Newspaper Page Text
8
THE YEAR WITH
THE FARMERS
HAS BEEN A PROSPEROUS ONE
SAYS SECRF.TARY OF AGRICL'L-
TfBK WILSON.
Tb Corn Crop C'onld Pay Off tli*
Nationnl Debt, the Interest on It
and Still Have Enough Left to
Pay a Good Part of the Govern
ment’s Yearly Expenses—The Cot
ton Crop Yalued at gttOO.OGO.OOO
Next, and Hay and Wheat a Rare
for Third Plaer —Poultry Growing
a Gigantic Indnstry—ltj Ililllon
Doxen J'.gas Laid Last Vear,
Washington, D. C., Nov. 29.—The
Secretary of Agriculture has trans
mitted his eighth annual report to the
President.
In opening his report the secretary
enumerates some of the more impor
tant features of the year’s work.
Among them are extensive co-operation
with agricultural stations; the taking
of preliminary steps to conduct feed
ing and breeding experiments; the war
waged against the cotton boll weevil
and against cattle mange; plans for
education of engineers in road build
ing; the production of a hardy orange,
a hybrid of the Florida orange and the
Japanese trifoliata; valuable research
In successful shipping of fruit abroad;
the value of nitrogen-fixing bacteria;
successful introduction of plans suited
to light rainfall areas; establishment
of pure food standards; the extension
of agricultural education in primary
and secondary schools; the extension of
instruction to our island possessions
SECRETARY OF AGR HILTI RK WILSOV.
to enable them to supply the country
■with $200,000,000 worth of domestic pro
ducts. now imported from abroad.
He then proceeds to discuss the place
of agriculture in the country’s indus
trial life.
A Source of National Wealth.
The corn crop of 1904 yields a farm
value greater than ever before. The
farmers could from the proceeds of
this single crop pay the National debt,
the interest thereon for one year, and
still have enough left to pay a con
siderable portion of the government’s
yearly expenses. The cotton crop,
valued for lint and seed at $600,000,000,
comes second, while hay and wheat
contend for the third place. Com
bined, these two crops will about equal
In value the corn crop. Notwithstand
ing the wheat crop shows a lower pro
duction than any year since 1900, the
farm value is the highest since 1881.
Potatoes and barley reached their
highest production in 1904; save in 1902
the oat crop was never so large by
60,000,000 bushels. The present crop
of rice promises a yield of 900,000,000
pounds 300,000,000 more than ever be
fore.
Horses and mules reach the highest
point this year, with an aggregate val
ue exceeding 1,354 million dollars. On
the other hand cattle, sheep, and hogs
all show a slight decline.
The Hen and Ekk Crop.
The steady advance In poultry leads
to some astonishing figures. The farm
ers’ hens now produce one and two
thirds billions of dozens of eggs and
at the high average price of the
year the hens during their busy season
lay enough eggs in a single month to
pay the year's Interest on the national
debt.
Afer a careful estimate of the value
of the products of the farm during
1904, made within the census scope,
it is to place the amount at 4,-
900 million dollars after excluding the
value of farm crops fed to live stock
in order to avoid duplication of values.
This is 9.65 per cent, above the product
of 1903, and 31.28 per cent, above that
of the census year 1899.
Some comparisons are necessary to
the realization of such an unthinkable
value, aggregating nearly five billions
of dollars. The farmers of this country
have in two years produced wealth ex
ceeding the output of all the gold
mines of the entire world since Co
lumbus discovered America. This
year’s product Is over six times the
amount of the capital stock of all na
tional banks, it lacks but three-fourth
of a billion dollars of the value of the
manufactures of 1900. less the cost of
materials used; It is three times the
gross earnings from the operations of
the railways, and four times the value
of all minerals produced in this coun
try.
The year 1904 keeps well up to the
average of exports of farm products
during the five years 1899-1903, amount
ing to over 859 millions, while the av
erage for the five years was nearly
865 millions. During the last fifteen
years the balance of trade in favor of
this country, all articles considered,
exceeded 4,384 million dollars, but tak
ing farm products alone, these show
ed a balance in our favor or more than
5,300 millions.
lii r refine fn Kour Yenrß
Reviewing the increase in farm
capital, the secretary estimates It
conservatively at 2,000 million dollars
within four years—this without recog
nizing the marked Increase In the
value of land during the past two
years. The most startling figures
shown as Illustrating the farmers’
prosperity are those presented by de
posits in banks in typical agricultural
states. The secretary selects for this
Illustration lowa, Kansas and Missis
sippi. Taking all kinds of banks, na
tional. state, private, niul savings, the
deposits Increased from June 30, 1896,
to Oct. 31. 1904, In lowa, 1(4 per rent..
