VOL. XXIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., NOV. 9,1889.
NO. 45
DEPARTMENT OF AGBIOULTUBE.
Secretary Busk's Annnal Eeport,
The annual report of the Sasretary of
Agrioulture, and the flrat issue nnder the
newly constructed department is made
publio. The Secretary deals at length
with certain plans for the thorough re-or-
. ganizatlon of the Department of Agrioulture, and suggests several new features in
the interest of the development of agriculture. The report calls attention to the
faot that the first efforts towards
a reorganization were hampered because
of the surprising faot that the appropriations for the current fiscal year were
made entirely upon the basis of the old
organization, no account being taken of
the entire ohange in the status of the department. A striking contrast is drawn
between this amount and the appropriations for agriculture ;made by those countries which the report says "are most active competitors of American farmers ln
the world's market." A comparison
shows that Great Britain appropriates for
agrloalture (1,500,386; Germany, $2,850,000;
Brazil, $20,000,000 for agrio.ulture and
mines France,?8,000,000, and Austria more
than $4 000,000.
Tae S3cretary expresses his intention to
adopt some method by whioh the relations
existing between the department, and its
numerous country correspondents can be
utilizad to secure representation of the department at the State and oonnty fairs,
"for," says the Secretary, "everything
that leads to a more Intimate acquaintance
between the department and the farmers
through out the .country mnst be mutually advantageous."   The condition of
THE SUGAR INDUSTBT
is reviewed In detail, and the results declared to be of a mixed character, In some
oases yielding well, and in other cases
proving disappointing. The region where
the sorghum Bugar industry may be attended with success has been localized in
the southern part of Central Kansas, west
and south of Wichita, and in parts of the
Indian Territory resembling it ln soil and
climate. Tnere are perhaps other parts of
the United States where similar success
could be secured, bnt these have not been
pointed out. Special attention is to be
given to the development of varieties of
sorghum containing a higher per cent of
available sugar. Important progress has
already been made in this dlreotlon.
Many localities in the United States, especially in the North and on the Pacifio
coast, are known to be specially suitable
to the production of a sugar beet rioh in
saccharine matter. The interest in this
subject developed by the successful experiments in California will be met by the
publication, during the coming winter, of
a fnll report on the beet sugar Industry in
the United States.
The botanical department is to be specially occupied in an efiort to solve the
problem of
INCREASING THE FOBAOE YIELD
on the 300,000,000 acres of the arid region
outside of possible irrigation.by promoting
the productiveness of the grasses how
growing there. To aid in this work, and
in procuring a productive grass for the
Southern States, the department proposes
to undertake experimental works, especially devoted to this subj eot.
In regard to the
TEXTILE FIBEB3,
the question now occupying the attention
of the department is the utilization of
flax, jute, ramie and other fibers, all of
whioh can be cultivated in certain sections of this oountry by means of improvements ln machinery, nuchas will do
away with the excessive manual labor incident to its preparation for manufacture.
A special Investigation into this field of
abor in Europe is now being made by a
capable man commissioned by the Seoretary for that purpose.
In treating of the Office of Experiment
Stations, and its work, the Secretary expresses the oonviotlon that the work undertaken by the national government in
this connection evinces the wisdom of
Congress in distributing it through the
oountry. The Seoretary reoommends the
setting apart of some 300 acres of the Arlington estate for the use of the department, for the
TESTING OF NEW VABIETIES OP FBTJITS
and other experimental work, at present
impossible owing to the lack of room.
The seed division has received the Secretary's special attention, and he announces
some changes ln the manner of purchasing seeds, and has determined to closely
observe the products of other countries,
in order that the seeds of such as are found
to possess singular excellence may be secured and experimented with in this
oountry.
The remainder of the report is devoted
to the Bureau of Animal Industry. After
giving the work of the department in restricting cattle diseases, he treats of the
necessity of a vigorous law for the inspection of meat at the time of slaughter, in order to allay the alarm of foreign governments regarding disease. He accordingly
advocates "such an amendment to the
law under which the bureau ia at present
organized as will provide for suoh
OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTECTIOK     -
as shall guarantee the fitness of our meat
produots for food consumption under the
seal of the United States government."
The growth of the mutton interest is re
ferred to as one to be greatly encouraged.
