, which was an
increase over the previous year OF Sio'-
100000; the exports OF meat ana nea'
nroducts, including oleo oil, oleomarga-
rine and lard compounds, amounted TO
more than S174OOO,OOO, decrease OF
100000 from the year before we
also sent abroad nearly $6,OOO,OOU worm
of dairy products, and of other products,
such as hides and skins, glue, grease ana
grease scrap, over $5,OOO,OOO worm. Inc
exact total of the above items OF export
as given in preliminary returns, was
S223 OPS, 900, which was an increase over
the previous year of more than S1Z,-
100000.
The department is not an educational
institution in the sense OF the WORD, out
it can do and is doing much to bring
home to the people in all walks or lie
the Importance and value OF the farm
and it's productions. The Bureau OF
Plant Industry is making special effort
to encourage the study of plants IN the
public schools.
Unfortunately our system OF elemen-
tary education is such as to leave no I'M
preston on the child's mind of the i'm
portance, value and usefulness OF farm
life. Very little effort has been made to
overcome the general belief that there IS
always great amount of drudgery con-
nected with the farm, and that the OPP
portunties in this sort of occupation are
narrow and limited. When we see the
rapid advances that are being made IN
agriculture along all lines and note the
need for bright young men in this field,
the opportunities offered by the cultiva-
ton of the soil seems as great as in any
other field.
Growth of American Tea.
The department has continued it's work
in the production of American tea. The
more advanced Investigations have been
conducted, as heretofore, at Summerville,
s. G., i'll cooperation with DR.. Charles
T. Shepard. DR.. Shepard's tea gardens
are now yielding from 5000 to 10000
pounds of tea annually. Owing to eli
matte conditions the crop this year will
be light. DR.. Shepard has been devoting
special attention to the improvement of
factory processes.
The work of esta Wishing a plantation
in Texas has been continued. Tea beds
were started on- two types of sofia
rich sandy loan and a bla ok, wa1y soil.
The plants on the black, waXy land have
failed utterly. There are now on hand
at our Texas station, which is located at
Pierce, about 100000 plants, which will
be put into the field this winter, plant
ing about forty acres. Sufficient addi-
tional seed will be put out to give an
other fifty acres next year.
Advance in Forage Crop Work.
Alfalfa has attracted more attention
on the part of farmers in the eastern half
of the United States during the past two
years than any other crop. The depart
ment has demonstrated that it can be
grown in almost every State in the
Union. Varieties have been found which
withstand the rigorous winters of the
Northwestern prairie States. Other va
rieties have been found which are im-
mune to the alfalfa leaf rust. There
is still much to be learned concerning the
adaptability of alfalfa to various types
of soil in the Eastern States and much
time is being devoted to the solution of
this problem.