Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-19
Yearly Average of Exports Over
Imports is $411, 100000.
INCREASE IN YIELD OF SOIL
Wheat Production in Nebraska Shows
Gain of 45.9 Per Cent Per Acre.
DEPARTMENT WORK MULTIPLIED
New Tasks Assigned 90 IL by Con-
gross Now NeceSsitates Employ
ment of over Ten Thou
sand Persons.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1S-During the last
twelve years, the period covering the ad-
ministration of Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson, the agricultural balance of trade in
the United States increased from a yearly
average Of 1924, OOO, 900 to S41 100000, or T5s
per cent, according to the departments
year book Just made public.
This wonderful development is in keep
ing with the progress that has been made
along all lines of agricultural activity. AT
the same time, it is stated, many conditions
affecting the lives of the farmers of the
country have advanced in even greater ratio
until many of the undesirable features of
farm life have been eliminated
Departments Work Grows.
80 increasingly disposed has the public
been to ask and receive the aid of the de-
partment, and so large have been the new
fields of work assigned to 1t by congress" "
says Mr. Wilson. in a resume Of his work,
that the number of employees has in
creased enormously. on July l, 1897 2,44i
persons were employed, and eleven years
later, in 1908, the number was TO- 42O, or over
four times as many"
Among the notable increases were in the
bureau of animal industry, from III to 3,152
employees; in the forest service. from four
teen to 3,753; in the bureau of chemistry,
from twenty to 425, and the bureau of plant
industry, from 127 to 976. Most of the addi-
tional workers in these bureaus are en-
! ployed outside Of Washington, there being
| 2,4SS within and 1882 outside of this city.
Many have been the innovations introduced
and developed into potential forces for the
betterment of farm life during this period
| says Mr.. Wilson. The entire system by
which the work of the Agricultural De-
partment has been operated has been
| changed. Never before has the work OF
state agricultural colleges and experimental
stations been so intimately related with the
! department as now.
Increase i'm Yield of Soil.
During these years there has been a
great dversification and geographic exLen-
sion of products partly from the cultivation
of new land. Although there has been a
decreasing production per acre of what was
only recently virgin soil, there was an in
creased production per acre of the entire
country. The yield per acre of cotton dur,
| ing the ten years ending with 1906 was from
a mean Of 172 pounds per acre during the
preceding ten years to a mean OF 19l pounds
or an II per cent increase. Other crops
| have kept pace with cotton. Within ten
| years the production of corn per acre in
]
1873 per cent. Oats Increased I79 per cent
! in Indiana. Wheat increased 16.2 per cent
! in New York and 45.9 per cent in Nebraska
! Similar advancement was made in the YIELD
per acre of o,rug products. In some degree
this upward movement began twenty years
| ago, but il all lines it has been marked
during the last decade.
! Citing the increase in population based
! upon the families of the native born, Secre-
! tary Wilson declares that no one need have
! fear that the farmers of this country will
| ever be unable TO provide for it's populs
| ton.
They are already demonstrating, in the
! cases of various crops and of various
I states" he says, that they can provide fol
a population increasing faster than by in
crease d. to excess Of births over Deaths
Farm Wages Increase.
From 1895 TO 1906, he says, farm wages in
creased faster than did prices. In the mat
ter Of wage increase the farm laborer has
Jared better than the working man EN-
ployed in manufacturing and mechanical
| industries.
The farmer" says the secretary, "as tht
results of information, intelligence and in
dustry. has thrived nightly. The progress
that has been made is in the direction lead
I ing to popular and national welfare to thu
/ sustenance of any future population as wei
| as TO a larger efficiency OF the farmer Il
matters Of wealth, production and saving
and in establishing himself and his famil!
in more pleasant ways of living"
---T
Presidents Cousin Killed.