Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-12-06

out 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 is that the farmers have pro-
duced 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 is the corn crop. With a
quantity closely approaching 100000
600 bushels, near the record crop of 1902,
the high price of this year gives this
crop farm value much greater than it
ever had before, far exceeding $1,000
100000. With this crop the farmers
could pay the national debt and the in
| terest thereon for one year. and still have
enough left to pay the expenses of the
national government for a large fraction
of year.
The cotton crop, including seed, be-
came the second one in valhe in 1908,
and remains so in 1904 1t is now too
early to state even with approximate
accuracy what the farm value of this
crop is, but indications are that the farm
valse of lint and seed must reach $780,
00Q.O00
and barley reached their highest produc-
tion in 1904 that the oat crop was never
so large by G0000,000 bushels except in
1902, and that more rice was produced
than in any previous year by 300,000,-
900 pounds, so that the present crop of
rice has preliminary estimate Of 900,-
100000 pounds.
The principal crops that are valued
rrNNr0 II H. a
mercial houses have an aggregate farm
value this year which at the date of this
writing apparently amounss to S3.5S3,-
$4,000. The same crops in 1908, as
finally estimated, had farm value of
So, 156, 099,392, and had census value
for 1899 of $2,526. 345, AIS. In these
principal crops. therefore. the farmers
find an increase in value for 1904 of II
per cent over 1908, and of AZ per cent
over the census year five years ago.
UnthinkabIe Aggregates.
After a laborious and careful estimate
of the value Of the products of the farm
during 19.4 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 1908 gives S4.4S0,0000O0, and
the census total for 1899 is 3.742,000,-
900. 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 1908, and 81 2S per cent above the fig
ures for the census year 1899.
An occupation that has produced such
an unthinkable value as one aggregat-
ing nearly S5,000,000000 within year
may be better measured by some COM
PARSONS. All of the gold mines of the
entire world have not produced since Co
lumbus discovered America a 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; it 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,000,000, which was an
increase over the previous year of $13,-
100000; the exports of meat and meat
products, including cleo oil, oleomarga-
rine and lard compounds, amounted to
more than S174,000,000, a decrease of
S4,000,000 from the year before. We
also sent abroad nearly $6000,000 worth
of dairy products, and of other products,
such as hides and skins. glue, grease and
grease scrap, over $5,0G0,000 worth. The
exact total of the above items of export,
as given in preliminary returns, was
S223, 023 .060, which was an increase over
the previous year of more than $12,-
100000
The department is not an educational
institution in the sense of the word, but
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 inn
preston on the child's mind of the i'm
portanee, value and usefulness of farm
life. Very little effort has been made to
overcome the general belief that there is
always a great amount of drudgery con-
nected with the farm, and that the OPP
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 Summerville,
S. c.. III cooperation with DIR. Charles
Y. Shepard. DR.. Shepard's tea gardens
are 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 q plantation
=, 10 t,o,, Tee f,a.J-