Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-06-11
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
REVIEWS GOOD YEARS WORK
Past Year one Of Best in History Of
n n Rorvnors

Raleigh.-The principal feature of
the opening session of the semi-annual
meeting of the State Board Of Agricul-
ture here today was the hearing OF the
report of Commissioner Of Agriculture
w. A. Graham on the work of the de-
partment for the past year and pro-
gress of the State in matters agricul-
tural. The State board will during
this session review the work Of the
past six months, map out the work for
the next six months and set aside the
budget for the work of the department.
which will be around $125, for the
ensuing semi-annual period.
In his report Commissioner Graham
called to the attention of the board
with special qualification the fact that
the 1913 crop yields were the largest
in the history of the State, exceeding
by several millions dollars in value
the crops of any previous year. He
directed attention, too, to the fact that
the tax valuation of farm lands in the
State have climbed to 1891 ,0OO,OOO. The
value of the farm products the past
wear including farm live stock exceed
ed $3.50 ,OOO, 900.
Treating the progress OF the WORK
of the Department of Agriculture,
Commissioners Graham stated that
every division has rendered effective
service. Financially the department
had a balance of $4,000 December /
last, and the receipts for the SIX
months to June have been $20z,zIS'
there being June L balance in the
treasury of $S4,125. Of the six
months receipts $158.457 was for fer
tilizer taxes, $16,2S7 for cotton seed
meal tax, $13,973 for feed stamps and
the remainder from less important tax
and license sources.
There was a recommendation Dy
the commissioner that the soil survey
and soil investigation division be made
an independent division of the depart
! ment with the head of the division
reporting to the commissioner OF ag-
riculture direct as do the heads of the
1 other divisions of the Department OF
Agriculture. This work is being done
in cooperation with the United States
Department of Agriculture and the
commissioners stated that the Federal
Department was thoroughly agreeable
to the idea of setting this work aside
as a special division as he recommend
ed.
Referring to the Panama-Pacif1'
Exposition the commissioners recon-
!mended that the State board set aside
the sum of $4,000 for a creditabl'
agricultural representation Of tn
State in the exposition next year. H'
explained that this exhibition woul'
be installed in cooperation with tt
other interests in the State that joiI
in arrangements for North Carolin;
exploitation that the board send H. H
Brimley to San Francisco, June q
with Governor Craig's party to aid il
the selection of site for the Mort
Carolina building, the general agree
ment being that the exhibits should b
concentrated in a special and credita
Die building. He recommends that tn
board continue it's aid and encourage
ment for the local county and distric
fairs and the State Fair at Raleigh.
He congratulated the board and tn
people of the State on the fact tha
North Carolina has well establishe
her claim to the production of NOR
Il sweet potatoes, peanuts and cotton [
the acre than any other State and ha
N taken three times the highest premium
on apples.
The commissioner reports that it
S found inexperient for the State boar
to undertake to furnish agriculture
lime to the farmers of the State {
cost, since the commercial companie
are providing the lime now at figure
that the board could scarcely less tina
duplicate.
The commissioner asks that til
board authorize the publication of a
~ other edition of $4,000 copies of the de
partment's canning bulletin, which hs
proved a most valuable factor in til
encouragement of this most valuab
industry to the farmers and home
generally. The last edition is aboi
exhausted, copies having been SCI
- into every part of the world, the con
: missioner says, through requests beir
made for copies.
The commissioner notes the fact Il
agronomist is preparing special bu
letin on the kinds and amounts
q feeds and foods imported in the Sta
the past year. this to show most e
tightening data as to the volume