The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-09
INCREASE PRO-
DUCTION AND CUT
LIVING COST
Is Proposal Submitted BY Secretary
Houston of the Department of Agri-
culture--Also Recommends Stricter
Amendments to Pure Food Law.

Amendments to Pure Food Law.
Washington, Dec, S.--Efforts to reduce
the cost of living through increased pro.
duction and better distribution of the
country's foods are detailed in the an
nual report of Secretary Houston, of the
department of agriculture, made public
yesterday. The report also devotes con
siderable attention to the pure food law
and urges on Congress the need of
strengthening it to permit standardiza-
ton of foods and drugs and inspection of
foods and drugs factories.
Records of the department, the report
sets forth, show that except for meat
and dairy products the per capita produc
ton of the leading food commodities in
| the United States has remained about
the same despite the rapid growth OF
population. Statistics presented cover
period of Is years The population has
increased in that time 33 per cent. There
is ground for optimism, the report says,
as to the ability of the nation not only
| to supply itself with food but increasing
! lv to meet the needs of the world.
One of the principle aims of the de-
partment has been to increase meat pro-
! duction. The report shows steady
growth since 1918 in the output of beef
and an advance in the number of swine
every year since 1899. More extensive
sheep raising is recommended as source
of food. 1t is pointed out that only one
farm in seven in the United States now
supports sheep. Fifty million sheep, it
is said, could be added to the country's
focks.
Stabilizing of production is recon-
mended as one of the greatest agricul-
| tural needs in producing food crops sui
| fcient to meet demands This can be ae-
complished best, the report points out,
| through better adapted or improved crop
varieties, more systematic and rational
crop rotation and improved agricultural
practice generally. In many parts of the
country more attention to livestock pro-
duction is essential to enduring and eco
nomical agriculture, the report declares.
! 1t is highly desirable, it is pointed out,
| that areas for production OF staple crops
! be broadened as far as experience and
sound economics may warrant In this
respect the report dwells on the impor-
lance of controlling plant diseases and in
| sect pests.
Marketing Of farm products, rural
| finances and rural organization, the re-
| port says, have received close attention
from the department in the last three
years. A four year program developed
in 1913 has been in large measure car
ried out.
Improved marketing of livestock and
meats has been sought BY the depart
ment as means of cheapening these
products Already, the report says, EAR
rangements have been made with 50
stockyard companies TO secure monthly
reports of livestock receipts and ship
ments. A uniform system of marketing
records has been established at the in
stance of the department by number OF
yards. Methods and costs OF marketing
livestock and meats were investigated.
A preliminary investigation Of the
sources, accuracy and use OF market re-
ports on livestock and meats has been
made. The results of this study have been
utilized in development of plans for the
organization of demonstration market
news service for livestock similar to that
now conducted for perishable crops"
Other efforts at better distribution
methods are described as follows:
Surveys have been made of the mar
keting facilities for agricultural products
in nine cities and advice has been given
regarding the location, establishment and
management of municipal retail and
wholesale public markets. Detailed stud
les also have been made Of conditions in
other cities Investigation concerning
A. e l,n Il rizb
able products and the practicahility of
Standardization of the products and their
containers have progressed rapidly.
"The issuance of monthly cold storage
reports on apples has been continued,
and the work has been extended to in
clude butter, eggs and cheese These re-
ports show the cold storage holdings
throughout the country and include q
comparison of the holdings of the cur
rent year with those OF the previous
year. In cooperation with carriers, ex-
tensive investigations of the economic
waste of foodstuffs in transit have been
conducted. The object of these investi
cations is to secure better cooperation |
between shippers and carriers and great
er efficiency in methods OF handling, with |
view to eliminate, or at least greatly I
to reduce, the present waste.
"Well tested systems of accounts and !
records for primary grain elevators, for
livestock shipping associations and for /
co operative stores have been issued. |
Systems for country creamcrics and cot |
ton warehouses have been devised and |
are being tested under commercial condi
tons Systems perfected by the depart
ment for farmers cooperative elevators |
and for fruit and produce associations |
already are in extensive use, A plan for |
adapting farmers grain elevator com I
panies to the patronage dividend basis
has been worked out and published"
Meat production has been increased, |
according to the report, largely through !
checking of disease and parasites and by
better stock raising. More than 40 per
cent of the original tick infested terri
tory has been cleared the report says,
and the annual loss of S4o,000,000
through this parasite has been greatly
reduced. Diseases are being eliminated.
The report says of food productions
"The production of food crops adequate
to meet the consuming needs of the
country and the export demand is a mat
ter of large Importance to the American
people. Our potential agricultural re-