Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-09-16
POTATOES.
A Lssson In Potatoes.

- 1teeoh ~ hbtatoeos
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. II says:
"Our production of wheat In 1908
aggregated I3I So. 900 bushels: Of corn.
2.2ii.lI7. 600 bushels: OF oats. 7S4.094.-
600 bushels: of rye. 20,3'-i.OOO bushels:
OF barley. l3i,sGl coo bushels. showing
a total yield OF the principal cereals Of.
in round numbers. .3sT.3l7,OOO BUSH
els. valued on the farm at Sl,I3o. 49,
4IG. grown on lT2,095. III acres. Our
crop of hay aggregated Gl,306,OO0 tons.
The yield of potatoes aggregated 2i7.-
l2s.OOO bushels. valued at Sl5l .G3S, 600.
produced on 2.oiG.sJ5 acres: the yield
was 37,J05,OOO bushels less than that
of the preceding year. but the value was
SlI.J27 600 greater. showing the lars-
est valuation recorded In any year. and
MORE THAN TWICE THAT OF
1896.
1.-The farm value OF the chief cereals.
OF hay and Of potatoes. raised In 1908.
amounted TO Sa.iiI. .T3O.450. The crop
of wheat was 32,,2il.O00 bushels less
than that of the preceding year. but Its
farm value was Sao.sii.OO0 greater; its
valuation was In excess OF the value of
the crop Of any year excepting that of
1901"
What Makss 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 general way
to increase from year TO year what
ever the size OF the crops. Last year
Q30J the total farm value of the chief
cereals and OF hay and potatoes was
nearly two billion and a half dollars.
and this year IL promises to be much
greater than last.
SO far as the mere size Of the crops
IL alone concerned. Il would seem unrcas-
onabir. for instance. that a crop OF
wheat OF 800. .2JI 900 bushels tthe crop
of 1891 should. In January. 1895. have
sold so low as iS!s cents per bushcl.
while tho 1901 crop OF wheat. which NJ
The lowest present estimates IL 10000
100 bushels. should now be sciiia. st
Si.i0 per bushci.
But II is evident that there are causes
u work to ulrkn. atir -fsrm proiucts sell
better from year TO year. fvhiic sup
plies nuctuatc tho market demand
steadily increases. This fac, should
be considered very strong "bull
argument not only on lhnu NnIurn.
but on the general future business con.
dition OF the country. for every Increase
over this two billion and half dollars OF
farm land income OF last year means jus;
SO much more Increase In the purchasing
power OF the American people. and Jus,
so much more business for all our In.
dustrics. and just so much more work.
wages and profits for all our people
anxious to better their condition Of life.
The causes that arc Mt work TO make
farm products sell better from year to
year are undoubtedly connected with the
general policies OF Republican admins
tration.
When William McKinicy. In 1890,
said II was better to open American
mills TO American labor than to open
tho min,s 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
policies 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
nutshell, Is the secret OF tho constantly
increasing agricultural prosperity OF the
United States under Republican rule.