The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-07-20
Wilson Does Not Like The Criticism
Of The Public
MONEY SPENT FOR FOREIGN SEEDS
SAYS PEOPLE OF COUNTY ARE
MANY MILLIONS RICHER BY
APPROPRIATIONS.

} Criticism of the money spent by the
department Of agriculture for the in
PRODUCTION of foreign seeds and plants
into this country is a thing that has
a tendency to make the secretary of
agriculture warm under the collar. He
has seen so much Of the great value
of the work of his department in this
respect that it makes him out of pa
thence to find any benighted being left
| in the United States who does not
| realize what has been done. The Sec
! rotary can cite figures to prove that
| the people Of this country are now
| many million dollars better off on ac-
count of the departments explorations
and Investigations in foreign lands,
and this tangible and measurable
benefit is so immense in the aggregate
that it makes the expense, in COMPARE
son, look very small indeed, is the re-
port that comes from Washington.
A good illustration of the way Sec
rotary Wilson looks at it is to be
found in the matter Of sorghum. That
valuable plant was introduced into the
United States from China and France
almost simultaneously, at a total ex-
pense to the department Of $4,000. To-
day sorghum is grown all over the
country and the value of the annual
crop is estimated at $4O,OOO,OOO. This,
the secretary feels, is conclusive evil
dence that if the government had in
sisted on saving $4,000 in 1854 the peo-
pie in 1906 would be losers in the
princely sum of $4O,OOO,OOO.
Case of kaffir Corn.
Kaffir corn is another illustration
1t cost the department of agriculture
$4,000 to investigate and import that
crop, but it is now one of the main
resources of the semi-arid southwest,
where the annual crop is valued at
more than $15,OOO,O 900. Again, the de-
partment spent $4,000 in importing
and experimenting with durum wheat
for lands too dry to grow other kinds,
and durum wheat is now grown to an
annual value of $10,OOO,OOO.
When the department went into the
investigation of Kiushu rice at an ex-
pense of $500, it was as good an op-
pOrtunity as the knockers will ever
have, but results have shown that even
in this instance the money was well
spent. Since the introduction of Jap
anese rice the area devoted to this
crop in Texas and Louisiana alone has
increased from 210,396 acres in 1899 to
61O,700 at the present time, and in the
same period the value of the coast lands
Of those two states advanced from 81
to $3.50 per acre to from $35 to $50 per
acre. Examples could be cited running
through the cereals and fruits in num-
WIS, ehil SUNS " SilOW CIdl TIE lIN0S-
tigating that is being constantly car
ried on by the department is one of
the best investments the government
has ever made for the welfare Of all
the people.
Experiments With Flax.
At the present time the department
is trying to find a species of fax that
will withstand the wilt disease, know
ing that if successful it will be the
means of putting millions into the
pockets of the farmers Of North Da-
kota alone. The flax crop of that state
is worth $17,OOO,OOO a year, and it is
seriously menaced by the wilt disease
If a wilt-resistance flax can be found,
thousands of acres of North Dakota
lands which have become FLAX sick
will be restored to the growing of that
crop and number of tow mills which
have been put out of business will be
able to resume.
Secretary Wilson takes the position
that in every state in the union there
is need of some profitable crop to add
to those now grown, and that it is the
business of the department to search
out those crops and bring them to the
people, a task which would be beyond
the means Of almost all agriculturists
If left to private enterprise