Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-30
WILSON MAKES REPORT
Secretary of Agriculture Sub
mits Account Of the Opera
lions of His Department
SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES
Much Good Has Been Accomplished by
the Department by Corporation
With the Experiment Stations at Ag-
ricuIturaI coIIeses-Bis Crop Values
For 1904.
SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES


enumerates some of the more impor-
tant features of the years work.
Among them are extensive cooperation
with agricultural stations; the taking
Of preliminary steps to conduct feeulhs
and breeding experiments; the war
waged against the cotton boil weeVll
ant- against cattle mango; plans for ed
ucation Of engineers in road building;
the production OF hardy orange, a n.y.
brid of the Florida orange, and the Jap
anese trifoliata; valuable research in
successful shipping Of fruit abroad; the
value of nitrogen fixing bacteria; sue
cessful Introduction of plants suited to
light rainfall areas; establishment of
pure food standards; the extension of
agricultural education in primary and
secondary schools; the extension of in
struction to our island possessions to
enable them to supply the country with
$200.000.000 worth of domestic products
now imported from abroad.
He then proceeds to discuss the place
Of agriculture in the country's indus
trial life.
Source Of National Wealth.
The corn crop of 1904 yields a farm
value greater than ever before. The
farmer could iron the proceeds Of this
single crop pay the national debt, the
interest thereon for one year. and still
have enough left to pay a considerable
portion of the governments yearly ex-
pcnses. The cotton crop, valued for
lint and seed ut seq 100000 comes sec
ond Willie i1dy ana wheat contend for
the third place. Combined, these two
crops Will about equal in value, the
corn crop. Notwithstanding the wheat
crop shows & lower production than
any year since 1900, the farm value is
tie highest since 1881. Potatoes and
barley reached their highest production
in 1904: sIve in 1902 the oat crop was
never so large by 6000000O bushels.
The present crop Of rice promises a
yield o: SIT 0CG.c0o pounds-S00,0 100000
more than ever before.
Horses and mules reach the highest
point this year with an aggregate value
exceeding 31,a=z 100000. On the other
hand, cattle. sheep and hogs all show a
slight decline.
some astonishing figures. The farm
er's hens now produce one and two
thirds billions of dozens Of eggs and at
the high average price of the year, the
hens curing their busy season, lay
enough eggs in a single month to pay
the years interc..t en- the national debt.
After g. careful estimate Of the value
Of the products CT tl:e farm during 1904
made within the census scope, 1t is safe
to place the amount at $4,000, 600, 900.
after excluding the value of farm
crops eff dto live stock in order to avoid
duplication Of values. This is 9.65 per
cent above the product of 1903 and 81
Is per cent abcve that of the census
year, 1890.
Some comparisons are necessary to
the realization of such an unthinkable
value aggregating neatly five billions
of dollars. The farmers of this country
have in two years produced wealth ex-
ceeding the output of all the gold
mines Of the entire world since Co
lumbus discovered America. This years
product is over six times the amount
of the capital stock of all national
banks. it lacks but three-fourths of a
billion dollars uf the value Of the man
ufactures of 1900 less the cost Of ma
terials used: It Is three times the gross
earnings from the operations Of the
railways. and four times the value Of
III nine.u!s produced in this country
The year 1904 keeps we'll up to the
average of exports Of farm products
during the Gv.. years 1S99-19o3,
amounting to over $s59. 10000 while
the average for the five years, was
nearly ss65 100000. During the last f1f..
teen years, the Te!ance Of trade in ia.
yor Of this eth.Dy. all articles consid-
cred exceeded $4,3s1,ooo,oo0, but TAX
ing farm products alone, these showed
a. balance in our favor of more than
$500, 100000.
Increase in Farm Capital.
Reviewing the increase in farm cap
ital the secretary estimates 1t con-
at $2,000,000,00O within
four years - this without recognizing
the marked increase in the value Of
land during the past two years. The
most startling figures shown as Illus
trating the farmers prosperity are
those presented by deposits in banks
in typical agricultural states. The
secretary selects for this illustration
Iowa, Kansas and Mississippi. TAX
ing all kinds of banks, national, state,
private and savings. the deposits in
creased from June 30, 1896, to October
81, 1904, in Iowa. 1874 per cent in Kan
sas 219 per cent, and in Mississippi 301
per cent-in the United States 81 per
cent. A similar favorable comparison
may be made as to the number of de-
positors.
The secretary concludes that the
farmers rate of financial progress
need fear no comparison with that of
any other class of producers
The secretary devotes considerable
space to reporting on the successful
conflict waged against cattle scab and
mango by the bureau of animal indus
try with the cooperation of the state
authorities. During the first nine
months of the year, in thirty-four
states and territories. nearly 1000 900
head were inspected. and 16s, 2G3 We're
found affected by the disease, while |
100000 were found to have been ex-
posed to IT.. The total number of cat
lie dipped during this period exceed |
ID 100000. This work very considerably
increased the expenses of the bureau.
Experiments recently reported upon
~ the bureau Of animal industry show