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Show COMMISSIOXER UI' INDIAS AFFAIRS. 9 FARMING. GENEBAL.-T~s~er vice industries show a substantial increase in the number of Indians farming and in the total cultivated acreage. There has also been consistent progress along the lines of better and more intensive farming and the use of modern agricultural machinery. EXFERIMENTAT~ONm.-oTs~t ~im portant station for this work is at Sacaton, on the Pirna Reservation, in Arizona, operated under a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture. Many useful plants have been devel-oped at this station, notably a long-staple Egyptian cotton, now grown extensively by both Indians and whites in that section, also promising results of tests made with Peruvian alfalfa, Mexican June corn, Bermuda onions, fruits, nuts (particularly the pecan), trees, and forage plants. DATE GARDEN-A small tract of land has been set aside on the Martinez Reservation, Calif.. for use as a date garden; also in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry. T h ~sse ction is well adapted to the roduction of dates. Offshoots will he furnished Indians free, an$ it is expected that the industry will be deveIoped to such an extent as to contribute materiallv to their self-suooort and A P r ? ? & ~ ~ E~XTvEN~ST ON wo~~.-Thiss ervice has continued to aviil itself of the cooperative extension work of the Department of Agri-culture and the various State colleges with good results. In many eases the county agents make no d~stinction between whites and Indians in their work. Boys' and girls' clubs have been organized on several reservations.. Experts from the State college frequently visit the reservations and schools and give illustrated lectures on topics of interest. AQRIC~TURFAALIR S.-Apicultural fairs were held on many of the reservations, where the Iqdinns displayed, their products in com-petition with each other, su~tahle prlzes be~ng given for the best exhibits. The Indians also won many" n.re mlums in ooen comoetl- tion at county and State fairs. STOCK RAISING. There was comparatively little change in live-stock conditions during the year, hut there is every prospect of a general improve-ment. The value of the Indians' live stock is considerably less than several years ago, due to lower market prices, but their inter-ests are more satisfactory than those of many other owners, and the improvement in the grade of their stock has more than offset any decrease in the number of animals owned. Probably nothing has contributed so largely to the welfare and progress of the Indians of the Southwest as the development of the sheep industry. The Indians are furnished pure-bred rams at a nominal price from a herd maintained on the Jicarilla Reservation, N. Mex. About 500 of these rams were supplied the Indians of the Navajo Reservations during the past year. The Indians also procure first-class acclimated animals from the tribal' herds on the easg-payment plan. |