The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-07
A PAGAN OF JOY.

The report of the Secretary OF Agri-
culture is one long loud, unbroken song
of happy harvest home. The Secre-
tary's song is louder. more persistent
and more completely joyous than the
hymn Of Thanksgiving raised from any
other source. He begins with the I'M
qualified statement that the wealth pro-
duced by by the farms in 1905 reached
the highest amount ever attained by
the farmers Of this or any other coun-
try. Never before has there been such
uniform high level Of prosperous pro-
duction.
the most enormous corn crop ever har-
vested. and which reached the incom-
prehensible figure Of 2.700.0 900
bushels, worth $1,216,00o.00O. Hay
comes second with a total value Of
$605. 100000, with cotton third at
s575. 900, 900. While the wheat crop Is
not quite up to the maximum production
of the past, its value of $525,000.00 ex-
ceeds that of any previous year. The
Iarge-eyed COW and the humble and
much-abused hen emulated the broad
fields in their efforts to produce wealth,
with the COW having to her credit dairy
products to the value Of $665,000, 600.
while the hen bustles around in her
immediate neighborhood with value
of $500.000.000. No wonder that this
tempts the Secretary to glide OF into
the realm Of political economy and
general statistics. He says:
".And yet the story u not done
The wealth production on farms in
1905 has reached the highest amount
ever attained by the farmer OF this or
any other country, a stupendous ag-
gregate of results of brain and muscle
and machine amounting in value to
So, 100000, an excess over last
year of $256.000,000. The wealth pro-
duced on farms In 1906 exceeds that Of
1904 by 4 per cent. that Of 1903 by s
sus figures for 1899 by SO per cent.
Should there be no relapse from his
present position as a wealth producer,
three years hence the farmer will find
| that the farming element, about 35
per cent of the population. has pro-
duced an amount of wealth within ten
years equal to One-half Of the entire
National wealth produced in three CEN
| turtles.
The value Of horses and mules on
| farms exceeded last Winter $1,452, 00O,-
900. Mich cows are advancing in num-
bers and are worth $4,000, 900. The
value Of all other cattle is estimated
at $s62,000,000. Sheep are declining
in number and total value, while swine
| maintain their previous position and
are valued at over $3.50, 900. 900. In the
| aggregate. the value of farm animals
of all sorts has increased over that
given in the Census of 1900 by per
cent
During the last fiscal year, export
| ed domestic farm products We're valued
at 1927. 600. This is below the an
nual average for the Ave years preced-
| ing, and the relative position OF farm
products In domestic exports Ii de-
| clining one on account of the gain in
exports of manufactures. Neverthe-
less. during the last Is years the do
mestic exports OF farm products have
amounted to $4,000. 100000. or ST.
| 900, 100000 more than enough to buy
all the railroads Of the country at their
commercial value, and this with the
mere surplus for which there was no
demand at home. During these 16
years the farmer has secured O balance
of $685., 100000 to himself, out OF
which he has offset an adverse balance
| Of $543,000.000 in the foreign trade In
nonagricultural products, turning over
TO the Nation, from his account with
other nations. 5000. 900, 900. The ex-
ports OF forest products were $63,O0O,-
1 600"