As to wool growing, the reduotion ot the
tariff in 1883 is earnestly deplored. To it
is attributed the great reduotion in the
number of sheep, whioh ha* sinoe then
fallen off by abont 7,000,000 head,while;the
importation of wool has increased from
78,350,651 pound in 18S4, to 126,487,729
pounds the past year. "On behalf of this
industry," says the Secretary, I reoom
mend these faots to you, and should they
be submitted to Congress, I ask for them
intelligent and careful consideration."
Figures are submitted showing the
IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
which produces an annual yield of nearly
fonr thousand million dollars, employing
on the 5,000,000 farms 10,000,000 persons,
representing a population of 30,000,000
people, while the value of live stock alone
is estimated at $2,507,000,000. That agriculture underlies all other industries, it
alone making our vast commerce possible
and rendering the product of our mines
valuable, assigns to it the first plaoe in
considering the well being and prosperity
of the country. Referring to agricultural
depressions, the S scretary says he does not
undertake the delicate dnty of our legislatures in diagnosing ita causes and analyzing proposed panaceas, but the right
of the farmer to the fullest enjoyment
compatible with the rights of his fellow-
oit'zsns, of the benefit of the protective
system, which is a rock-rooted principle of
the Republican party, ia earnestly insisted
upon. For all suoh articles as our own
soil can produce the farmer justly asks
protection whioh will insure to him all the
benefits of our home market."
State Orange of Indiana,
EUton Indiana Farmer:
I wish to call the attention of every Patron in the Stat) to the faot that the 10 ih
Session of the Indiana State Grange will
bs held in the State Board room in the
State House, at Indianapolis, commencing
on D30.10, next. This should be made
the best and most profitable session ever
held in the State. The sixth degree will
be conferred ln full. form on Thursday
night, the 12Ih of Daoember.. At the last
session 87 members took this sublime and
instructive degree.  We would like to see
more than double that number on hand
and in waiting the oomlng session. Indianapolis Is a great railroad center and
is easy of aooess from every oounty ln the
State. Hotel accommodations are good,
and will be famished at reduoed rates.
It is a leisure time with Patrons. Mire
coun'les are entitled to representation
than last year, four having wheeled into
line, that had been entirely dormant. I_*it
every connty send live delegates. A fnll
set of offl »rs are to be eleoted and the fature growth of the Order very much depends upon selecting the proper person
for the right plaoe. Brothers and sisters,
oome one, oome all, and make this the
most profitable session ever held in the
State.
Milton Trusler,
Master Indiana State Grange.
Cftettjeral f&ews.
List year $2 895,036,753 were coined atU,
S. mints; silver dollars, $313,638,001.
Nothing makes home so bright, comfortable and healthful as a "Garland'1
Stove or range.
Since 1800 the population of Europe has
j ust doubled itself. Then it was 175,000,000;
in 1830, 216,000,000; In 1860, 289 000,000; in
1880, 331,000,000; In 1888, 350,000,000.
During the past week there were 229
business failures ln the United States,
agal_tst2-*5for the week previous, and 243
for the corresponding week last year.
Daring the past three weeks over half a
million dollars' worth of horses have been
sold in Fayette, Bourbon, S.ott and Harrison counties, Kentucky.   Tae year 18S9
will foot up fully $3,009,000.
Extensive forest fires have recently been
raging in Spain. Although the oountry
has fewer trees than any other in
Europe, the government do fa nothing to
restore burned forests by planting young
trees.
The prlzs for thebest method of destroying the rabbit pest in New S.uth Wales
has not been won after two years' experiments, so the Government has withdrawn
ita oiler. The rabbits cow greatly trouble
New Z .aland, but are kept under by the
hawks, which carry off thousands in the
year.
Acoording to a calculation made at the
United S'jates legation at Paris, lt is estimated 50,000 Americans have visited the
the exhibition. The Matin, reckoning the
expenses at Paris of each of these visitors
at 5,000 franos, calculates that the total
sum they must spend there can not be less
than 250.000,000 francs.
A swindler sold a Clinton county, Michigan, farmer a. receipt for making his
wheat weigh twice as muoh as it ought to,
and signed a contract to divide the money
gained by the (x'.ra weight with the
scientific swindler. The "contraot" eventually turned up as a promissory note, and
the farmer paid $303 for it.
