The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-09-24
POTATOES.
A Lesson 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, 1t says:
Our production Of wheat In 1908
aggregated 637 1922, 900 bushels; Of corn,
2,244,177, 600 bushels; of oats, 7S4, 094.-
OOO bushels; Of rye, 29,363, 600 bushels;
OF barley, 131,S61, 900 bushels, showing
total yield of the principal cereals of,
IN round numbers, 1885,, 317 900 bush
els, valued on the farm at $1,739, 49,
4'o, grown on 172,O95, iii acres. Our
crop Of hay aggregated 81, 800, GOO tens.
Inc yield OF potatoes aggregated 247,-
l2o,60O bushels, valued at $151, 1886, 600,
produced on 2,91G,S55 acres; the yield
was S7,505,o0o bushels less than that
OF the preceding year, but tho value was
$l7,527,OOO 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 1908,
amounted to S2,447, 73O, 45O. The crop
Of wheat was 32,241,O 600 bushels less
than that Of the preceding year, but its
farm value was $20,841 600 greater; its
valuation was In excess of the value of
the crop Of any year excepting that Of
1901"
What Makes 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 a general way
to increase from year to year what
ever the size Of the crops. Last year
Q9O3) the total farm value Of the chief
cereals and of hay and potatoes was
nearly two billion and a half dollars,
and this year it promises to be much
| greater than last.
So far as the mere size of the crops
Is alone concerned, it would seem unreas,
enable, for instance, that a crop of
wheat Of 460,267, 900 bushels 0he crop
of 1894 should, in January, 1895, have
sold so low as 4SR cents per bushel
while the 1904 crop of wheat, which at
! the lowest present estimates is $4,000.
600 bushels, should now be selling ct
$1.10 per bushel
| But it is evident that there are causes
at work to make our farm products sell
better from year to year. While sup
plies fuctuate the market demand
steadily increases. This fact should
be considered a very strong 'bull'
argument not only on land values
but ON the general future business con
dition of the country, for every increase
over this two billion and a 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
dustries, and just SO much more work
wages and profits for all our people
anxious to better their condition of life
The causes that are at work to make
farm products sell better from year Il
year are undoubtedly connected with thu
general policies Of Republican admins
tration.
When William Mckinley, in 1895
said it was better to open American
mills to American labor than to ope1
the mints of the United States to thu
silver Of the world, he expressed thi
policy that transformed bad times fOl
the entire people under Democratic rult
to good times for the entire people unde
Republican rule. With the people in tn
cities more prosperous, because of tn
policies of protection and of sounC
money, the people in the country wer
bound to be more prosperous, too, be
cause there was an improved marke
for what they had to sell. This, in
nutshell, is the secret of the constant,
increasing agricultural prosperity of tn
United States under Republican rule.