-Sri 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



]\r,'RCH 20, 1909. 



The fiinctinns of the We:ithiT Bure.-m include 

 forecasts ot wenther conditions; ilie issue of stoiiii 

 Avarnings ; ihe disphiy of wenther .-ind Hocjd si<,'iials for 

 the benefit of ai,'ricidlure, coniiiierce, navigation, etc., etc. 

 The Bureau of Animal Industry has chai-ge of the 

 work of the Department relating to the live stock indus- 

 try. The Bureau of Plant Industry studies plant life in 

 all its relations to agiiculture. The Forest Service has 

 charge of the administration of the National Forests, etc. 

 The Bureau of Chemistry investigates the methods 

 proposed for the analysis of plants, iei tilizers, and agri- 

 cultural products, and makes such analyses as pi-riain 

 in general to the interests of agriculture. To ilie 

 Bureau of Roils is entrustetl the investigation, survey, 

 and mapping of soils, etc. The Bureau of Entomology 

 obtains ai'd disseminates information regarding insects 

 ■injurious to acriicultural cro[)S : studies insects in lela- 

 tion to the diseases of man and other animals, and as 

 animal parasites: carries out experimerits in connexion 

 "vvith the intr-nduction of beneficial insects, etc., etc. The 

 Bureau of Biological Survey studies the geograpliual 

 disti'ibution of animals and plants, and m:ips out the 

 natural life zones of the country, etc. 



As a consec|uenco of the large amount of 

 .printed matter — repoits, bulletins, etc., issueil by the 

 Department, a Divisicrn of Publications has naturally- 

 been established, whose functions comprise the publica- 

 tion, printing, indexing, and illustrating of the results 

 of the work of the Department. 



The Office of Experiment Stations represents the 

 Department in its relation to Experiment Stations, 

 ■which are now in operation in all the States and 

 "Territories, and directly manages the Exjieriment 

 ■Stations of Alaska, Porto Rico, and Hawaii. It seeks to 

 promote the interests of agricultural education and 

 investigation throughout the United Stales. It 

 •collects and disseminates general information regarding 

 Agricultural Schools, Colleges, and Stations, and 

 publishes a(;counts of agricultural investigations at 

 home and abroad. 



The foregoing represents abo\it one half of the 

 'lines of activity, that engage the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. ' Fundamentally, the 

 work of the Departuient is concerned with the |iroduc- 

 tion of wealth, as for example by increasing a crop 

 yield per- acre, as the result of plant breeding : the 

 preservation of wealth, as by suppressing insect and 

 fungous pests ; and with enabling farmers to make 

 .;i fair sale u{ their products, as by promoting co-opera- 

 tive selling, or by giving to the public information ()f 



the size <if a crop in order that demand :iiav be fairlv 

 adjusted to supply. ' 



Under the heading ' Chief Crops ' in the Secre- 

 tarj's report, corn and hay are. given first and secoml 

 jtlaces lespectively, as the main agricultural products 

 of the United States on the bases of farm value, while 

 cotton comes third, and wheat fourth. 



The work of the Bureau of Piant Industry which 

 is likely to be of s-pecial interest to readers of the 

 Atji-i<;aUural Nnvs is indicated below. Among other 

 })oints mentioned, it is stated that a mango industry 

 is being developed, as a result of the investigation by 

 this Bureau of certain fine-flavoured varieties of East 

 Indian mangos, and that local nurserymen are ready 

 to sell, in quantity, several of these new v;irietie.=. 

 The Experiment Stations of Porto Rico arxl Hawaii 

 are taking this fruit, and the owners of private 

 ]il.antations ate planting out oichar-ds of these newly 

 improve<l varieties. 



Co'wpeas have received much attention and 

 extensive investigations have been carried <(ut with 

 the oliject of |iioducing better and cheaper seed, and 

 seed which will retain its vit.ality for more than one 

 year. The iniportance of the cowpea as a soil 

 improver and as a source of stock and human food is 

 i'ully recognized. Thiee vai ieties of Soy beans have beeu 

 successfully inti'oduced into the rice-growing districts of 

 Texas and Louisiana to be used in rotation with rice. It 

 is hojjed thus to place in the hands of the rice grower 

 a plant which will answer the s.ime jiurposethat clover, 

 alfalfa, and cowpeas <lo in otliei' I'lCalities. 



A large amount of work h.ts been done in breed- 

 ing Indian c irn with thii object of itn()roving the 

 yieliis, and the (jiiality of the fodder and the grain. 

 In the Work of improving cotton by means of seed 

 selection, pr.icticil methoils have been introduced for 

 getting rid of light, inferior seed. The breeding of 

 special strains of cotton to prevent injury by the cotton 

 boll weevil is a ]iroblem nf the greatest interest. One 

 of the chief recommendations made by the Bureau of 

 Entomology in the matter of boll weevil control is 

 early planting ami early harvesting of the cotton. The 

 Bureau of I'hirit Industry is assisting the planters to 

 carry out this line of juevcntion by attempting to 

 breed resistant and early maturirjg varieties. 



Satisfactory resiiltsi have also been achieved in the 

 breeding of tobacco for the improvement of yields and 

 the q'lality of the leaf. 



{To be concluded.) 



