The San Francisco call., 1906-11-30
WEALTH OF NATION
SHOWS IN CROPS
New Plants That Aid Pro
duction in Dakota and
on Lands of Far North
SECRETARY'S REPORT


WASHINGTON, Nov. 2s.-In his an
nuai report the Secretary of Agricul-
ture says:
Value of leading crops: Corn re-
mains by far the most valuable crop.
estimated at s1.1O0. 000. .00o Next comes
the cotton crop, which, including seed
should be worth to the growers nearly
100000, 600. The value of hay. which
is third in order, approaches 100000.
OOO Wheat, the fourth crop. NAV be
worth s45o.o00,000; oats. $500, ,00o, 900;
potatoes, s150.000,0o0. Barley. with n
value of s65.000,000, shows a gain of 21
per cent in production in the past seven
years. The tobacco crop will be worth
about s55, 600, 900. A remarkable deyel-
opment is that OF the sugar beet. now
the ninth crop in value. The produc
tion in 1906 is placed at 345. 5000 long
tons. valued at $4,000, 900. Seven wears
ago the value of this crop was 81 0oO.
600. The value of all kinds of sugar.
syrup and molasses aggregates s75.-
100000.
VALUABLE PLANTS
In the bureau of plant Industry the
leading features of the work of the past
year have been the cooperative dem
onstration work with farmers, fruit
growers and others under the careful
supervision of department experts and
the introduction of new crops of econ
omic value. One of the most important
achievements in this latter line is the
discovery Of the existence of a Siberian
alfalfa, a plant native to the dry
steppes of Siberia. where the mercury
freezes without snow, thus proving the
ability of the plant to withstand with
out protection temperature of 40 de
grees below zero. This discovery may
mark an epoch in the agriculture of
the Northwest prairie regions of the
United States. Among other valuable
plants introduced are a vigorous alf-
alta from Arabia, and the Tangier pea.
which has yielded as high as nine tons
of green feed per acre. With a view
to increasing the mating Industry. the
departments explorers have secured
living plants OF the best foreign varie-
ties Of rushes. Experiments In the
propagation of many seeds and plants
introduced from foreign countries are
being carried on at the Plant introduce
tion Garden at Chico, Cal.
FOREST RESERVE POLICY
Great progress has been made in the
practical application of a national for
est reserve policy. In area the reserves
We're Increased during the year from
S5,693,422 to 106,999,13S acres. In rev.
a..
1886. as against $60,142.62 for the
preceding year. One fiscal year of full
control under the forest reserve has
established two facts, viz: That the
reserves advance the present interests
of the people of the West and that
they will speedily pay the cost of ad-
ministering them Through Govern
ment control the interests of the fu-
ture are safeguarded without sacrific-
ing those of the present The reserves
do not withhold land from agricultural
use, but greatly increase the amount OF
available farm land The promotion Of
agriculture is one of the main ends
of the forest reserve policy. BY guar
anteeing future supplies of timber,
they are Indispensable to the future
development OF mining The senti-
ment of stockmen throughout the West
is now united in favor of the forest
reserve system. because of the gain
to them now that the reserve ranges
are safe from overcrowding and de-
terioration. The Secretary especially
commends the good will with which
the associations of Western stockmen
have co-operated with him. Finally,
the reserves have proved beneficial
alike to the lumber Industry and to
the timber-consuming public. The
available merchantable timber is not
locked up from present use, but it will
not be disposed OF under short
sighted policy of utilization. which
would leave a gap between the end of
the present supply and the oncoming
of a second crop
PROTECTION FROM FIRE
Protection of the reserves from fire
has been the most important task laid
on the forest service. 1t is cause for
congratulation that the loss by fire
during the year was slight even by
comparison with that of 1905. This
favorable result is due to increased
efficiency of the patrol system, COM
bined with favorable climatic condi-
tions. The important fact has been
demonstrated that the forest service is
able TO substitute conservative for de-
structive use. while greatly increasing
the use itself. The largest totals of
sales were, in board feet, $4,000, 900 in
South Dakota, 71,000.o00 in Wyoming
and 100000 in Montana. In South
Dakota a special reason exists for
pressing the sale of timber with en-
ergy. The ravages of bark beetle
threaten the annihilation of the en-