Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 136, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1904 — Old papers for sale at this office. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Old papers for sale at this office.

000. Within the limits of ascertainable values the farms of 1904 produced an aggregate wealth with a farm valuation that was 9.65 per cent above the product of 1903, and 31.28 per cent above the figures for the census year 1899. An occupation that has produced such an unthinkable value as one aggregating nearly $5,000,000,000 within a year may be better measured by some comparisons. All />t the gold mines of the entire world have not produced since Co--1 uinbus discovered America a greater value of gold than the farmers of this country have produced in wealth in two years; this year's product is over six times the amount of the capital stock of all national banks; it is twice the sum of our exports and imports for a year; it is three times the gross earnings from the operations of the railways; It is four times the value of ail minerals produced in this country.

AnimaLExporta Increase, Our animal industry is shown only in small part by the figures giving the exports, yet these exports are so large as to be worthy of notice. The animals exported in the fiscal year 1904 were valued at about $48,000,000, which was an increase over the previous year of $13,000,000; the exports of meat and meat products, including oleo oil, oleomargarine and lard compounds, amounted to more than $174,000,000, a decrease of $4.000,000 from the year before. We also sent abroad nearly $0,000,000 worth of dairy products, and of other products, such ns hides and skins, glue, grease and grease scrap, over $5,000,0CK) worth. The exact total of the above items of export, as given in preliminary returns, was $223,023,000, which was an increase over the previous year of m6re than $12,000,000. The department is not nn educational institution in the sense of the word, but it can do and is doing much-ito bring home to the people in nlfwalks of life the importance and value of the farm and its productions. The Bureau of I’lant Industry is making a special effort to encourage the study of plants iu the public schools. Unfortunately our system of elementary education is such as to leave no impression on the child’s mind of the importance, value and usefulness of farm life. Very little effort lias been made to overcame the general belief that there is always a great amount of drudgery chnneeted with the farm, and that the opportunities in this sort of occupation are narrow and limited. When we see th« rapid advances that are being made fn agriculture along all lines and note till need for bright young men in this field, the opportunities offered by the cultivation of the soil seems as great as in any other field. Growth of American Tea.

The department has continued its work in the production of American tea. The more advanced investigations have been conducted, as heretofore, at Summerville, S. ('., in co-operation with Dr. Charles U. Shepard. Dr. Shepard’s tea gardensarc now yielding from 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of tea annually. Owing to climatic conditions the crop this year will be light. Dr. Shepard has been devoting special attention to the improvement of factory processes. The work of esta\lishing a plantation in Texas lias been continued. Tea beds were started on two types of soil —a rich sandy loam and a black, waxy soil. The plants on the black, waxy land have failed utterly. There arc now on hand at our Texas station, which is located at Pierce, about 100,000 plants, which will be put into the field this winter, planting about forty acres. Sufficient additional seed will be put out to give another fifty acres next year.

Advance in Forage Crop Work. Alfalfa has attracted more attention on the part of farmers in the eastern half of the United States during tiie past two years than any Other crop. The department has dempnstrated that it can be grown in almost every State in the Union. Varieties have been found which withstand the rigorous wiuters of the Northwestern prairie States. Other varieties have been found which are immune to the alfalfa leaf rust. There is stili much to be learned concerning th* adaptability of alfalfa to various types of soil in tiie Eastern States and much time is being devoted to the solution of this problem. e