A Boston paper estimates the number
of girls In that olty who are employed ln
the manufacture of ready made clothing at
5 000. Their average wages hardly exoeed
$3 per week. Taey work ten hours a day
on foot-power sewlng'.machines, and are
often compelled to lose time from inability to do that particular kind of work.
Tne last aot ln the admission of the
twin States of North and South Dakota
was completed at th9 executive mansion
on the afternoon of Nov. 2nd. At the
same time that the body of the Constitution was submitted to a vote of the people
a separate article entitled "Prohibition,"
was also submitted, and reoeived a majority of all the votes cast for and against
said article, as well as a majority of all the
votes cast for and against the Constitution,
and was adopted by both S tates.
•WHEAT GBOWEBS' COHTEUTIOH.
Among the resolutions adopted at the
Wheat Growers' Convention held in St.
Lous last month, the following were of
the moit importance:
Resolved, That we proceed to a permanent organization of the Inter-State Wheat
Growers' Association by an election of an
Executive Board to be oomposed of two
members from each S ate and Territory
included in th9 Mississippi valley, whose
term of cfflse shall be two years; and
S'oond—That said members of the Executive Board shall meet before the adjournment of this convention andorgan-
izo by the election of a president and seoretary, to be knowh as the Executive
Board of tbe Inter-State Wheat Growers'
Association of tbe Mississippi valley.
Third—That said Exeontive Board shall
have power to call annual or quarter annual meetings as within their judgment
may seem best.
Fourth—That said Executive Board shall
meet quarterly on the first Monday in
January. April, July and 03 tot or at snch
place as lhe board may designate, and may
havo adjourned and special meetings, fixing time and place.
Fifth—The duty of said Executive Board
shall be to examine crop reports furnished
by the statistician ot the Farmers' Federation, enquire into tbe possibilities ot new
and foreign markets, advise as to production and to have a general supervision
over the agricultural interests ot the Mississippi valley and the Pacifio S-ates.
Jtcsolved, That the said Executive Board,
together with the Executive Boards or
heads of departments ot ths Farmers'
Federation shall have power to advise relative to price that all farm products
should ba sold for in the markets of commercial centers in the Mississippi valley.
Itesolved, That' we recommend our brother farmers, when and where practicable, to build j olnt stock elevators for their
own use and benefit, and, further, we believe that another cause of the disaster to
the wheat-growing industries of America
lias in what is known as bearing and bulling the market, and therefore we respectfully request our Congress to pass an inter-State law making it a felony for any
man or company of men to sell or offer for
sale any produce which he or they do not
own at the time of sale or offarlntc for sale.
Itesolved, That Mr. Robert P. Porter,
Superintendent of the Census, be respectfully requested to colleot data to show in
the next census what percentage of the
people in this country occupy their own
farms and homes and what percentage are
tenants; and of those who occupy their
own farms and homes, what percentage
have their property free from debts; and
of the farms and homes which are under
mortgage, snd what percentage of the
value ls so mortgaged and the gross
amount of mortgages.
The following were elected as permanent c fll .ers:
Hon. Norman J. Colman,presldent,with
the privilegs of naming his own secretary.
Executive Board; Missouri, N. J. Coleman, M. S Hall.
Kentucky—W. !•. fisott, A D. Noe.
Minnesota, E. H. Murphy, P. A. Odell,
Oregon, Calvin Cole, Geo. Gibson.
Illinois, D. B. Green, J. T. Caffrey.
Tennessee, N. O. Walker. <
Ohio, H. W. Sargent.
Kansas, Walter N. Allen, Governor
Charles Robinson.
Indiana, J. A. Coates, D. A. Epperson,
STATE FAIB FIHAHCBS.
The Executive Committee of the State
Board of Agriculture, held in the Secretary's office at the State house on the 31st
ult, listened to a report on the work of
past year, passed upon protested premium
claims, and made a general settling up of
fiiancialand other matters. The report
of the treasurer shows the amount cleared
in the past year to be $10,487,29. This will
be used in improving the gtounds and reducing the board's indebtedness. The total
receipts of the year amounted to $45,662 24.
Total expe adltnre, Including salaries, $35,-
174 95, leaving a balance of $10,487.29. Tha
m-teilng of the delegate board has been
called for January 7.
Sharp frosty nights and bright sun-
shiny days is the weather program now.
and it suits everybody.