Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-09-02
NUMBER 4
MONEY FOR FARMERS
SECRETARY WILSON'S OPTIMISTIC
VIEW OF THEIR PROSPECTS.


He Says That the Higher Prices FOR Farm
Produce May Amount 70 sSoO, coo. 600.
VIII Make Tour of the South In the
Interests of Agriculture.
The Hon. James Wilson, secretary Of
agriculture, in an interview published
the other day in The Manufacturers'
Record, referring to the condition Of
American farm interests at present.
says:
The increase during the past year
in the price of farm products. wheat
and other cereals, vegetables and cattle
for dairy use and slaughter. has amount
ed to hundreds Of millions Of dollars
and may be as great as $500, 900, coo, a.
has been roughly estimated. The in
crease in the value Of the wheat crop
alone is estimated at from e75, 900, 900
to 500, 100000 or more as compared
with last year.
'tThere has been general increase
all along the line, and just as the food
of live stock has increased in value so
have beef, cattle, sheep. hogs and other
stock furnishing us our meat.
Secretary Wilson says that at the ur-
gent request of President Mckinley he
will make, early in the fall. trip
through the entire south and give a
thorough study to the agricultural con-
ditions Of that region with view to
seeing If he can offer any suggestions az
to Improvement in markets or diversif-
cation of crops.
Zone general need of the southwest. I"
he says, lis a closer relation and more
rapid communication with the European
markets, and with this object in view
have already placed myself in corre-
spondence with several ocean steamship
companies to induce them to establish
lines direct between the ports Of the
gulf of Mexico and those of Europe, the
steamships to be provided with refriger-
ators, so that the fruits. vegetables. dali
ry products and other perishable farm
products can be shipped expeditiously
to all the markets of Europe.
Mr.. Wilson adds, "The farmers Of
this country should be just now the
happiest people in the world because
they are the most prosperous. .
He believes that the farm interests Of
the south will share to the fullest in
this new era of prosperity.
Speaking of his southern trip the
secretary say:
81 am sent by President Mckinley.
and / shall go upon his urgent request.
am not going as high commissioner
or special ambassador or special envoy
or anything of that style. / shall not go
in special car, viewing the country
from car window while travelling at
the rate Of 40 or so miles an hour.
shall go as plain American citizen.
want facts and facts only. want TO see
the farmer in his shirt sleeves. not the
politician. with his high sounding and
plausible theories. can get all Of these
/ want right here in Washington.
President Mckinley was much i'm
pressed by his brief trip through por
| ton of the south during his visit to the
Nashville exposition. He has as much
interest, and he has told me so himself.
in the south as in his own state of Ohio
and is willing to do as much for its de-
velopment. Before my return ! shall
again visit the exposition at Nashville,
My other visit was far too brief to per-
NIT as thorough inspection and investi-
CATION of the south's resources as /
/ should like -
In speaking of the general condition
of agriculture Mr.. Wilson says:
"Our statistics show that the wheat
acreage in 1896 was 34,618, ,646. the
yield 427, 684, 346 bushels and the value
1910, 500, $50. OF this crop about 5 per
cent remains. The average price was
~. 6 cents per bushel, the highest since
1891, when it was 6S. 9 cents per bushel.
Already spot wheat is selling at an ad-
vance, and how much higher it will go
/ do not know. The increase in price
and yield should amount to at least
$75, 900, 600, if not 500. 600. 900. OF
course have no figures bearing on the
yield for 1897, al d make no predic-
tions as to fluctuations in prices.
"Wheat is only one article. Take
corn OF course the crop has not yet
been harvested. The prospects are, how
ever, for an abundant crop, and as its
price is regulated to some extent by that
of wheat good prices should be realized.
There has been falling off i'll the acre
age of about / 900, 600 as comrAred with
1895. The total number of ryres stand
ing is 80, 095. 051. 1t is impossible, with
no figures at hand, to estimate the corn
product and the price. 1t is equally inn
possible, for the same reason, to esti-
mate the average prices and increases in
values, if any, of vegetables, hay, dairy
products, poultry, etc. All we know is
that there has been general increase
in the average all along the line.
"Just as the food of live stock has in
creased in value, so have beef cattle,
sheep, hogs and other stock furnishing
our meat This does not apply to draft
or driving horses and mules. The de-
mand for them has fallen off because Of
overproduction in past years, increase
of steam and electric railways and Of
L.. II.