Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28
TILLERS Of THE
SOIL NJ UST Be
WELL INFORMED
All Intelligent Land
Owners Succeed
so Declares Secretary James Wilson
In an Address at Pittsbura on
Agriculture In Our
Industries"
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
PITTSBURG, April 27.--The annual
banquet of the Americus club Of Pitts
burg in honor of the birthday of u. s.
Grant was held today with Secretary
of Agriculture James Wilson as the
chief speaker.
Secretary Wilson's topic was "Agri-
culture in Our Industries"
He said:
1.-THE most successful farming in our
day is carried on by men Of highest in
telllgence regarding all that pertains
to the soil, the plant, the animal, and
the market. The American producer
from the field would not be the potent
factor he Is without the inventor to
perfect his machinery and the carrier
who transports long distances at low
rates; nor would he play the part he
does in the worlt s markets with poorer
soils and less genial climates.
"a vigorous movement by federal and
state agencies is in progress to educate
the young people of the farm and to
make research into the wide field of
science that pertains to producing the
nations food, 'lothing and other ne
cessities. Discussion has been active
for a generation or more regarding the
preparation Ol Lllo ldTIIlcE LOE Ills llL0
work. Many educators think the farm
er needs nothing beyond a common
school education. Many legislators
think that money devoted to training
farm people IS wasted.
1.-THE federal government has voted
lands and money to educate the chill
dren of the farmer and the mechanic
and has endowed institutions to make
research. The states have followed the
lA11 1rNkl I'D t.
being done in each Of them, much Is
being done in some Of them, to teach
the sciences e agriculture. The move
ment among those interested Is so
strong that the old-fashioned educator
and the hostile legislator are getting
into the minority.
Research Work
1.-THE work of the department in
Washington and in the states is a de-
velopment along new lines. Whenever
a producer needs helo to solve prob
lens that are Leyond his powers to
cope with, If the question for solution
Is representative and affects conditions
common to a neighborhood or state, or
several states, he gets help from his
state or from the federal government.
Our research work is printed, and 49,
100000 copies of our publications are
distributed annually through members
of congress and by tie department.
1.-THE department of agriculture ope-
rates where the state or the individual
is unable to do the work or Is not
equipped to do 1t effectually. The
states, as a general proposition, are
making research along lines peculiar
to each. No one locality can expert
ment for others having different condi-
tions. The federal government and the
states cooperate along experimental
lines in many undertakings that are
best conducted by mutual agreement.
The federal government has expert spe-
cialists in more sciences than most
states have.
"We have an extensive public domain,
gradually passing into private owner
ship, where the rainfall is light and
where little of value grows because of
the aridity, but where plant food Is
abundant. Other parts of the world
have such conditions where people
have lived for many generations and
have learned to grow crops suited to
dry conditions or where crops have
suited themselves to the situation. We
have availed ourselves, after laborious
exploration by intelligent scientists, of
what these peoples In Africa and Asia
have done, and introduced their crops
into our dry region from Texas to
the Dakotas.
"A wheat imported six years ago, of
highly nutritive qualities, gave us over
50,000,000 bushels last year, which is
now being consumed in all the cities of
the east by people who do not dream
that they are fed from the desert. 1t
will increase in magnitude of yield
and spread of area until our semi-arid
country west of the ninety-ninth me-
ridian shall produce the most of our
bread Independent of irrigation.
Legumlnous Plants
"The reclamation service applies
water Our problem is above the
bitches. Wheat will not grow every
year on the same land as grass will,
either with or without rainfall or ir-
rigation. Our northern dry states re-
quire some leguminous plant to rotate
with wheat from a dry climate and
from a cold winter climate. Agricul-
ture succeeds permanently nowhere
without legumes. We found new
clovers, grasses and alfalfas on the
seventieth parallel north in Siberia
suitable to our northwest that will ro-
tate with grain and avoid the neces-
sity Of summer fallowing, as is now
practiced in that country. One crop
In two years is poor farming.
animal diseases properly come un-
der federal control, since the eradica-
tion of disease in one state is not
ID less pTeVd-
lent here than in any foreign country,
but 1T Is more prevalent here than 1t
should be, and the consumers of meat
and milk will soon require it's eradi-
cation. The milk of no tuberculosis
COW should be used for human food,
and it is entirely practicable to get
completely rid of It,
I'VE inspect all the meats of inter-
state and foreign commerce, for home
and foreign trade, and without this we
should be shut out Of foreign markets.
Beyond all peradventure. ours is the
best meat consumed by any people,
as no other nation takes the same care
we do or goes to as much expense to
secure 1t.
The National Forests
I'VE have 14S,OOO,OOO acres of national
forest reserve In charge of the depart
ment OF agriculture for preservation
and use. selected from the wooded
lands Of the public domain. The noun !
tains at the headwaters OF the streams
are natures first reservoirs, where
trees grow to protect the underground |
mat holds the water until 1t percolates