The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-20
WORKS FIFTEEN YEARS FOR
FARMERS OF UNITED STATES
Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson Has Been Able TO Accom-
plsh Much Through the Department Dur
ing His Years Of Service

served has been consistent friend OF
the Department OF Agriculture. Par
ttcuiarly In this apparent In the at
titude Of the CHIEF executives during
the past five years During that time
the previous patient and arduous work
Of Secretary Wilson. his years Of plan
ming, his development and banding to-
getber about lfim of great force OF
scientists, have been showing trcnen-
dous results for good In the life of the
nation. At the very outset of his ad-
ministrat!on. President Taft, calling
attention In his inaugural address TO
the deficit then existing I'm tho rcvc-
nues and the consequent necessity for
rigid economy In expenditures. singled
out this department as the FIRST OF
several objects curtailment In the APP
preparations for which would be disas-
troue. He said. I'm the Department
OF Agriculture the use Of scientific ex-
perinents on large scale and the
spread OF Information derived from
them for the improvement Of general
agriculture must go on This view
the President has steadfastly MAIN
tanned. taking occasion In his mes
sages TO Congress to urge the appro-
priations asked for by Secretary Will
son to further the great purposes of
the department.
me FfeS1o9nSe messages.
In one he said, II commend to your
careful consideration the report OF the
Secretary of Agriculture as showing
the immense sphere of usefulness
which that department now fills. and
the wonderful addition tn the wealth
of the nation made by the farmers of
this country in the crops Of the cur
rent year: again, the activities of
the Agricultural Department have
been greatly increased by the enact
ment OF recent legislation. This
department IL one of those the scope
OF whose action liz constantly widen
ing. and therefore it il Impossible. un-
dor existing legislation to reduce the
cost and their estimates below those
Of preceding years"
In his comprehensive message on
conservation. President Taft said,
The feature that transeendS all
others. including woods. waters. min
erals. is the soil OF the country and
that all means at the governments
disposal should be used To conserve
the soils. adding, "a work Of the ut
most importance to inform and In
stEuet the public ON this chief branch
of the conservation of our resources
IL being carried on successfully in
the Department of Agriculture"
Live Stock Protection.
In 1906 Secretary Wilson became
convinced that Southern cattle ticks.
causing a loss of from forty to ninety
millions year. could be exterminated.
Congress gave the money and the de-
partment has already eradicated the
ticks from 1s3, 600 square miles, an
area larger than Georgia. Ala ba ma.
and Mississippi omhiHed--enhanctng
the value both nf cattle and of land.
Under other I've stock laws the de-
partment has cleared large areas In
the West OF sheep scab and cattle
mango.
In 1905 it stamped out with most
satisfactory thoroughncss and CELEBRITY
an outbreak of foot-and mouth
disease that, unchecked. would in
short order have damaged incaicui-
ably the live stock OF the country.
Hog cholera. for which there have
been myriad so-called remedies. and
none of them of value has yielded to
a serum perfected by scientist OF
the department and patented In the
name OF the American people. At
tackled in the laboratory and In the
field by every device xuown to science,
tuberculosis. the most deadly of ami
NAL. as of human. diseases. will In
time likewise yield. although there to
much and strenuous work yet 10 be
done. Showing the farmer scientific
1
horses cows, hogs, sheep and poul-
try IL producing increased profits, as
are also the lesson given him on
producing. handling and selling his
milk and other dairy products.
The Rural Cpiift.
Investigations and experiments
with plants have in flve years of hard
secured fund OF basic knowledge
which will go far toward the future
uplift of American Agriculture. The
department has brought this knowi-
edge directly home to the man on
the land in such fashion that he may
know that the power il his TO help
himself As result of the work in
that section. a million farmers In the
South have been given new point
or view that has resulted In better
agriculture, better homes, bet
ter schools and better APP
probation OF the d!sinterested ef-
forts OF the national government to
help all the people on the land. wher-
ever or whoever they may be.
To help to an understanding of the
fundamental principles and practices
In dry-land and irrigation farming
twenty-five stations have been estnb-
lished where the principles are de-
veloped, new crops from distant coun-
iris tried. and the best that can be
found in the way OF facts or crops
placed at the disposal Of the farmer.
With the demand for greater produc-
tion and Tor. rigid attention. - detail
as affecting profits. II Y highiy ~.
portant that the many enemies whtch
prevent proper production be COM
bated. and the department has made
progress In this fietd. pointing the way
to the control OF the most trouble
some diseases affecting agriculture