Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-07
WILSON TENDERS
HIS LAST REPORT
Secretary of Agriculture Shows
Wonderful Progress of
Farmer in 16 Years.

a record of service In the cabinet,
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson sub
mitted yesterday to President Taft the
last annual report he will make as
head of the United States department
of agriculture. The report is more
than a review of the past years
work; it contains summary of the ag-
ricultural advance of the country dur
ing the venerable secnetary's term of
public service.
The record of 16 years has been
written" he says. TT begins with 4
yearly farm production of $4,000, ,0OO,-
600 and ends with $9,532 100000. Six
teen years ago, the farmer was a joke
of the caricaturist; now he is like the
stone that was rejected by the builder
and has become the head stone of the
corner" The tillers of the soil were
prosperity followed and grew with
uneXamp,ed speed. Beginnings have
been made in a production per acre
increasing faster than the natural in
crease of population. There has been
an unfit of agriculture and of country
life.
During the past 16 years the farm,
er has steadily increased the wealth
production year by year. with the eX
ception of 1911. During the 16 years
the farmers wealth production In
creased IA per cent.
Most productive Of all agricultural
years in the country has been 1912
The earth has produced its greatest
annual dividend. The sun and the
rain and the fertility of the soil
needed not the human controversies
but kept on working in cooperation
with the farmers efforts to utilize
them. The prices at the farm are gen
orally printable and will continue the
prosperity that farmers have enjoyed
in recent years. The total production
OF farm wealth is the highest yet
reached by half a billion dollars. The
grand total for 1912 is estimated to be
| SO ,532, 100000. This is more than
twice the value of the farm wealth IL
1899.
More than ,0O0,000,O00 is the
grand total of farm wealth production
the report says, during the past II
years, an amount equal to about three
quarters of the present nationa
! wealth.
The most effective move toward re
duced cost of living is the production
of greater crops, says the secretary
| and this move, he declares, is due L
the work of the department of agricul
tural colleges and experiment station
and to the help of the press in publish
ing every movement to help the far
mers. The nation, he adds, forgot it
farmers in the general scheme of edu
cation of past years and few philaI
thropists thought of them when givin
for education, but they are waking u
and thinking for themselves and CO..
gress' has been good to them.
The secretary first takes up tn
work of the various bureaus of his d.
partment in the past year and the
tells of the growth in some instance
from their foundation, of these bu
eaus during the time he has been hea
of the department. He praises highl
the experts who have worked unde
him.
The great and growing movemeT
carried on by the department for al
ricultural betterment," he declare
has not been sustained solely by or
man not by a few men. A choice corr
= of scholarly experts in their specij
lines of endeavor has been growing
? membership, in breadth of view, an
in the practical application of the
efforts.
The department is prepared to CO
tinue and increase its public servic
( During 16 years it has progresse
/ from the kindergarten through ii
= primary, middle and upper grades
development until now it has a thou
and tongues that speak with autho
o ity"
+ From department with 2,444 el
{ ployes in 1897 and an appropriation
s 272,902, it has increased to 1873
n employees at the beginning of the pre-
, ent fiscal year with an appropriate
@ this year of almost $4,000, 90
= Whereas there are now 1000 reques
a every week for department public
$ tioHs, there were but 500 in 1897; al
3 during this period 225,OOO,0OO copi
V have been distributed. In soil invt
= tigation an area of $4,000 squa
miles, equal to that of German
France, Great Britain, Ireland and Il
n " has hean cnvnrad