The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-09-16
POTATOES.


The last annual report<o 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 G3I.S220U0 bushels: of corn,
2.244. III. 1000 bushels; of oats. 7S4. O94.-
600 bushels: Of rye. %. 900 bushels:
Of barley. 131.S61. 900 bushels. showing
a total weld Of the principal cereals Of.
N round numbers. 3,3S1.311, 900 bush
els. valued on the farm at 81. 130.1 10
476. grown on liz. O95, III acres. Our
crop Of hay aggregated G1.3OG.OOO tons.
The weld OF potatoes aggregated 24I.-
12S.NN bushels. valned at S151.63S.NO.
produced on 2.916.S1a acres, the yield
was $685. 600 bushels less than that
of the preceding year, but the value was
Sl1.,21. 600 greater. showing the lars-
est valuation recorded III 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. 13O.450. The crop
Of wheat was 32241. 600 bushels less
than that Of the preceding year, but its
farm value was S20.S41.uN 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 10 show that while crops may vary
IN size from year 70 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
Q903l 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 4GO.267 600 bushels (the crop
Ct 1894 should, in January, 1895, have
sold So low as 4S7s cents per bushel.
while the 1904 crop Of wheat. WHICH at
the lowest present estimates is 100000
600 bushels, should now be selling at
S1.10 per bushel.
But i, is evident that there are causes
at work to make our farm products sell
better from year 10 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 Just
so much more increase in the purchasing
power of the American people, and just
SO much more business for all our in
dustries. and just sc 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 to
year are undoubtedly connected with the
general policies Of Republican admins
%tration.
When William Mckinley. in 1896.
said it was better to open American
mills to American labor than to open
the minis 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 We're
bound to be more prosperous. too. be
cause there was an improved market
nutshell. is the secret of the constantly
increasing agricultural prosperity of the
United States under Republican rule.