La Junta tribune., 1904-09-17
POTATOES.
Total vnlue-
15l.GS.Oo4
l34.l11.43i
DU.S11.lG1
E9.3S.S2
D,574.IT.
@,G43.S9
-. 1890
76,064,30l
A Lssson In Potatoes.
Production.

A Lssson In Potatoes.
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 II 1908
aggregated G3I. SEQ bushels: Of corn.
2.244. Iii. 900 bushels: of oats. 764.0ei,-
600 bushels: of rye. 20.3c3.O00 bushels.
Of barley. l3l SCI. 600 bushels. showing
. total yield of the principal cereals OF.
In. round numbers. 1887 .3l7. 900 bush
els. valued on the farm at tL739. 49,
416. grown on 172.O05.1l7 acres Our
crop Of hay aggregated 6l $4,000 tons
The yield Of potatoes aggregated 24I.-
12S 900 bushels. valued at &151 .63S, go.
produced on 2.3l6.S55 acres: the yield
was 1896 600 bushels less than that
Of the preceding year. but the value was
SIT .527 600 greater. showing the larg-
est valuation recorded in any year, and
MORE THAN TWICE THAT OF
1896
The farm value Of the chief cereals.
Of hay and Of potatoes, raised In 1903.
amounted to s2.447. .73O.4JO Ths crop
OF wheat was 32,24l.OO0 bushels less
than that of the preceding year. but its
farm value was $20.s41,0oO greater: its
valuation was In excess of the value Of
the crop Of any year excepting that Of
1901"
what Nskss Pricss Higher.
The purpose Of this article has tins
been to show that while crops may vary
In size frun 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 crDps. Last year
Q9O3) the total farm value Of the chief
cereals and of hay and potatoes was
nearly two billion and = half dollars.
and this year it promises to b much
greater than last.
SO far as the mere sire OF the crops
IL alone concerned. IL would seem unreas-
enable. for instance. that Q crop OF
wheat of 46O. .267 COO bushels (ths crop
Of 1884 should. in January. 1885. have
sold 20 low as 4s5s cents per bushel.
while the 1904 crop OF wheat, which at
the lowest present estimated 10 $50 0OO- :
coo bushels. should now b selling at
$l.1O per bushel.
But II is evident that there are causes
at work TO make our farm products sell
better from year to year. While sup
plies ductuate the market demand
steadily increases. This fact should
be considered 4 very strong bull
argument not only on land values.
but on the general future businsss con-
dition of the country. for every Increase
over this two billion and half dollars Of
farm land income Of last year means just
so much more increase In the purchasing
power OF the American people. and just
10 much more business for all our in
dustries. and just so mnch more work.
wages and profits for all our people
anxious to better their condition oe life.
The canses that are At work to make
farm products sell better from year to
year are undoubtedly connected with the
general policies Of Republican adminis-
tratiou.
When William Mckinley, In 10o6,
said Il was better TO open American
mills to American labor than to epsn
the mints OF the United States 10 the
silver of the world. he expressed the
policy that transformed bad times for
the entire people under Democratic Puhe
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 q
nutshell, is the secret of the constantly
increasing agricultural prosperity Of the
United States under Republican rule.