The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-09
Better Methods Needed

| IneSe disclosures convinced the de-
partment officials that some better and
| more effective means than lectures and
printed pamphlets were needed to get
the farmers to change methods that
| they had followed for years and may
be used by their fathers and grand
| fathers before themA
| The boil weevil invasion of Texas
was not an unmixed blessing when it
| is recalled that this visitation first
showed the value of farm demonstra-
tors going directly to the homes Of
farmers and in their own localities and
under conditions with which they were
constantly dealing, to put into effect
the knowledge learned In laboratories.
| In this case the farmers We're not told
how to do things, but shown how TO
do them by trained agents making
practical demonstrations.
But Congress and state legislatures
have recognized the value of this per-
sonal contact of the farm demonstrator
and the farmer In the fields and are
making larger appropriations every
year for cooperative work. Members
| of Congress have been swamped with
applications for farm demonstrators
showing that the farmers are lending
a willing ear to the scientific in
structor.
An extension of the regulatory or
police work of the department of ag-
riculture was provided for in the last
agricultural appropriation bill, which
gives the Secretary of Agriculture con-
troll over the manufacture and sale Of
virus, serums and toxins used in the
cure of domestic animals.
After July L the shipment OF any
worthless, contaminated, dangerous or
harmful virus, serum or similar pro-
duct, Will be punishable by a fine of
$1,000, Imprisonment for year, or both
All such products must be prepared
| at a licensed factory.
The work of acquiring forest lands
| on the headwaters of streams in the
| Southern Appalachians and White
mountains, more valuable for conserv-
| ing stream flow than for agriculture. is
being steadily carried on by a COM
mission of Congress acting with rep
resentatives of the forest service ana
| the geological survey. Already about
| 100000 acres in Georgia, South Caro-
| lima and North Carolina have been ac-
quired. and titles to other large tracts
of land are being Investigated looking
| to their purchase.
Food and Drug Act
| The food and drug act was also
amended at the last session of Con-
gress to require that packages con-
| tanning foods must be plainly and con-
| spicuously marked on the outside of
the package. These markings must
state the weight. measure or numer-
| ical count 1t is set forth, however,
that reasonable variations are to be
permitted and tolerance and eXemp
tions as to small packages permitted
! under regulations to be fixed by the
Secretary of Agriculture
Through the weather bureau millions
of people throughout-the country are
now being kept posted daily of the
n
| of threatened storms, floods and frosts
An extension of this service SO that it
will benefit the farmer is contem
plated.
! In the conservation of the public
| health the work of the bureau of ami
NAL industry plays an important part.
| During the last year 1t inspected 59,-
carcasses and 100000 pounds of 9TH
er meat were pronounced unfit for hu-
| man food and were condemned; tuber-
culosis was one of the chief reasons for
| the high proportion of condemnations.
| Although the federal government
maintains a rigid inspection over es-
| Establishments engaged in handling meats
for interstate trade 1t has no juris-
diction over farmers, butchers and local
esta ablishments. Nevertheless, almost so
| per cent of the meat sold in the Unit
| ed States is passed by federal in
| spectors.
! Lack of Uniformity in Inspection
| While many states also have meat
| inspection laws. confusion has arisen
| over the lack of uniformity in meat
inspection. This has been strilSingly
| brought out recently in the controv-
ersy as to how much cereal should be
permitted in sausage meat. The cereal
regulations say per cent and the meat
packers made vigorous protests against
| the enforcement of this regulation.
They say it Will force them to decen-
tralize their business and establish To-
cal factories within each state in or
der to compete with firms doing a local
business under that state law.
| The department is trying to bring
about uniformity in meat inspection
laws to insure the people of the coun-
| try a supply of wholesome meat
| In addition to effective work in Grad
| icating the cattle tick. the department
is employing with marked success
serum prepared by Dr. NJ. Dorsett
which gives immunity from hog cholera