The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-08-26
FARM YIElils

Washington Correspondence: Dur
ing the last twelve years, the period
covering the administration of Secre-
tary of Agriculture James Wilson, the
agricultural balance of trade in the
United States increased from a year
ly average of $234,O00,00 to SILL
600, 0 or 1871 per cent, according
to the departments year book, just
made public.
This wonderful development is on
ly in keeping with the progress that
has been made along all lines of agri-
cultural activity. At the same time,
1t is stated, many conditions affect
ing the lives of the farmers CT the
country have advanced in even great
er ratio until many of the undesir-
able features of farm life have bsen
eliminated.
$50 increasingly disposed has the
! public been to ask and receive the
aid of the department and SO .arge
have been the new fields of work as
signed to it by congress-" says Mr..
Wilson, in a resume of his work.
that the number Of employees has
increased enormously. On July >,
1897, 2,444 persons were employed
and eleven years later, in 1908, the
number was 1O,420, OF over four
times as many"
Many More Workers.
Among the notable increases were ,
in the bureau of animal industry,
from TT to 1852 employees; insthe
1.-THE forest service, from IA to 3,T53;
lin the bureau of chemistry, from 90
Ito 424, and in the bureau of plant in
ldustry, fro m12. to 976. Most of the
additional workers in these bureaus
are employed outside of Washington
There being 2,4sS within and 1882
outside of the city.
Many have been the innovations in
troduced and developed into poten-
ltial forces for the betterment of farm
life during this period, says Mr.. Will
son. The entire system by which the
work of the agricultural department
has been operated, has been changed.
Never before has the work of state
Agricultural colleges and experiment
|tal stations been so Intimately reiat-
ed with the department as now.
During these twelve years there
has been a great Investigation and
topographic extension of products,
apart from the cultivation of new
lands. Although there has been a
decreasing production per acre of
what only recently virgin soil, there
was an increased production per acre
of the entire country.
Grain Yield Increased.
Within ten years the production
of corn per acre in Ohio increased
HIS per cent; oats increased l7.9
Iper cent in Indiana. Wheat %increas-
ed 1872 per cent in New York. and
45.9 per cent in Nebraska. Similar
advancement was made in the yield
per acre of other products.
Farmers are already demons.rst-
ing in the cases of various crops and
of various states, MI. Wilson says,
that they can provide for a popula-
tion increasing faster than by in
crease due to excess Of births over
deaths.
From 1895 to 1905, he says, farm
wages increased faster than did
prices. In the matter of wage increase
the farm laborer has Jared bstter
than the workingman employed in
manufacturing and mechanical in
dustries.
THE farmer, says the secretary,
Sin results of information, intell-
gence and industry has thrived might
lily. The progress that has been
made is in the direction leading to
popular and national welfare, to the
%sustnance of any future population
as we'll as to larger efficiency of the
farmer in matters of wealth product
ion and saving and in establishing him
self and his family in more pleasant
ways of living"
The government is going to resist
the efforts of Editor Knowles to get
out of the Rapid City Jail by taking
the poor debtors oath. Attorney
Porter went yer to rapid City to
represent the government in the
letart that Knou,loc hoe moda 70 no