The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-06-27
lowan Tells Americus Club oi
Pittsburg That Alcohol Will
Meet All Requirements.
WARNS AS TO FORESTS.
ccerstary Of Agriculture Says We Are
Going Too Fast and Too Far in
Denuding Our Mountains
Of Their Trees.

encouragement. ADDRESSING the
hmericus club here. recently Secretary of
Agricultural James Wilson. OF Iowa, said
In part U #
The most successful farming In our day
is CARED on by men OF highest intelligence
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 worlds markets with poorer
soils and less genial climates.
A vigorous movement by federal and
state agencies is in progress TO educate
the young reople OF the farm and to make
research into the wide field OF science that
pertains to producing the nations food,
clothing, and other necessities.
The work OF the department In Washing
ton and In the states is Q development
needs help to solve problems that are be-
yond his powers to cope with, II the ques-
ton for solution is representative and af-.
fects conditions common to a neighbor-
hood or state, or several states, he gets
help from his state or from the federal
governments Our research work is pIiated,'
and 1S.5o0.0oo copies Of our publications are
distributed annually through members of
congress and by the department.
Control Of Animal Diseases.
Animal diseases properly come under
federal control, since the eradication of
culoss is less prevalent here than in any
foreign country, but 1t is more prevalent
here than It should be. and the consumers
of meat and milk will soon require its
eradication. The milk of no tuberculosis
cow should be used for human food. and II
Is entirely practicable to'get completely rid
of II. We iHspect 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. ma
tion takes TIE same care we do or goes to
as much expense to secure It.
We have rs, 900 900 acres of national for
est reserves in charge Of the department
of agriculture for preservation and use,
selected from the wooded lands of the pub
lie domain, The mountains at the head
waters of the streams are natures first
underground that holds the water until
1t percolates Into the land, whence IL is
sues In springs throughout the year
exposed, as has occurred to such an ex-
tent the rains wash the soil down to bed
rock. into the valleys, destroying them,
causing higher and higher floods. as the
good people of this city have lately been
experiencing We have gone too fast and
too far in denudinE our mountains Of their
trees. Wood is becoming scarcer and dear
er every year. As population increases we
shall be compelled to use more acreage in
It's sustentation. The trees will be planted
again on the watersheds, and dams will be
times of drought, as is done In older coun-
tries. Your rivers then will be more SER
yiceable in summer and less dangerous in
the spring time. ..
Insect Friends and Foes.
We have friends and enemies In the in
sect world They do not observe state
lines, and when introduced into any part
of our country the rest of II is IN danger.
great. Just now two insects-the gypsy
moth and the brown-tail moth--are spread
Ing over New England; and IL not checked
they will infest the whole country They
attack the trees on lawn, street, and for
est The most effective weapon against
an insect Is its parasite. We have intro
duced many thousands Of the parasites OF
the insects mentioned, and they are doing
their work Our chief entomologist IS now
on his way to the Crimea for more nests
OF the parasites. When we are visited by
an insect pest the first move is to ascer-
tain where 1t came from, and then we
bring In also its parasitic enemy We
travel far and VIDE for parasites and have
to be careful not to bring in the parasites
Ten years ago the United States made
10000 tons of beet sugar. Last year 4S3 600
tons were made. The products were worth
500, 900, 600. Growers Of the beet were shown
where seed that would produce beets rich
In sugar could best be grown, how to
prepare the soil. plant, cultivate, harvest,
test, and what to do With the by-products
Seed Is being developed that has but one
germ (most beet seeds have more)--seeda
that can be planted as corn Is planted cul-
tivated without hand work. topped by ma
ch.nery, and lifted by machinery. When
this point Is reached we shall make our
own sugar with machinery from the piow
to the factory. The American farmer likes
to sit on spring seat, and we must pro-
Denatured Alcohol.
No more coal is being made, our wood
fuel Is getting scarce, and the supply OF
mineral oils Will some day cease. 1t Ia
high time we were looking about for
sources or light, heat and power. Other
countries are doing this. Alcohol meets
the requirements, and starchy plants yield
alcohol One of our explorers last year
large variety of potato for the alcohol IL
Yields. He brought back half q ton OF
them, which will be distributed this spring
among the experiment stations. The
southern cassava, yams and sweet pota-
toes win yield alcohol. as win the sugar
corncobs give eleven gallons Of alcohol
Many refuse plants will be used and much
unmarketable fruit and vegetable matter
The farm is ready to supply heat, light
localities in the west suffer for fuel In
winter when storms are severe or cars are
scarce. We have legislation to permit the
making OF alcohol without payment OF
vent Its use as a beverage-wood alcohol,
perhaps. The time Is surely coming when
the PEOPLE remote from wood, coal, or oil
viii arrange to grow plants rich In starch
for their supply OF light, heat and power
The present Inquiry Is along the lines OF
economical production, as in all new en-
terpnses The cornstaIks of the corn belt
that are not used for fodder would make
very large quantities OF alcohol. which
would be extracted and the refuse re-
maintain necessary organic matter, alco-
hol not being fertilizer. The Department
~ agriculture Is experimenting along this
line, and also with regard to new devices
tor burning this new fuel