The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-13
WEALTH OF FARMERS.
Where the Advance of Agricultural
Interests Has Been Large.

Kansas City Journal.
Attention has been so strongly directed
during the last two years to the almost
sensational enlargement of the foreign
market for American manufactured goods
and cereals and the enormous development
of the manufacturing interests OF the coun-
try TO supply the foreign as well as the
home demand that comparatively little
notice has been taken of the vast increase
liz the agricultural wealth of the country,
always the largest item in the material
prosperity OF any country.
The recent report of the statistician or
the Department of Agriculture showed
yield from the harvests OF 1899 OF 100 la, sSS
bushels of corn, valued at 500 .2lO, ITO; S4i,-
1903. $40 bushels of wheat of the value OF
1913, 5.259 1885, ,713 bushels of oats, valued
at $lS3, l67, 1916; 2396l,7H bushels of rye,
valued at $l2.214 us, and II, 094,473 bushels of
buckwheat valued at $6,lSS,615. III TO TINS
total there be added the value of this sea-
sons yield of cotton, there will be found
an aggregate value of nearly $500, 0OO. 900
($1, 49,, S21, l3O for the agricultural products
in 1899, exclusive of tobacco, hay, potatoes,
rice, beet root and sugar cane, which would
bring the valuation to S20OO,0O,OOO on an
agricultural capital in the United States
which represents a value of 81, $50, 100000
gain of nearly Sl,6OO.OOO,OO0 over the ngures
of the federal census taken in 1890.
The lowest price for corn in any State or
Territory last year was 70 cents aeDushel IN
oklahoma: the highest price was 50 cents,
in Oregon, which produced less than 5OO,-
Montana, the largest in Illinois The six
great corn States-Illinois, Iowa. Kansas,
Nebraska, Missouri and Indiana-produced
1853 900, 900 bushels, more than half OF the
quantity grown in the whole country. The
yield of wheat last year was the largest
In ten years, with the exception OF 1871:
The smallest yield in any State reported
was $3.50 bushels. in New Hampshire, and
the largest in Minnesota. Last years yield
of oats has been exceeded only once In ten
years The smallest production in 1889 was
$1,000 bushels in Rhode Island, and the
largest was in Illinois. The highest Vaiua-
ton was 6S cents a bushel, in Arizona, ana
the lowest, 10 cents, in Iowa. Only nine
States produced more than 100000 bush
els each of rye, and these nine yielded
100000 of the A,0OO,OOO bushels reported by
all the States. The highest average price
was in Georgia, sl.25 a bushel, and the
lowest price was 81 cents, in North Da-
kota.
1t is not only in such standard crops as
these that the increase of the agricultural
interests of the United States has been
large. Hay. one of the most important of
the crops of the country, in the extent or
which the United States has only one rival,
Russia shows a considerable increase COM
pared with some preceding years, as does
tobacco. Cotton has had decided boom.
Its price now is about SO per cent. higher
than a few months ago. The worlds sup
ply is now some 100000 bales less than a
year ago, and the accompanying increase
iii price is to the benefit chiefly OF Amer
lean sellers.
There has been a decided advance, aver
aging, it is computed, 40 per cent. In four
years, an average gain of 10 per cent. a
year in live stock. Sheep are higher than
for twenty years. and are worth, stock
raisers declare, about double on the farm
what they were five years ago. Cows are
worth so per cent. more than during the
ten years preceding 1897. Hogs have ad-
number than in 1892, when they numbered
81, 0O0, 900. Their number is estimated now
at 100000. but meanwhile the population
has increased and there has been u very
largely increased export trade. The pres
ent value of the hogs of the country Is
s246, 0O0, 600, an increase Of Is per cent. COM
pared with the valuation of five years ago.
but of only 10 per cent. in the number COM
pared with 1896 During the last five years
there has also been an increase of IS per
cent. in the value of horses and 20 per cent.
In the value of mules, and the dairy inter-
est both for local supply and for foreign
export, has increased largely. Poultry sales
in the United States, including eggs, will
amount in 1900 to fully $500 1000. and the
butter, cheese. hogs and pork products.
beef, cattle, mutton, sheep and lambs. hides
and pelts, amounts to about one-half of
the value of the live stock at the beginning
of year, according to recognized figures
of agricultural computation, being at the
beginning of 1900 $515.O00,000 for horses.
$40 100000 for sheep, $500, 900 for mich
cows and s650,OOo,OOo for other cattle. The
value of live stock on farms I'm January
was 81, 55S, 1000, an increase of $69S, 10000
over 1895.
Implements and machinery show a gain
in price within the last five years, and
there has been considerable increase alike
in the product and the, price of petroleum
oil, one of the chief items of shipment from
the United States to foreign countries.
During the twelve months ending on Jan. 1,
1890, the shipments of American petroleum
amounted to 122.0000JJ gallons, exclusive Of
100000 gallons of animal oil. the value of
this item of foreign trade being $50, 000,0 Co.,