Morris tribune., 1918-01-18

not so urgent" There is a close re-
lat1onship, the report says, between
the production of live stock and tho
supply of feedstuffs, and the large
production of these necessaries DIR
ing the present season should con-
ouce 10 more satisfactory conditions
Tor the producers of live stock.
HOGS AND POULTRY
Nationwide campaigns to increase
the meat supply are in progress. the
report shows. AS hogs and poultry
y1eld the quickest returns, urgent eff
1orts are being made to increase their
production. Funds have been set
aside from the appropriation made nv
the food production act to employ a
force of 80 additional specialists to
give their time to the task of in
creaslng the number of hogs. 80 tn
encourage poultry raising, and 6 to
assist producers of cattle. By the end
OF October field agents of the denart-
ment had assisted in the transfer of
100000 cattle from localities where
there is a shortage of feed to areas
where feedstuffs are relatively album
dant. This work has resulted in the
saving to the Nation of large num-
bers of animals.
CONTROL OF DISEASE AND PESTS
Every effort has been and is being
made to protect crops and live stock
from diseases and pests. The force
OF experts dealing with these matters
has been greatly increased and they
are maintaining constant vigil and
assisting in combating outbreaks in
their early stages. Forty additional
expert entomologists will be placed
in the field to cooperate with the ex-
tension forces, and specialists fam
1liar with seed treatment for the pre-
vent1on of SHUTS of wheat, barley,
oats and rye, which alone cause losses
of from SO to 60 million dollars a
year, have been assigned to preven-
tion work in Oregon, Ohio, New York.
Tennessess, Indiana, Illinois, Okla
homa, Texas, Washington, and Cali
fornia.
Under the food production act, the
facilities of the Bureau Industry for
dealing with live stock diseases have
been further extended. Forty-six
workers have been added to the force
combating cattle ticks in the South
Fifty-one per cent of the original in
tested territory has now been cleared
of the tick. Hog cholera losses de-
creased 80 per cent during the last
year, and IS additional veterinar-
ians have been assigned to the work
of controlling the disease. In 12|
states an inspector has been detailed
to assist in combating tuberculosis
of cattle and swine and of abortion |
of cattle, and it is proposed to in
crease the number to 10. Other spe-
cialists are engaged in the work of
controlling blackleg of cattle and an
thrax of domestic animals.
The secretary discusses in detail
how the Department of Agriculture,
thru it's various bureaus, is dealing
with the many phases of agriculture
in relation to the war and how the
work is being extended under the
provisions of the food production act. |
He tells how additional machinery
has been developed, how the extern
sion work has been expanded, how
home gardening has been stimulated,
how the marketing activities have
been enlarged, how the emergency
food and fertilizer surveys are being |
made, and also describes the meas
ures taken to control diseases and
pests of plants and animals, the spe-
cial efforts made to increase the meat
supply and the production of wheat
and other cereals, the steps taken to |
deal with the farm-labor problem,
the extension of the chemical investi-
cations, the publication work, and
other activities of the department.
He reports the appearance in Texas
Of the pink bollworm, highly de-
structive cotton pest, and indicates
he steps taken by the department to
control the insect. He also calls at
tention to the urgent need of proper
legislation relating to the develop
nent of the water power of the Ma
ion.