The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1916-06-09
STATE DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE
AND THE FARMER.
Fron West Virginia Farmer
Grange Advocated

the first commissioner elected In the
year 1912. and sworn into ONCE the
9Th OF March. 1913. The present Com
missioner. Mr. IA. r williams. came
into Office with no library. with no pre-
cedents 10 follow. and with no once
equipment. and has had the dimcuit
task OF organizing an entirely new de
parinent OF the State Government
With new objects and purposes. and
for the bejterment not only OF the
farmers but of the whole people OF the
Stat" ~ho consume the products OF the
farms.
There was no library: today there
Is in the Department Library. properly
indexed and available for use by any
citizens. library complete with all
the available bulletins and publica-
tions OF the state colleges OF axricul-
ture. the agricultural experiment sta
tions. and the 4. :. Department OF
Agriculture. properly classified and
bound. There are many other vol
uM"s on agricultural subjects OF gen
eral interest There IL a very com
plete set OF stud. herd and nock books
so that any breeder or dealer OF pure
bred live stock may have the record
OF his animals verified at any time bv
writing 10 the Commissioner. who SAYS
that II is his hope. as rapidly as time
and means will permit. 10 make this
library complete. and make OF IL a
circulating library for general use
among the farmers and prospective
farmers. so that Information OF this
character may be sent throughout the
State al a nominal cost
Accurate advanced information on
crop production and prospective yield
Il OF importance TO the well-informed
producer. as we'll as the prospective
| purchaser. Three years ago. there
were no reliable statistics OF this ma
fure The state and Federal Govern
ments each were conducting so-called
Federal bureaus. but neither getting
i Information OF reliable character
Some eighteen months ago. Mr. vii
| lams conceived the idea that one
bureau. properly equipped and man
aged would get better results than the
| two conducted In the old way To this
end. he proposed To Mr. Estabrook. the
| chief I'm the Federal Bureau OF Crop
Estimates. that the Federal Bureau
and the State Department OF Agricul.
ture cooperate. with the result that
today. West Virginia has the first and
only cooperative agricultural stats
tic and crop estimate bureau I'm the
United States. In which the State and
Federal Governments work together
each contributing TO the success OF the
Other IL Is the Commissioners pur
pose and desire TO extend the worn
Just begun as rapidly as possible until
tn" department will have an accurate
record of the individual farmers pro
duction which will make conditions
right for the best cooperative system
or marketing farm products.
Three years ago. the State had no
Division OF Markets. and little. II any.
systematic enOrt had been made by
the State. either TO increase produc-
b tion. improve the quality OF the pack.
secure better freight rates or better
markets About one year ago. the Di.
vision 81 MARKETS vas created In the
department OF Agriculture. and
through its efforts much Investigation
al work has been carried on with the
result that m the apple and peach dis
fricts OF West Virginia. a better and
more uniform crop will be- secured.
which means better product A little
advertising has been carried on. and
new and better markets found. and
MN an over production OF peaches
throughout the country last year. buy
"rS "ere more plentiful and compet'.
non vas much greater than would
, nave been expected under ordinary
, conditions. But the greatest benefit AZ
present derived from the market work
Is perhaps noticed in the adjustment
~ freight and express rates and bet.
ter shipping facilities The Commits
si"ner saws that most OF the transpor.
'ation companies have gladly made
ID anF reasonable adjustment when the
l matter has been presented 10 the pro
, per authorities. 10 r. conservative,v
estimated. and the estimate is based
on facts. that the new Market Bureau
while IN existence only about one wear
has secured adjustments. which ha~s
already saved our fruit growers tho.
sands ~ dollars. and when the reduc.
lions now beiag sought are made TIT,
saving will very largely Increase so
mat his alone would paw the entire
coet Of the Department OF Agriculture
each year
AZ the beginning % this term OF Of
hcc. There was In West Virginia. t,o
adequate Live Stock Sanitary La,
and no legal provisions to prevent the
importation % diseased animals -
= control and eradicate contagiou. a..
b eases within our own state Throus
The persistent efforts OF Mr. William
- Mr.. ,. ". Davisson. and Others. thee
a Is now 10 force IN West virginia on.
OF The best Live stock SANITARY Iaws
IN The country. Mr.. Williams has the
enforcement % this law. and hss o.
CASTOR 70 test It's effectiveness imne
. aiatc'y upon It's adoption BY the I.xis
azure IN the control Of Two outbre.k.
BE- OF FOoi-snd Mouth Disease. supposeslv
dropped from Interstate shipment a,
live stock from Chicago 70 Baltlmsre
a. no such shipments were perult,.s
unload ven for feed and wafer a,
f~' virginia These two outbreak.
D 'e ~ which was a very EXTENSIVE. az
u NffrOuS en-. were rorfrofl~< -