The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-12-17
SUNSHINE FOR FARMERS.

There is a large measure OF In
SEPARATION fer the farmers to be found
I'm the annual report of Secretary OF
Agriculture Houston, made public to-
day. He places an estimate OF $685.
100000 on the value OF American
farm crops and animal products for
last year, a valuation without prece-
dent. This, however. probably will be
eclipsed by the present years show
! ing. This valuation is an increase OF
about sS3,OO0.000 over the value OF
1918, hitherto the highest ever re-
corded. The increase occurred I'm the
face of a decline I'm cotton from
! 1875 cents a pound for the 1913 crop
TO an average of 7.3 cents for 1914.
The total value of the 1913 cotton
crop, estimated at sS46,000,000, was
s2S3. O0O. 900 more than the 1914 crop;
although the latter was fourteen per
cent greater in quantity.
or the tremendous food of exports
which began near the end of the ifs
cal year covered by the Secretary's
report, many hundreds Of millions rep
resent farm products. Between Aug
ust 1, 1914, and February 1, 1916"
the report says, exports were, ST.
157 100000 and imports $771,0O0,OOo,
giving a. favorable balance of $780,
O,OO0. or the total value of exports,
1862 900 900 represented agricultural
and only s4s5, 200 900 non-ag agricultural
commodities, chiefly manufactures.
The total agricultural exports in the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1915, prac-
tically the first year Of the war, were
$1,470,000,0O0 which Is an increase OF
1856, 900 900, or 80 per cent over those
of the preceding year and OF s433,-
100000 or nearly AZ per cent over the
average of the five years 1910-1914."
What is needed more, perhaps, than
anything else, the Secretary says, Is
an increase in meat animals. To that
end, the department has extended its
activities as far as its funds would
permit. Elimination of common live
stock diseases, from which losses are
said to be enormous, would result In
a material increase of the meat sup
ply. 1T has been conservatively es-
timated." the report continues, ION
the basis OF data for thirty years, that
the annual direct losses from animal
disease are approximately 1912 ,000,o00
The indirect losses, which also are
great, cannot be estimated at all. The
direct loss ascribed to each disease
is a follows: Hog cholera, s75,090,-
900: Texas fever and cattle ticks,
s4O,0O0,OOO; tuberculosis, s25,000,o 900;
contagious abortion, $4,000, 900;
blackleg, 100000 900; anthrax, $780,
600; scrabies of sheep and cattle, s4,-
100000; CHAMBERS. 100000; other
livestock diseases, s22,00O,0O0; para
sites, $5,OOo,OOO; poultry diseases, S.
750, OOO." :
The potash situation, the report
states continues serious. There is
practically nc potash available for fer
tilizer and indications are that the
supply for that purpose will not be
increased materially next year. Rec
concentrations for Legislation made by
Secretary Houston to congress include
the following:
Legislation designed to promote
better handling and storage of farm
products and trading on the basis of
fixed grades and standards, includ-
ing a permissive warehouse act, a
cotton standards act, grain grades
act, and provision for market-news
service. A land-mortgage banking act
intended to inject business methods
into handling farm finance and to
place farm securities upon the market
in a responsible way. Assistance to
communities near the national for
ests in road building and similar i'm
proyements through a plan involving
the advancement of funds for these
purposes to be charged against the
States future share OF receipts from
the forests. Authority to grant water
power permits within the National
Forests for fixed periods. More eff
fective control over the production OF
hog cholera serum. A plan involving
the establishment by the Federal
Government Of station for testing
all serum intended for shipment in
interstate commerce, is outlined.