In Kansas 219 per cent., and In Mis
sissippi 801 per cent.—ln the United
State* 91 per cent. A shriller favorable
comparison may be made as to the
number of depositor*.
The secretary concludea that the
farmer*’ rale of financial progress
need fear no comparison with that of
any other visas of pioducera,
W eather Hurras sad I at r reifies.
The secieta ry i sport* that In faroerd -
I ‘*ce with the ftged policy tb* West her
Kursaa mmUuwm to to-operate with
leading universities, the relations be
tween them and the bureau at the
present time being more intimate and
the work done more important than at
any previous time. Several universi
ties have given ground for the erec
tion of buildings, and others have plac
ed at the disposal of the bureau,
without cost, quarters in their build
ings.
Wireless Telegraphy.
The Department of Agriculture waa
one of the first to take up through the
Weather Bureau systematic experi
mentation in wireless telegraphy. In
accordance, however, with the recom
mendations of the board appointed to
consider the whole problem, experi
ments in this line have been discon
tinued by the bureau, being trans
ferred to the Navy Department, while
all meteorological work done hereto
fore by the Navy Department will be
transferred to the Weather Bureau.
Tuberculosis In Cattle.
Experiments recently reported upon
by the Bureau of Animal Industry
show conclusively that it is an error
to conclude that cattle cannot be in
fected with human tuberculosis. The
Secretary urges the necessity of a
rigid enforcement of the public regu
lations looking to the control and
eradication of this disease In cattle.
The bureau distributed 74,000 doses of
tuberculin in 1904. The blackleg vaccine
for cattle distributed by the bureau
continues to give satisfaction. During
the year 1,000,000 doses of this vaccine
were issued, and over 10,000 persons
reported highly satisfactory results.
The number of animals that died after
vaccination was reduced to the very
low figure of 0.44 per cent, of the num
ber treated.
Cultural Work on Cotton.
Special work has been done on cot
ton with a view to bringing home to
farmers of Texas and Louisiana, es
pecially in the boll weevil districts, the
advantages of better methods of culti
vation and the value of early matur
ing seed.
The Bureau of Plant Industry has
had the advantage of closest co-opera
tion with the Texas Agricultural Col
lege and also with the Louisiana au
thorities. Asa feature of the work
in the South diversification farms were
established at various places with a
view to showing the value and impor
tance of diversified agriculture. The
business interests in the respective
communities gladly co-operate in this
matter with the bureau, so that they
involve but a trilling expense to the
government. Thirty-two of these farms
have been or are about to be estab
lished. Extensive work has been in
augurated In Texas with a view to
breeding new types of cotton better
adapted to meet the conditions
brought about by the invasion of the
cotton boll weevil. Reference Is made
to the discovery of the Guatamalan
ant by an officer of the bureau and
to the transfer of the study and dis
tribution of this ant to the Bureau of
Entomology. Mention is also made of
an effort to combat the boll weevil by
producing a variety of cotton not sub
ject to injury by this pest.
The Secretary believes it to be with
in the range of possibility that resist
ant varieties of cotton may be found in
tropical America or developed by se
lection. Asa feature of the work in
Texas a special effort has been made to
obtain information as to the best meth
ods of combating the cotton root rot,
a disease which has been very serious
the past season.
Combating Plant Diseases.
The Bureau of Plant Industry has
devoted much attention to the inves
tigation of plant diseases, with a view
to combating them successfully. Among
those enumerated in the Secretary’s
report as having received special at
tention during the past year are cran
berry diseases, the ‘’little-peach’’ dis
ease, winter killing of fruit trees, and
the wilt disease of tobacco. The suc
cess of the Bureau of Plant Industry’s
wilt-resistant varieties of cotton was
more marked last season than ever
before. Considerable quantities of the
seed of resistant and desirable plants
have been retained and distributed, and
in connection with this work the wilt
of the cowpea has also been studied
and resistant types secured and dis
tributed.
Seed Distribution.
In the congressional seed distribu
tion constant effort is being made to
wards the improvement of methods of
securing and handling the seeds. Every
effort is made to improve the quality
of the seed and to encourage home
seed growing. In the handling of this
enormous work which Congress puts
upon the department the necessity for
strict business methods has been fully
observed. The work of handling one
branch only of this problem involves
securing more than twenty-five car
loads of special seed and the testing,
packing and mailing of this large
%JL i/rv
YtuuLe bu, ouV<(jUWl
irt? owl Mur
■yw&n iW pom (Vr
Ujfot J r
(W, uwu. ol tXr bttfir
KL bfl/ioai/J.
OJUL luU.
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: WEDNESDAY.NOVEMBER 30. 1004.
SBest materials —carefully selected —scientifically brewed— S3?
