Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-09-14
POTATOES.


| The last annual report of Secretary
| Stone, of the Chicago Board of Trade,
makes some significant remarks regard
ing these steady gains in the cash value
of our crops. 1t says:
Our production of wheat in 1908
aggregated G3T. S22, 900 bushels; of corn,
/ 2,244. l17,000 bushels; of oats, 7S4 ,094,-
| 600 bushels; of rye, 20,3G3, 600 bushels;
of barley, 13l ,SG1, 900 bushels, showing
| a total yield of the principal cereals of,
| in round numbers, 1887, 317 900 bush
| els, valued on the farm at $1,T39, u.s.
4TG, grown on 172,095,117 acres. Our
crop of hay aggregated G1.306,000 tons.
The yield of potatoes aggregated 247,-
12S.00O bushels, valued at $151, 63S, 900.
produced on 2.916,S55 acres; the yield
was 37,505,000 bushels less than that
of the preceding year, but the value was
! Sl1, 527, 900 greater, showing the larg-
est valuation recorded in any year. and
MORE THAN TWICE THAT OF
1896
The farm value Of he chief cereals,
of hay and of potatoes. raised in 1903,
amounted to $2447, 730,45O. The crop
of wheat was 32,241,000 bushels less
than that of the preceding year, but its
farm value was $20,S41,000 greater; its
valuation was in excess of the value of
the crop of any year excepting that of
1901"
What Makes Prices Higher.
The purpose of this article has thus
been to show that while crops may vary
in size from year to year, the cash in
come from them seems in a general way
to increase from year to year what
ever the size of the crops. Last year
tl903) the total farm value of the chief
cereals and Of hay and potatoes was
nearly two billion and half dollars,
and this year it promises TO be much
greater than last.
SO far as the mere size of the crops
is alone concerned, it would seem unreas-
enable, for instance, that crop of
wheat Of act, 267, 900 bushels (the crop
Of 1894 should in January 1893, have
sold so low as 1875 cents per bushel,
while the 1904 crop of wheat, which at
the lowest present estimates is 100000
600 bushels, should now be selling at
81. 10 per bushel.
But it is evident that there are causes.
at work TO make our farm products sell
better from year to year. While sup
plies fuctuate the market demand
steadily increases. This fact should
be considered a very strong "bull''
argument not only ON land values.
but on the general future business con
dition of the country, for every increase
over this two billion and q half dollars of
farm land income Of last year means inst
so much more increase in the purch sing
power of the American people. and just
so much more business for all our in
dustries, and just 50 much more work.
wages and profits for all our people
anxious TO better their condition of life.
The causes that are az work to make
farm products sell better from year to
year are undoubtedly connected with the
general policies of Republican admins
tration.
When William Mckinley, in 1896, |
said it was better to open American
mills to American labor than to open
the mints of the United States to the |
silver of the world, he expressed the |
policy that transformed bad times for |
the entire people under Democratic rule |
to good times for the entire people under |
Republican rule. With the people in the |
cities more prosperous, because of the |
LJlicies of protection and of sound |
money, the people in the country were
bound to be more prosperous, too, be-
cause there was an improved market |
for what they had to sell. This, in a
nutshell, is the secret of the constantly |
increasing agricultural prosperity of the
United States under Republican rule.