Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1904-12-21
SECRETARY WILSON'S REPORT
Figures Showing the Astonishing Val.
ues of This Years Crop.

In opening his report the Secretary
enumcrates some OF the more i'm
portant features Of the years work.
Among them are extensive cooperation
with agricultural stations: The taking
of preliminary steps to conduct feed.
ing and breeding experiments. the
war wagcd against the cotton boil wee
vil and against Cattlo mango, plans
Tor education OF engineers in road
building the production of hardy
orange. a Dytrid Of the Florida orange
and the Japanese lrifoitata: valuable
research in successful shipping OF
fruit abroad. the value of nitrogen
fixing bacteria; successful mtroduc-
ton Of plants suited to lignt rainfall
areas; establishment OF pure food
standards; the extension Of agrtcul-
tural education in primary and second
ary schools the extension of instruc.
ton 10 our island possessions TO en-.
able them To supply The country with
5000 600 600 worth or domestic pro
GuctS. now imported from abroad
He then proccCds to discuss the
place OF agriculture in the countrys
Industrial mrc
The com crop of 1904 Yields
farm value greater than ever before
The farmers could from the pro-
oeeds of this crop ray the national
dcot. the interest thereon for one year
and sun nave enough left TO pay
considerable portion OF the govern
Tnents yearly expenses. The cotton
crop. valued for lint and seed at $500.
r0O.0hO. comes second. while hay and
w0eat contend for the third place
Combined. these two crops will about
equ3i tho corn crop. Notwithstanding
the wneat crop shows 4 lower pro
auction than any year since 1900 the
farm value is the highest since 1881.
| Potatoes ana barley reached their
| highest produ"tion in 1904: save in
| 1902 the oat crop was never so large
| by o0.000.000 bushels The present
| crop Of rice promises a yield OF 300
100000 pounAs-300. 900 900 more thap
ever before
est point this year. with an aggregate
value exceeding 1854 million dollars
On ne other hand cattle. sheep and
hogs all show a decline
The steady advance IN poultry leads
| to some astonishing figures. The tar
mers' mems now produce one and two
thirds billions Of dozens Of eggs and
al tho nigh average price of the year
INC hens during ,hCir busy season
lay enonsl esSs in a single month to
pay the years interest on the nationa!
debt.
After q careful estimate of the val
Nc of the products: of The farm during
1904. made WITHIN he census scope
II is safe Ia place The amount at 4 800
million dollars. after excluding the
value OF farm crops fed To live stock
III order to avoid duplication OF values
| This is go per cent. above the pro.
dGct OF 1903, and 3l.2S per cent above
mat OF the census of 1899
Some comparisons are necessary to
the realization of such unthinkabIe
valuo. ageregating nearly five billions
! OF dollars. The farmers Of this com
Try nave in two years produced wealth
| exceeding the output of all the gold
! mines OF the entire world since Col.
nmhuS discovered America This
years product is over six times the
amount Of the capital stock OF all ma
tIonal banks; il lacks but three
fourths Of billion dollars of the value
or The manufactures OF 1900. less the
| cost Of materials used: il is three
times the gross earnings from thc
| operations OF the railways and four
times Tho value OF all minerals pro
duccd IN this country. The ycal Of
1901 keeps well up TO the average of
! exports Of farm products during The
! hvo years lSJJ-lJ03. Amounting -
ever $50 millions. while the average
for the FIVE years was nearly S65 mil
! lions During the last - years the
balance Of trade in favor of this cOun-
! try. all articles considered. exceeded
! 1881 million dollars. but taking farm
! products alone. these showed bal
! ancc III our favor OF more than 300
! millions
Reviewing the Increase in farm capi-
tai. the secretary estimates il con.
! servativcly at 1000 million dollars
within four years-this without rocog-
nizing the marked increase in the
value of land during the past two
years. The most startling figures
show as illustrating the farmers pros
| pcrity are those presented by deposits
in banks in typical agricultural States.
The Secretary selects for this illus.
tration Iowa. Kansas and Mississippi.
| Taking all Kinds OF b~uiye national