The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-12-08
RICH YEAR ON FARMS
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SEC.
RETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
Crop Yield of 1904 Aggregates Nearly
100000, ,OOO-ETnnis Worlds Out
put of Gold Since Columbus Discov-

crop NteId Ot IbDt aggregates Nearly
$5,OOO,OOO,OOO-EI Equals Worlds Out
put of Gold Since Columbus Discov-
cred America-C0rn and Cotton Lead.
As great ms the financial Successes of
agriculture were In 1903, hitherto with
ont equal, those Of 1904 advanced some
what beyond them. While some products
have fallen behind IN value others have
more than filed the deficit, and the gen
eral result IN that the farmers have pro-
duccd In value much more wealth than
they ever did before In one year.
Wealth In Corn and Cotton.
One conspicuous item that has contrib.
uted to this IL the corn crop. With n
quantity closely approaching 100000.
900 bushels, near the record crop Of 1902,
the high price Of this year gives this
crop a farm value much greater than II
ever had before, far exceeding $1,000
100000. With this crop the farmers
could pny the national debt and the In
tercst thereon for one year. and still have
enough left to pay the expenses of the
national government for large fraction
Of year.
The cotton crop. including seed, be-
came the second one In value In 1903.
and remains no In 1904. II is now too
early to state even with approximate
accuracy what the farm value of this
crop IL, but indications nre TINT the farm
value of lint md seed must reach $780,
100000.
II now seems probable that potatoes
and barley reached their highest produc-
tion In 1904; that the ont crop was never
so large by GO,OOO, 900 bushels except In
1902, and that more rice was produced
than in any previous year by 100000
600 pounds, SO that the present crop Of
rice has n preliminary estimate of 900,-
100000 pounds.
The principal crops that are valued
annually by the department or by COM
mercial houses have an aggregate farm
value this year which Mt the date of this
writing apparently amounts to S3,5S3,
339. 900. The same crops in 1908, MS
finally estimated, had n farm value of
So, 1856, ,099, ,392. and had census value
for 1899 of $2,526, ,345.47S. In these
principal crops, therefore, the farmers
find an increase in value for 1904 of IA
per cent over 1903, and of AZ per cent
over the census year FIVE years ago.
UnthinlabIe Aggregates.
After a laborious and careful estimate
of the value of the products of the farm
during 1904, made within the census
scope, it is safe to place this amount at
$4,000, 100000. after excluding the value
of farm crops fed to live stock to avoid
duplication of values. A similar estimate
made for 1903 gives S4.4SO, ZOO. 900. and
the census total for 1899 is So, I42, ,OOO,-
600. Within the limits of ascertainable
values the farms of 1904 produced an
aggregate wealth with a farm valuation
that was 9.65 per cent above the product
of 1903, and 31.2S per cent above the fig
ures for the census year 1899.
An occupation that has produced such
IN unthinkable value as one aggregat-
ing nearly S5,OOO,OOO,OOO within year
may be better measured by some COM
parisons. All of the gold mines of the
entire world have not produced since Co
lumbus discovered America greater
value of gold than the farmers of this
country have produced in wealth in two
years; this years product is over six
times the amount of the capital stock of
all national banks; 1t is twice the sum
of our exports and imports for year;
1t is three times the gross earnings from
the operations of the railways; it is four
times the value of all minerals produced
In this country.
Animal Exports Increase.
Our animal industry is shown only in
small part by the figures giving the ex-
ports, yet these exports are so large as
to be worthy of notice. The animals ex-
ported in the fiscal year 1904 were val
ued at about S4S,000,O0O. which was an
increase over the previous year of Sl3,-
100000; the exports of meat and meat
products, including OleO oil, oieomarga-
rine and lard compounds, amounted to
more than Sl14,OO0,O00, n decrease Of
S4,000000 from the year before. We
also sent abroad nearly y5,O00,OO0 worth
of dairy products, and of other products,
such as hides and skins, glue, grease and
grease SCRAP. over $5,O0OO 900 worth. The
exact total of the above items Of export,
as given in preliminary returns, was
$2o3, ,023. .O6O. which was an increase over
the previous year of more than $12,-
100000
The department is not IN educational
lISlltutlOH Tie tcISe VI tic Woiut put
it can do and is doing much to bring
home to the people in all walks of life
the Importance and value of the farm
and its productions. The Bureau of
Plant Industry is making a special effort
to encourage the study of plants in the
public schools.
Unfortunately our system of elemen-
tary education Is such as to leave no i'm
preston on the child's mind of the i'm
portance, value and usefulness Of farm
life. Very little effort has been made to
overcome the general belief that there is
always n great amount of drudgery con-
nected with the farm, and that the op-
portunities In this sort Of occupation are
narrow and limited. When we see the
rapid advances that are being made in
agriculture along all lines and note the
need for bright young men In this field,
the opportunities offered by the cultiva-
ton Of the soil seems as great as In any
other field.
Growth of American Tea.
The department has continued its work
In the production of American tea. The
more advanced Investigations have been
conducted, as heretofore, at Summervillc,
s. c., In cooperation with DIR. Charles
Y. Shepard. DIR. Shepard's tea gardens
arc now yielding from 5000 to 10000
pounds Of tea annually. Owing To eli
matte conditions the crop this year will
be light. DIR. Shepard has been devoting
special attention to the improvement of
factory processes.
The work Of establishing plantation
In Texas has been continued. Tea beds
were started on two types of SOFIA
rich sandy loan and black waxy soil.
The plants on the black, waxy land hare
failed utterly. There are now on hand
at our Texas station. which is located ut
Pierce, about 100000 plants. which will
he put into the field this winter. plant
Ing about forty acres. Sufficient addi-
tional seed will be put ont to give an
other fifty acres next year.
Advance In Forage Crop Work.
Alfalfa has attracted more attention
on the part of farmers in the eastern half
of the United States during the past two
years than any other crop. The depart
ment has demonstrated that 1t can be