The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-27

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7 HE PAST year has been a most IA
vorable one for the farmers Of the
state. on the whole. the showing
is a good one. In sections. crops have
suffered from one cause or another, but
it is always thus. Drouth made dry
farming Improbable in places; unsea-
sonable frOsts. caused injury i'm certain
localities. grasshoppers destroyed sew
eIal fortunes. a haif-million sheep and
lambs were lost from exposure 20 the
weather. representing "a loss of $1,000,
600 or whereabouts; the codhng moth
has wasted more of the farmers money
than the Agricultural college; the drop
in prices of cattle represents a serious
loss TO the cattle growers.
Nevertheless, the past year has been
the best ia our history. The SHOWS kept
R-melting in the mountains and our ir-
rigated farms produced abundantly.
There was an increased acreage under
farm crops, as well as an increase in
yields and IN prices. The reports show
that for all the cereals, as well as for
hay, potatoes and sugar beets, the
yields were greater than last year.
With the better prices prevailing for
nearly ali farm products, the losses in
dictated have been more than made
good. and the farm wealth of the state.
is greater today than at any previous
date i'm its history.
IL is not possible at this time to pro-
cure complete returns of all farm prod
ucts for the year. This is particularly
true of the livestock products and Of
fruits. The estimates given herewith
are largely based upon official reports
of the United States department OF ag-
riculture.
Great Profit in Hay.
Many good eastern farmers have
never heard Of alfalfa; nevertheless al
falfa ranks first i'm money value among
Utah farm products The value of the
crop has been increasing rapidly each
year: i'm fact, the statisucians can
scarcely keep pace with IT. 1T is the
foundation of Utah farming. At pres
ent prices it is a profitable crop TO
grow. In spite OF the increase in pro-
duction. there has also been a great in
crease in price per ton More of it is
being fed on the farms to cattle and
sheep and dairy stock: and this is
promising sign. 1t shows that the
farmers are becoming alive TO the inl-
portance Of converting the raw prod
ucts of the farm into more concentrat-
ed forms of beef, mutton, pork and but
ter and cheese, poultry and eggs, etc.
This after all. is the great secret Of
successful farming-the skill of con-
verting the raw products into finished
products i'm the most economical man
ner. The yield per acre Of hay in Utah
IS just double the average Of all the
states.
Great Crop Of Potatoes.
The potato crop surpassed all records
in Utah during the year, both IN guam
titv and value. il is getting to be
very profitable crop. No other farm
crop In Utah has yielded better returns
ia money per acre than potatoes: the
average for the state was about $50 per
acre I'm 1903 Sugar beets. which also
rank high IN acre value averaged ABOUT
$50 per acre. Potato growing lis an in
dustry that win grow. Our soil rs pc
CuIiarly adapted to potato growing. me
average yield the past year Of all the
states was S47 bushels per acre; that or
Utah was ~ bushels per acre. Not
only that. Utah potatoes are superior
in quality, being richer in starch than
eastern potatoes. There is no reason
why our potato growers should limit
themselves to a WELD less than 200
bushels. per acre. With better meJnoas
OF culture. the yield could be easily in
creased. and with our irrigation Sys-
tenn assuring a crop every year TO say
nothing Of the potato bugs that give
Utah a wide berth. we are in position
70 hold outside markets year after year
when once they are established. were
larger quantities grown in sections
there would be opportunities for starch
factories Starch factories work up the
small and unstable potatoes, and were
large quantities grown and properly
GRADED. the best being shipped to mar
Eet. there would be enough small pota-
toes to pr0fitably employ a starch fac
tory. and the shippers would get
much better price Cor those that were
shipped.
Wheat Acreage Increased.
The acreage under wheat was slight
" Increased. The yield per acre was
% 6 bushels. against 21.2 in 1902 The