The Prescott daily news. (Prescott, Ark.) 1907-1941, 1913-12-08
SUMMARY OF REPORT OF SECRE-
TARY OF AGRICULTURE, TIE
SHORTEST ON RECORD.
EFFORT TO HELP THE PEOPLE
Departments information to Be Dis
tributed in All FieIds-Changes
in Weather Bureau-Esti-
mates of Years Crops.

ton, secretary OF agriculture, today
published his annual report for the
year 1913. The report, which con
tains only So pages, the shortest on
record, differs from previous reports
in that, instead of merely reviewing
the agricultural situation, it presents
in summary many broad economic
questions. Strong emphasis is placed
upon cooperation between the depart
ment of agriculture and other federal
departments and the state agricul-
tural agencies to promote co-ordina-
ton and eliminate duplication of eff
fort The keynote is getting the de-
partments information in all fields
more directly and in more valuable
form to the people,
The following are summarized state
ments o. the more important subjects
and + concentrations discussed in
this roHort:
Tie Problem of Production.
Increased tenancy, absentee owner
ship, soils still depleted and exploited.
inadequate business methods. the rel
ative failure to induce a great major
ity of farmers to apply existing agri-
cultural knowledge and the sugges-
tons Of dependence on foreign ma
tons for food supplies warn us Of or
sEJ; ,coEings and incite us to addi-
tonal efforts to increase productions.
Increases Asked
Increases in the appropriations for
the next fiscal year are recommended.
as follows:
For extending the work of eradicat-
ing animal diseases. feeding and
breeding live stock and for dairying
and the enforcement of the meat in
spection law. $250,S60
For the Introduction and breeding
of new plants, the control of plant dis
eases and for improving the methods
of crop production. especially cereals,
s45.660
For the classification of agricultural
lands and the survey of homesteads in
the national forests, S143.577.
For extending investigations of the
handling, shipping and storing oil
poultry, eggs and fish, s60,441
For investigating fertilizer re.
sources, soil fertility and the chem.
ical and physical properties of soils,
s24.42O
Certain denominations have been
effected in the bureau of chemistry
| looking toward more effective admin
let IF hn
| and to greater constructive technolo
gical assistance to manufacturers in
avoiding waste. reducing cost of man
ufacture and TO help them develor
| purer products which will comply
| with the law. The country will be di
vided into several districts, each un
der the direction Of a competent of
| fetal. All branch laboratories AMI
| food inspectors will be under single
direction and will work together in
| stead of being Independent of each
| other, a condition which led to lacI
of coordination in the past Certain
| branch laboratories will be console
| dated because the work can be done
| more effectively and more cheaply in
| the larger central laboratories which
are provided with complete equipment
| and specializing chemists. Effort will
be made TO make the act more of a
| hygienic measure through increased
attention to milk. eggs. oysters ant
| fish
To gain information that would en-
| able the department better to serve
rural women, the secretary addressed
letters OF inquiry to the women or
| $4,000 selected farms covering every
| county. Other surveys and studio.
| We're also conducted Analysis of the
small part of the letters as yet III
| gested shows that farm women desire
| assistance in all phases of home man
| agement, especially as to ways of Sc
curing running water, introducing
| household power machinery and la
| bor-saving arrangements and provid
ing better hySienic and sanitary con
| dit1ons. Many seek advice as to th,
better marketing of the articles the,
produce Others ask the department
to prove to the man that their work
is worth something in dollars and
cents.
There has been a steady movement
for better roads during the past q
years, and today about "a states have
highway commissions or some other
state highway agency. The total an
nual expenditure Of the states fol
construction and maintenance o.
roads, which ten years ago amounted