Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-30
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
SHOWS soLoNs sTlNalNess
IS NOT ECONOMY.
AGRICULTURE SUFFERS
IF MONEY IS REFUSED
Experimental and Preservation Work
Conducted by Department Saving
Farmers and Public Large Sums
Every Year-seskino to Prevent
Waste Costing People Millions.
rBy z. q, Dougherty.1


Washington. April So.-Members
of congress whose votes have result
ed In the appropriations for the de-
partment of agriculture being pared
In wholesale quantities are reading
with interest the address made to the
chamber of commerce convention at
Atlantic City Wednesday by Edwin
T. Meredith, the Iowa secretary OF
this important federal department
The recital by Mr.. Meredith of the
work now being performed by the
department which will be seriousl!
curtailed unless adequate hnanclai
provision Is voted by congress, mas
already opened the eyes OF these
protesting members OF congress 10
the necessity for permitting the red
eral agricultural department to func-
ton to the fullest degree by grant
ing sufficient financial means to car
~ on the work.
Secretary Meredith pointed out
that a stoppage Of the corrective
work of the department of agricul-
ture means a corresponding increase
in the cost of living, for those who DO
not actually live and work on the
farms Of the country. The wastase
in foods. Mr.. Meredith said, Is
great factor in the high cost OF Nv
ing. In pointing out the things the
department of agriculture is doing
to prevent this wholesale wastage'
Mr.. Meredith said:
Millions Wasted.
Twenty Eve million dollars worth
of sweet potatoes were wasted IN
1919. They rotted because they were
stored in earth banks-put on the
ground in small heaps and covered
with dirt-instead Of being stored IN
properly constructed warehouses.
About so per cent Of sweet potatoes
stored in each bank became so dam
aged that they can not be eaten
Specialists of the department of as-
riculture developed storage mouse
that reduced the loss, when useo'
from so per cent to per cent. More
than 800 such storage houses, rec
commended by the bureau OF markets,
were erected-enough to take care OF
about per cent OF the sweet pota-
toes stored every year. Then we
had practically to discontinue our
educational campaign because our
appropriations were decreased to
such an extent that we had no mon
ey for the purpose"
Cotton Losses Heavy.
Mr.. Meredith said that from $5o,-
900, 900 to SIS, oe0, 900 is lost every
year because baled cotton is left out
in the weather instead of being prop
erly stored in warehouses. Tests
made by the department have shown
losses, by exposing cotton to the
weather, ranging as high as slOO.ts
a bale. The lowest was $3.50 a bale.
This S75,0O0,oo0 annual loss" he
warned, "is divided between you and
the farmer. The farmer pays PAL.
Of it when he sells his cotton and you
pay the other part when you buy
your clothes"
The department Of agriculture Is
eliminating waste along many other
lines by discovering uses for prod
ucts which formerly served no use
full purpose" Secretary Meredith
continued. 1.-The most notable recent
illustration is that Of corn cobs. Dur
ing the past few months chemists Of
the department Of agriculture have
discovered that the entire content OF
corn cobs can be converted into
highly useful products. Commercial
plants are now being equipped to
manufacture half dozen products
from them. One Of these products
is an adhesive OF exceptionally high
quality-said to be better for a num-
Der Of important uses than any ad-
hesive previously known. Another is
cellulose, suitable for use in the man
ufaoturs Of dynamite and various
other things. We have made q very
good paper, using part of the corn
cob product as filler. Another prod
uct that the plants will turn out from
cobs is acetate Of limo. from which
acetic acid Is made
Use for Corn Cobs.
And after all these things had
been demonstrated our chemists dis
covered a very valuable by-product,
furfural. Up to this time furfural
has been so rare that 1t has sold as
high as $40 a pound. Every ton Of
corn cobs will yield about 80 pounds
of furfural as a by-product, and our