The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-02
United States Agricultural Year Book
rHE yearbook of the United States
Department of Agriculture for 1918

is now being distributed to congressman
and to correspondents of the department
entitled to receive copies. The new
volume differs in several respects from
its predecessors. The articles that it
contains are in general of more pop
ular and instructive character, and al
though the book itself contains smaller
number of pages, it is safe to say that
il has as much valuable material in it
as ever.
In addition to the secretary's report
there are IA special articles by de-
partment experts and an appendix con
tanning statistics of the principal crops;
table of the animals imported into
the United States for breeding purposes
for which certificates of pure breeding
have been issued, and lists of the agri
cultural colleges and experiment sta
tions in the United States together with
the names of the state officials in
charge of agriculture.
The book is illustrated by 54 full
page plates, of which a large number
are reproduced in colors, and by 81
tables, maps, and line drawings.
In the articles in the yearbook the
cost of living plays prominent part.
DR.. Pennington, for example, points out
that Americans neglect valuable
source of food by failing to take ad
vantage of the immense supply of fish
at their disposal. The protein content
Of fish is fully as high as that of meat
and yet although meat prices rise stead
lily little or no effort is made to use the
cheaper substitute. 1t is the foreign
population of the United States which
eats the greater part of the fish con-
sumed in this country. DR.. Pennington
points out that the ordinary American
is completely ignorant of the great va
riety of fish at his disposal The
cheapness of this food is also scarcely
realized. DR.. Pennington names 10
staple varieties some of which it is
safe to say can always be purchased for
less than 10 cents pound, even when
prices are highest, and can usually be
obtained for less than cents.
Another article by W. F. Ward shows
how greatly the beef industry in the
south has profited from the work of
eradicating the cattle tick. One indi-
cation of the growing interest in beef
industry in this section is the large
number of farmers who for the first
time are buying pure bred cattle.
The business side of farming is con-
sidered in two articles by w. J. Spill
man and 7. N. Carver: Factors of eff
ficiency in farming, and the organiza
tion of rural interests. Prof. Spillman
finds that in the last analysis the farm
er himself is the determining factor in
every successful agricultural enterprise
He is as quick to see the advantages of
a new system of management as he is
those in improved methods of tilling the
sill or feeding his stock. DR.. Carver
tells with the aid of graphic maps what
has already been done in the way of or
ganlzing cooperative enterprises for the
benefit of farmers. Mutual insurance
companies, cooperative creameres,
cheese factories and elevators are among
some of these widespread enterprises.
Other articles deal with various
branches of the work Of the department
ranging in subject from discussion by
Z. f. Langworthy of what the depart
ment does for the housekeeper to an
article on the practical value of en-
tomology by F. M. Webster. Prof. F. E.
l.. Beal has gathered material for an
article on American Thrushes which
shows that they are not to be lrized for
their song alone but are in other ways
Of real assistance to the farmer, and
J. +. Collins tells of practical tree
surgery. More strictly agricultural
papers are those Of G. r. Ball on the
grain sorghums, L. II. Dewey on hemp,
R. 0. E. Davis on economic waste from
soil erosion and W. A. Taylor and H. P.
Gould on promising new fruits. The
present health laws and their relation to
the department are explained by F. G.
Caffey, and, finally, A. D. Melvin con-
tributes an article on the South Ameri-
can meat industry.