Imperial Pilsenerl
Served at 120 JAMES O’KEEFE, Corner Broughton
places in Savannah. Distributor. Drayton Streets.
quantity to all parts of the United
States. The systematizing of all op
erations has been so perfected that
there is little or no friction at present.
Growing of Calian Seed Tobacco.
In the line of tobacco Investigations
which is carried on by the Bureau of
Soils, the most important work dur
ing the year was the experimental
growing of Cuban seed tobacco on cer
tain soils in Texas, Alabama and South
Carolina. Samples of tobacco grown
in 1903 were submitted to the trade,
and the Texas leaf was found to have
considerable merit both in regard to
flavor and aroma. Some have pro
nounced it to be superior to any filler
yet grown in this country. The Ala
bama filler leaf is considered fair. Final
judgment of the success of this ven
ture, however, must await further ad
vices from dealers and manufactur
ers. Growing of the Cuban type of
filler has also been tried in Ohio. The
most important work in Ohio, however,
has been the further introduction of
the bulk method of fermenting cigar
tobaccos. Over 655,000 pounds were
fermented in 1902, over 4,000,000 pounds
in 1903, while in 1904 the quantity so
fermented exceeded 10,000,000 pounds.
Considerable demand has been made
the past year upon the bureau to as
sist the growers of the heavy export
types. Experiments have been under
taken to grow the tobacco with dif
ferent fertilizers and under different
methods of culture to see which will
give the best financial results. It is
yet too early to give the results of the
present season's work.
The Forestry Situation.
The present situation as regards for
estry in the United States the Sec
retary regards as exceedingly hopeful.
The lumber industry seems to be awak
ening to the fact that lumbering with
reference to future as well as present
profits may be good business. The
general adoption of forestry as an es
tablished policy now depends primarily
on business conditions. Extensive in
vestigations of forest conditions are
still urgently needed. Studies which
individuals can not undertake but
which must be made if the wealth-pro
ducing power of ithe country as a whole
is to be brought to the highest point,
need to lie prosecuted In the public
interest. The furtherance of that part
of this department’s work which is di
rected toward Informing the small
owner how he can to advantage prac
tice forestry on his own account is of
the first importance.
Clays ns Rond Material.
The work of the Road Material Lab
oratory. now the division of tests in
the Bureau of Chemistry, has been
much broadened, and its value and im
portance increased during the past fis
cal year. Much time has been spent
in studying the physical properties of
clays in an endeavor to devise meth
ods by which they can be utilized in
road making. Of 228 samples of road
materials reported during the past
year, thirty-five were clays. Cllnker
ed clay has been successfully used for
some time past as a railroad ballast.
Experiments were made with samples
of the so-called gumbo clay from the
Yazoo district of Mississippi, and fol
lowing these experiments the office of
public road Inquiries built an experi
mental road in Yazoo City which has
been reported successful. The divis
ion of tests has not confined Itself to
investigations of clays In their use as
road material, but to their useful prop
erties for any purpose, with a view to
developing the use of native clays, of
which the production already exceeds
$2,000,000 annually, while of foreign
clays over $1,000,000 worth are reported.
Plant Stml>- in I’nhllc Schools.
Special efforts have been made to
encourage the study of plants in the
public schools. The secretary argues
that our system of elementary educa
tion leaves no impression on the
child’s mind of the importance, value,
and usefulness of farm life, while in
many ways he is brought early Into
contact with facts pointing to the
value of commercial life. He calls at
tention to the rapid advances made In
agriculture along all lines, and notes
the need for bright young men in this
field, which he believes offers oppor
tunities as great as In any other. The
distribution of seed is being handled in
such a way that encouragement of
plant growing will be a feature of it
in connection with public school work.
Farmer** Inatitutra.
Work in the interest of the farmers’
Institutes throughout the country has
been regularly organized in the office
of experiment stations, and attention
has been definitely called to the nu
merous publications which the depart
ment and the experiment stations are
issuing, and they have btsen put in
the way of receiving these publica
tions regularly.
hoganTkillld bTscott.
Fatal Aflrny tlic f nlinlnatlon of 111
Feeling Hetween Two Men.
Punta Gorda. Fla., Nov. 29.—Dick
Hogan, called also Dick Carson, was
killed at 1 o'clock to-day by a pistol
shot fired by Luke Scott. Hogan had
'threatened Scott previously.
Hog.tn entered the house where Scott
was to-day, cursing him and trying
to cut him. Soott shot Hogan in (he
body. Grappling him, Hogan secured
the pistol, shooting Scott In the hand.
Hogan died a few minutes later.
Two years ago Hogati was sentenced
to five years In the penitentiary for
stealing cAttle, but was pardoned In
Anguat. Scott was engaged in the
oyster business.
Scott Is in Jail.
The rorimer's Jury adjourned until
8 o'clock to-morrow morning.
