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Show BEPORT OF COMMIBBIOWB OF mm mms. XXI work lack the foresight, good husbandry, economy, and persistence nec essary to make farming snceeesfnl. They are easily discouraged; the failure of one crop is almost fatal to their hopes in that direction, and they are inclined to give np further effort. It most be understood, also, that many of them are located on reservations where the soil is poor, or no regular rains fall, or the climate is so severe and the seasons so short that it would be a difficult matter for a first.elass white farmer to make a living. These drawbacks to the progress d the Indians must not be lost sight, of in considtbring what results we have from the ex-penditures made by the Qovernment to assist them. It cannot be ex-pected that under such circnmstances all or even many will at once, or in the course of the next five or ten years, step from the position of igno-rant, shiftless, lazy savages to that of snccessfnl independent farmers; hut this objeot is being constantly kept in view, and all official action taken by'me will tend to that result, for in it, in my opinion, lies the only hope of the survival of any considerible portion of the Indian tribes. In March last each Indian agent wasinformed that the.permanent establishment of the Indians in agricultnral pursuits should be con-sidered the, main duty of himself and every agency employ6; that all must work for this result; that.wherever practicable every able.bodied Indian who had not already done so must commence at once to cultivate a piece of ground, and that those who were already tilling small patches must be induced to go to work on a larger scale; that the farmers at the various agencies must not only advise and eouosel with theIndians about farming operations, hut mnst themselves go to work, and by ex-ample show them how to select proper land for cultivation, how and when to prepare it? when and what to plant, how to care for the grom-iug crops, to harvest them, to prepare the produce for market, and to market it so aa to make farming pay. At the same time they are ex. pected to teach the Indians economy and foresight and patient perse-verance, and to show them how to save seed for next year and how to care properly for their work animals and stmk and provide food and shelter for winter use. I considered it my duty to give these specific instructions, and I in-tend to see to it that theyare fully carried oi~t. Unless an Indiin can be shown how he himself can farm to advantage, that is, make a com-, fortable living by farming without help from others, the effort to make him a farmer might as well be abandoned. Siuce the beginning of the season good reports h&ve been received from many of the.agents, but of course it will be some years yet before it can be definitely ascertained just how far Indian farming has been establishedon a permanentpaying basis. The annual statistical reports . of theinereased number of acres under cultivation or of the quantityof crops harvested cannot be depe~~ileudp on to show this; i t will only appeat in time in the decrease of the amount of supplies to be pur: |