Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-06
Department OF AGRI-
CULTURE.

! The report of the Secretary of Agricul.
ture invites attention to the stupendOus
value of the agricultural products Of this
country. amounting in all to $685. O0, OOo
for this year. This amount is larger than
| that of 1909 by 1905 coo, 600. The exist
ence Of such crop indicates a good pros
pect for business throughout the country.
A notable change for the better is conf
mented upon by the Secretary in the fact
that the south, especially in those regions
where the boil weevil has fnterfered with
the growth of cotton. has given more at
tentiOn to the cultivation of corn and other
cereals, SO that there is a greater diversi-
fication of crops in the south than ever
beforehand all to the great advantage OF
that section.
The report contains a most interesting
account of the activities of the depart
rnent in its various bureaus, showing how
closely the agricultural progress in this
country is following along the lines of
improvement recommended by the de-
partment through it's publications and the
results OF its experiment stations in every
state, and by the instructions given
! through the agricultural schools aided by
the federal government and following the
general curriculum urged by the head and
bureau chiefs of the department.
Pure Food and Other Acts.
The activities Of the department have
been greatly increased by the enactment
of recent legislation, by the pure-food
act, the meat-inspection act, the cattle
transportation act, and the act concern
ing the interstate shipment Of game. This
department is one of those the scope Of
whose action Is constantly widening, and
therefore 1t is impossible under existing
legislation to reduce the cost and their
estimates below those Of preceding years
An interesting review Of the results Of
an examination made by the department
into statistics and prices shows that on
the average since 1891 farm products
nave increased In value - per cent while
the things which the farmer buys for use
have Increased but IL per cent, an indica.
ton that present conditions are favorable
to the farming community.
The Forest Service.
I have already referred to the forests
OF the United States and their extent,
and have urged, as do again, the re-
moval of the limitation upon the power
OF the executive to reserve other tracts
of land in six western states in which
withdrawal for this purpose is now for
hidden: The Secretary Of Agriculture
astrous fires that occurred during the
last summer in the national forests. A
drought more intense than any recorded
In the history Of the west had introduced
condition into the forests which made
fires almost inevitable, and locomotivs
sparks, negligent campers, and In some
cases incendiaries furnished the needed
immediate cause. At one time the fires
were SO extended that they covered a
range of a hundred miles, and the Sec
rotary estimates that standing timber Of
the value OF Is millions of dollars was
destroyed. Seventy-six persons in the
employ or the forest service were killed
and many more injured, and I regret to
say that there is no provision in the law
Dy which the expenses for their hospital
treatment or of their interment could be
met out of public funds. The Red Cross
contributed thousand dollars. ana the
remainder Of the necessary expenses was
MADE up by private contribution, chiefly
It's officials. recommend that suitable
legislation be adopted to enable the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture to meet the moral
spect.