Norwich bulletin., 1915-12-15
Annual Report
 Sec'y Agriculture
VALUE OF FARM CROPS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS $s,s7s, 100000
INCREASE OF sss,Ooo,oOO
Total Increase in Agricultural Ex- ports During the First Year of the War Was ss5e,ooo, ooo-Inerease in Meat Animals is Wanted.

Washington, Dec. 14.-Secretary HoUston's annual report, made public today, places an estimate of $9,S73,- 900, 900 on the value of American farm year, a valuation without precedent This, however, probably will be eclipsed by the present years show ing.
 sss,ooo,ooo Over 1913.
 This valuation is an increase of about $s3, 900, 900 over the value of 1913, hitherto the highest ever record ed. The increase occurred in the face of decline in cotton from 12.5 cents pound for the 1913 crop to an aver age of 7.3 cents for 1914. The total value of the 1913 cotton crop. esti- mated at $S46 100000, was $2S3, ,000, ,000 more than the 1914 crop, although the latter was fourteen per cent. greater in quantity.
 Tremendous Flood of Exports.
 Of the tremendous flood of exports which began near the end of the fiscal year covered by the secretary's report, many hundreds of millions represent farm products.
 "Betweena August 1, 1914, and Feb ruary l. 1s15." the report says, lex ports were S1,157 ,000, ,000 and imports $771, 100000, giving a favorable bal ance of SSS6, GOO, 900. Of the total value of exports, $662. 900, 900 represented agricultural and only s495. 900 non- agricultural commodities, chiefly man. ufactures.
 +The total agricultural exports in the fiscal year ended June 30, 1915, prac- tically the first year of the war, were $1.470, ,00n, 900, which is an increase of 1856, 900, 900, or 32 per cent. over those of the preceding year and of $433, ,000, =, O0O or nearly 42 per cent. over the average of the five years 1910-1914."
 Increase in Meat Animals Wanted.
 What is needed more, perhaps, than anything else, the secretary says, is an increase in meat animals. To that end the department has extended it's ac- tivftfes as far as its funds would per init. Elimination of common-livestock diseases, from which losses are said to be enormous, would result in a ma- terial increase of the meat supply.
 Losses from Animal Diseases.
 Tt has been conservatively esti- mated" the report continues. con the data for thirty years, that the an- nual direct losses from animal diseases are approximately $212, ,000, ,000. The in direct losses. which also are great, cannot be estimated at all. The direct loss ascribed to each disease is as follows:
 Hog cholera, $75,oO0, ,00O; Texas fe- yer and cattle ticks, $40. .000, 900: tuber- culosis. S25,0O0,OO0: contagious abor- tion, $20,000,000; blackleg, $6,000, 900; anthrax, $1.5OO,0 GOO; scabies of sheep and cattle, s4,600,00O; glanders $5,000,- 900; other livestock diseases, $22, ,0O0,- 900; parasites, $5,000,000; poultry diseases, $S.75O,oO0."
 Citrus Fruit Industry Threatened.
 The citrus fruit industry of the Gulf states, the report asserts. is seriously threatened. by citrus canker, a highly infectious bacterial disease. While the greater number of infected centers in Texas, Mississippi and Alabama have been eliminated, complete eradication of the disease from Louisiana and Florida, the department believes, will require large expenditures for at least two years.
 The potash situation, the report states, continues serious. There is practically no potash available for fer tilizer and indications are that the increased materially next year.
 Recommendations for Legislation.
 Recommendations for legislation made by Secretary Houston to con- gress include the following:
 Legislation designed to promote bet ter handling and storage of farm pro- ducts and trading on the basis of fixed grades and standards, including a per- misSive warehouse act, a cotton stand ards act, a grain grades act, and pro- vision for a market news service.
 A land-mortgage banking act in tended to inject business methods into handling farm finance and to place farms securities upon the market in a responsible way.
 Assistance to communicate near the national forests in roadbuilding and similar improvements through a plan involving the advancement of funds for these purposes to be charged against the states future share of re- ceipts from the forests.
 Authority to grant waterpower per mits within the national forests for fixed periods.
 More effective control over the pro- duction of hog-cholera serum. A plan involving the establishment by the federal government of a station for testing all serum intended for ship ment in interstate commerce, is out lined.
 FLIMSY CLAIM OF WEAKNESS