Yaelil Joseitblur llloon Ashore.
Charleston. K. C.. Nov. 29 —The
yacht Josephine from Providence,
which left Philadelphia Hhnut three
weeks ago with Krneat T. Pepper and
James Karnau on hoard, n route to
Fori Myers. Fla., Has blown ashore at
!* Itordrsu lleach near Georgetown
yesterday, on account of the engine
breaking down, and waa lowed Into
port Uilr afternoon by the launch De
nse. The yacht aw slightly damaged
and will In docked and repaired at
daoigetowu, No uu* waa hurt.
The sickest man is not al
ways in bed. The meanest
kind of sickness is just to be
able to attend to duties and
yet not feel equal to the task.
The eternal grind keeps many
in the traces who ought to be
in bed.
A thorough course of John
son’s Chill and Fever Tonic
would give anew lease on life
to such people. It tones up
the whole digestive appa
ratus. Puts the Liver in the
best condition possible. Gives
a splendid appetite. Renews
strength and restores vitality.
WINTER TOURS
TO
COLORADO
AND RETURN
$39.20
FROM
ST. LOUIS
UNION PACIFIC
EVERY DAY until May 1,
1905. Return limit June 1.
VOI R PHYSICIAN SAYS:
—that the dry mountain air of
Colorado as an elixir of life,
stands pre-eminent. Always
rigorous and Invigorating, the
crisp atmosphere and delight
ful climate are at their best in
winter.
Inquire of
J. F. VAN RENKSELAF.IL
IS Peachtree htrert,
Atlanta. Oh.
(•riftin'* I’nMlr Work*.
Orllfln, (la., Nov. *#. —At a meeting
of the Llght, Water and Hewerage
ommlaalon y#aterday J If. M< Kenale
h Mona of Auguate ware awarded the
contract for laying water plj>ea and
••were The work will amount to
aotnethlttg over lIo.OOU. The loininle
wln deferred making the eontrtMf for
•ewer pipe until a aubaauuent mealing
The contract haa already been let for
moat af the material for enlarging lha
light and water plank
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Cures by removing the cause of disease.
Hundreds of voluntary testimonials by home people,
among whom is numbered Mr. B. Dub, the popular pro
prietor of Screven House, this city.
Kalola restores the weak and feeble to perfect
health and vigor by giving strength and appetite.
"TakeKalola Six Days and Eat Anything You Want."
Not equaled as a morning laxative.
Recommended by physicians and all who try it.
For sale by all druggists, 50c and SI.OO.
KALOLA COMPANY,
23-21 Bay Street, West, - - - • Savannah, Ga.
THE CABLE COMPANY,
Largest Manufacturer of
Pianos and Organs in fhe World.
S. S. SOLLEE. Agent,
120 State Stmt, Weat.
HOTELS AND SUMMER RESORTS.
Hotel Highlands
Ninety-first St., Near Lexington Aye.,
• NEW YORK. o
A Bigh- Class House at Moderate Rates.
Comfort. Repose, Elegance, Economy.
™1 Depots, theatres,
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j £ ton Ave. Line, Mad
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Ladlea’Parlors.nd
wSfT'WU Boudoir, Library,
Writing and Smok-
Ing Rooms. High
____] est point in City;
. , „ pure air, perfect
drainage. Near Central Park. On same
street as the mansions of Carnegie, Van
derbilt, Sloane, Burden and Belmont.
Cuidne noted for particular excellence.
400 Rooms ; 100 bath rooms ; 100 telephones
All night elevators.
Room and Bath, $1 up, daily; American
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Room, Bath and Board, *ll.OO to *2s.oo,weemv’
Suites: Parlor, Bedroom and Bath at pro
portionately low rates.
Being conducted by the owner, not by a
lessee, very moderate rates are possible.
Write for City Guide and Map. (Gratis.)
DE SOTO HOTEL, Savannah, Ga.
Open all year. Large airy rooms;
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room. Liberal inducements to fami
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A PARADOX.
Qa to the Golden Gate,
|n comfort all the way,
Let any one gainsay:
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Unhealthy smoke
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galore.
Exhaust your patience and
pleasant mien.
Remember the
SOUTHERN PACIFIC to all
points
Louisiana, Texas, Mexico and
California. Special rates to
Louisiana, Texas. New Mexico
and Arizona in November and
December.
Information cheerfully given.
J. F. VAN RENSSELAER,
General Agent,
13 Peachtree street. Atlanta. Ga.
NOTICE !
All parties having
bills against us are
requested to present
them for payment
by Dec. i^.
Allen Bros;
Housefurnlshers and Wedding
Present Specialists.
old NKWHPAPKHH. 200 FOR 2<
cent*, at Business office. Morning
New*.