The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-09-18

among our herds and f1Ocks. Rigid in
spection against foreign countries hav-
ing animal diseases is maintained at
our ports Of entry, in order to protect
the health of our domestic animals.
Within the last eleven years the gov
eminent has become thoroughly
equipped to deal with plant diseases.
The loss of half million dollars an
nually was stopped by pathological ex-
animation Of our sea-island cottons
New varieties of fruits, cereals, cottons,
ETC., are being created by hybridizing to
meet the demands Of producers of these
crops in the North and in the South
Our forests have been mostly de-
stroyed and our mountains, the natural
reservoirs for water, have been rem
dered incapable of retaining moisture.
Efforts are being made to reforest the
country, to prevent fires, to regulate
grazing in our forests, and to study
numbering and forest products.
The Federal Government is making
inquiry into road material and begin
young men toward road building A
laboratory has been established in the
Department of Agriculture for the
study of materials with which to con-
struct roads; and rocks, gravels, clays,
thing, cement, concrete pavements,
stone, brick, wood, and asphaltum are
being studied.
The Central American boil weevil,
now the greatest menace to the cotton
crop of the United States, is being
actively studied as it increases it's
range, and means of control have been
devised which make the growth of cot
ton nearly as profitable as ever. The
insect enemies of other great staple
crops are being investigated throughout
the country, and the gypsy and brown
| tail moths, which are threatening the
forest areas Of New England, are be-
ing checked and brought into measur-
able control by the agency of the Fed
eral Government in cooperation with
state authorities The losses occasioned
| by insect pests in general amount to
millions annually, and much Of this
loss may gradually be prevented by the
kind of work done by the Department
of Agriculture.
The atmosphere in it's relation to ag-
riculture and commerce is being care
| fully studied, and trained meteorolo-
gists for the first time in our history
are being detailed from the Department
of Agriculture to give lectures in insti-
tutions of learning, in order that we
may have scholars in the land along
this line of inquiry, to the end that the
farmer and the mariner may have all
the protection that intelligent forecast
ing can give them.
The Meat Inspection and Pure Food
| On June 80, 1906, by the approval of
President Roosevelt, the Meat Inspec-
ton Amendment became law. Under
the provisions of this amendment the
Federal Government guarantees to the
people of the United States that the
meat shipped in interstate commerce is
derived from animals which are free
from disease at the time Of slaughter,
and that meat products from these ami
mails are prepared in clean packing
houses, under sanitary conditions, and
without the addition of any injurious
or deleterious drugs, chemicals, or pre-
servatives. The United States now has
the most stringent and the best en-
forced meat inspection law of any coun-
try in the world, and it is great pro-