Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-23
Department of Agriculture Is
sues a Report of Much In
terest on Farm Products
COTTON, GRAINS AND MEATS
These Three Commodities Constitute
Nearly Eishty-fi five Per Cent of the
Farm Products Exported During the
Past Year-Great Britain the Best
Market.

Washington, May 23.-The depart
ment of agriculture has issued a re-
port on "the nations farm surplus"
prepared by George X. Holmes, chief
of the division of foreign markets.
1t gives $4,000, O00, 600 as a conservative
estimate of the value of the farm
products of this country not fed to
livestock in 1903, on the basis of the
census valuation.
The value of the exported farm pro-
ducts of this country was in 1903, $685.
479,451, and the highest value reached
during the last eleven years was $751;
62S,331. due chiefly to cotton.
The value of the exported farm pro-
ducts of this country, is concentrated
mostly in few principal products.
OF it In 1903 cotton constituted SO
per cent, meat and meat products and
live animals "a per cent, these pro-
ducts equalling over IS per cent Of the
exports of farm products last year.
Adding tobacco, whose exports were
valued at over $35.0O0,oo0, oil cake
and oil cake meal $19.S39,279, fruit and
nuts over $1S000,o00. and vegetable
oils over $16,000,000, gives q total of
eight classes of products, each with
an export value of over sto,o0o,oo0 that
comprise almost SO per cent OF the en-
tire farm exports of 1908.
Within recent years, ending with
1903. the cotton exports have been be-
tween three and four billions of
pounds, and the export fraction Of the
crop has been between SO and II per
cent for long series Of years.
The fraction of the wheat crop ex-
ported in the last dozen years has been
ported wheat and -four have yearly
averaged somewhat more than 0Q.00d,-
600 bushels since 1897, before which
period Of many years the quantity was
usually 100000 to 100,000,000 bushels
less.
Only small portion Of the corn or
maize crop is exported as corn, the
highest percentage, II per cent, being
for 1898. Notwithstanding the small
percentage, the exported bushels
reach 100 900, 900 to 200,oo0.O0o.
The beef exports weighed 3S5.000,
900 pounds; pork exports, 551,000.000
pounds; lard exports, 490.00o.000
pounds; cleo oil exports. 126.000,000
pounds. ant: tobacco. 36S,o0O,000. But
ter and cheese exports have declined
within two or three years.
The report says that within few
years the results of an enormous ex-
tension of orchard planting will begin
to appear and some Of these results
may be in a much increased fruit sur
plus for export.
The exports OF animal matter are
losing ground relatively with cores
bonding gain by vegetable matter.
Taking UP the destination OF the sur
plus, the report says the United King
dom takes about one-haf Germany
about one sixth. and France, the Meth
erlands, Belgium, Canada and Italy
from to per cent each. China IN
recent years takes a million dollars
worth annually, and they go to Rus
sian China, Korea and Greenland. and
Iceland. and other remote portions of
the earth. From IS to 80 per cent OF
the total go to Europe, per cent TO
North America, and more than per
cent each to Asia, South America,
Africa and Oceanica.
The report also takes up the COM
petition of this country In foreign mar
kets, showing this country furnishes
80 per cent of the United Kingdoms
exports of farm products. thus ieadlng
in these imports. The United states
has long lead over its competitors
as a purveyor of meat and meat pro-
ducts and live animals, is likewise
pre- eminently conspicuous in the Unit
ed Kingdam's exports of cereals ana
cotton but is far behind it's competl-
tors in dairy products.