The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-12-15
Farmer Gets Small Share.

dTTHeE SeIS Ofndll ondTGs
Washington, Dec THE consum.
er pays dollar for food; the farmer
gets less than fifty cents of it. Who
gets the rest?"
That is question which Secretary
Wilson of the department of agricul-
ture asked today in his annual report.
The secretary does not attempt to an
swer it. He does explain in some de-
tail the results of an investigation his
department has just concluded into
the effect of cold storage on the
wholesomeness and cost of food. His
investigation leads him to recommend
publicity for the amount of food in
cold storage, just as the department
now gives publicity to the condition
of crops from month to month.
Instead of food remaining in stor
age for longer than year or two
years, as rule, the secretary de-
clares that his investigation showed
that receipts into cold storage are
entirely or very nearly exhausted by
the deliveries out Of cold storage
within ten months
Long storage is the exception, the
secretary asserts. Warehousemen eX-
planned to the department that excess
lively long storage was due to law
suits and other circumstances of an
monumental nature. The cost of
storage, including storage charge, in
terest and insurance, is considered as
barrier to very long storage.
hA
has raised the cost of living by in
creasing the annual price level for
butter and eggs.
The secretary says that an eXamina-
ton of the record of prices gives a
Suspicion" that there has been much
speculation in some years by the men
who keep commodities in cold stor-
age.
Manipulate Price of Eggs.
He refers to IAN apparent mistake"
of the storage men in overestimating
the consumption of eggs by the public
at eXorbitant prices last winter with
the result that in the spring the stor-
age men had to sell eggs at remark
ably low prices and send abroad the
largest amount of eggs ever exported
in order to get rid of the supply The
secretary declares that the warehouse
men ought to be required to send to
Washington each month the amount
of commodities placed in cold storage,
so that the public may be able to
Judge of the future trend of prices.
A great variety of subjects are
dealt with by the secretary in his re-
port. He says that the day is not far
distant when the United States will
cease to import potash. Florida, Ken
lucky, Tennessee and Idaho are men,
toned as repositories.
Recommendation is made that all
government agencies that conserve
health should be grouped together in
one bureau.
The success of the department in
lessons in the fields is pronounced to
have been such as to justify the extern
sion of the work to all states.
The department announces that the
corn crop is moving northward by
seed selection.
The American systems of renting
land are declared to be faulty and
result in soil robbing. 1t is suggested
that domestic animals be kept on
farms, even If the land owner must
furnish them, and that there be ro-
tation of crops.
After years Of experimentation the
department says that Egyptian cotton
can be grown in southern California
and bulbs in the state of Washington.
The crayfish is pronounced to be a
serious pest in the south. Carbon BIZ
sulphide is said to be a sure remedy,
The finest dates from the Sahara
desert succeed in the southwestern
states.
Poultry Products $75o,ooo,ooo.
Poultry products for the past year