The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-10-16

pers.
Yet reference to the newspaper
flies shows that since the early '90's
there has not been a year In which
wars on vice" have not been waged
during the months of September and
October. The conditions uncovered
have always been regulated by the
Importance of the pending elections.
sponsible for the pure food law now
on the federal statute books.
1t is the province OF the bureau Of
soils to make surveys of soils in
given communities, upon the recon-
mendation of members of congress.
These surveys reveal what fertilizers
are needed on each farm and what
crops can be grown most advantage
ously. More than 27O,00O square
miles OF agricultural land has been
surveyed in this way since the in
auguratiOn OF the work in 1893.
Seven hundred kinds OF soils have
been found on the farms surveyed
There is little danger of the farm
ing lands OF the nation becoming
exhausted. This is shown by the
experience of European countries. In
the middle OF the sixteenth century
European farms were producing about
as much grain and hay to the acre
as the American farm produces to-
day Today the European produc-
tion is more than twice rs great to
the acre as ours. Minute investi-
cations show that after a thousand
Years OF crop yielding the mineraloGi.
cal composition of the soils of Eu-
rope is not perceptibly differen; from
that of similar soils in virgin parts
of the United States.
The bureau OF entomology deals
with the economic relations of the
bug creation to the farm. 1t has
been wrestling with the gypsy moth
and other pests which threaten to
do vast damage Last year the bu-
roau cleaned three hundred miles
of roadway in New England to make
il Impossible for the moth caterpillars
to fall upon passing vehicles and
thus travel TO nsN fields. II has
developed spraying formula in
which arsenic Is used 1t Imports
parasites from other countries for
tho purpose OF preNng upon the
pests OF various kinds. In exchange
for the parasites which are imported
from other countries, the bureau
sends some of ours 10 those coun-
tries Spain TO eat the Spanish mealy
bug dog tick parasites to South
Africa and humble bees to the Phil
ppines. The bureau works for the
subiugat.on of every harmful insect,
and has succeeded largely in its
efforts
The relation OF man and the ami
mal kingdom occupy the attention
OF the bureau of the biological sur
yey. II strives 20 ascertain what
birds and animals are harmful to
agriculture and to learn what species
assist the farmer. rhe bureau is
waging a crusade agains, rats. mice,
g,ound squirrels, prairie doss and
other rodents Il has made eNhaus
tive experiments with traps. bats
and poisons. II estimates that the
ground squirrels of California alone
destroy S10.OOO.0O0 worth of farm
products in the course of year,
besides being carriers OF the bubonic
plague. The bureau is encouraging
the raising of musk rats and pro
nounces their flesh highly edible. It
has issued bulletins on such subjects
as deer farming and fox farming
II superyises the importation OF birds
and mammals. and has oversight over
the fifty-one bird sanctuaries OF the
country, into which no hunter may
go It also has charge Of the 20
0O0-acre national bison range
The bureau of statistics gathers
and publishes he crop stats les Of
the country. II has carps OF
$4,000 crop reporters. Their reports
are summarized monthly by a board
and carefully guarded so that the
information NAV not get out ahead
OF time. There is also an Office in
charge OF the experiment station
work cf the country and another
which handles ;he national phases
" good road impTos e1uent in the
United Ststes