El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-15
CROPS WORTH
S9,873,000,000
Secretary Houston Says
Gain in American Farm
Products is $83,OO0,OOO

Washin gtOn, D. c., Dec. 15.-Amerl-
! can farm crops and animal products in
creased SSS,0OO.OOO last year over the
value OF the 1918 output, according TO
the annual report of tary of agri-
/ culture Houston, submitted to congress-
SecretaryHouston places an estimate
Z OF SO. 1879, 100000 on the value Of last
/ years farm crops and animal products
/ cedent
The increase occurred in the face Of
a decline in cotton from 12-5 cents
! pound for the 1913 crop to an average
Of 80 cents for 1914 The total value
: Of the 1913 cotton crop, estimated at
| S646,0OO, 600, was $3.50, 600, 600 more than
the 1914 crop, although the latter was
fourteen per cent greater in quantity
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.
Between August /, 1914. and Febru-
airy !, 1912" the report says. exports
We're Sl,l57, 00O,0 00 and imports S771,-
UVV,UO0. giving favorable balance of
$SSb,0O0,O0O. OF the total value of ex-
ports, $bb2,OOO,OOO represented agricul-
tural and only S495, OO0. 900 non-agricul-
tural commodities. chiefly manufac-
lures.
The total agricultural exports in
the fiscal year ended June 80. 1915.
practically the first year of the war.
were S1,41O,00O,000. which is an in
crease of s356,0O0. goo. or 80 per cent
over those of the preceding year and
over the average of the five years
1910-191A"
Increase in Meat Greatest Need.
What is needed more, perhaps. than
anything else. the secretary saws is an
increase in meat animals. To that end
the department has extended its activ-
ties as far as its funds would permit
Elimination of common livestock dis
from losses - a 10 he
enormous. would result in a material
increase Of the meat supply.
1t has been cOnservatively esti-
mated" the report continues, -on the
basis OF data for thirty years. that the
annual direct losses from animal dis
eases are approximately $212. 1000, GOO.
The indirect losses, which also are
great, cannot be estimated at all. The
direct loss ascribed to each disease is
as follows:
Cattle Diseases Costly.
Hog cholera. S75, 0O0. 600: Texas fever
and cattle ticks, S40,000.0O0; tuber-
culosis, $4,000 900; contagious abor-
ton, $50. 00O, 600; blackleg, $4,000. 600;
anthrax 81 100000; scabies of sheep
and cattle, ss,600,000; CHAMBERS, $1,000
600; other livestock diseases, S22. 0OO-
900; parasites 100000; poultry dis
eases, SS,750.O00.
Suggests Needed LEGISLATION.
Among the measures which the sec
rotary urges for congress considera-
tion are:
land-mortgage banking act which
shall inject business methods into the
handling of farm finance and place
farm securities on the market in a re-
sponsible way.
Assistance TO communities near ma
uonal forests IN road building and
similar improvement through a plan
involving the advancement of funds
for these purposes to be charged
against the future share of the receipts
of the forests.
Authority to grant water power per
mits within National forests for fixed
periods. with the idea Of aiding water
power utilization.
More effective control over the pro-
duction OF hog cholera serum. involving
the establishment Of federal station
that would test all serum