Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-27
SHOWS FARMERS
ARE PROSPERING
SECRETARY WILSON ISSUES
ANNUAL REPORT
Wealth Production on Land In the
United States Reaches Highest
Point in This or Any
other Country
Rv Aasoclated Press.


production on the farms Of the United
States in 1905 reached the highest
amount ever attained in this or any
other country-$6, Ais 900 000."
In the first annual report Of his third
term, Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
presents an array of figures and n
statement representing products and
profits of the farmers Of this country,
which he admits dreams of wealth
production could hardly equal"
Four crops make new high records as
to value-corn, hay, wheat and rice,
although in amount of production the
corn crop is the only one that exceeds
previous yields. In every crop the gem
eral level of production was high and
that of prices still higher.
Beside the enormous yield of wealth,
the secretary estimates that the farms
of the country have increased in value
during the past five years to a present
aggregate of $6,133, 3,0G0,O00.
Every sunset during the past five
years." he says, has registered an In
crease of $S.400.00O in the value of the
farms of this country"
This increased value, the secretary
suggests, is invested better than in
bank deposits or even in the gilt-edged
bonds of private corporations
Crop Report Leak
In dealing with the crop report leak,
Secretary Wilson, after referring to the
gross breach of trust on the part of
one of the employees of the bureau of
statistics" says:
This department acted with vigor
and dispatch when it got evidence OF
wrong-doing on the part of its own Of
ficials, but we have no evidence of
disciplinary or preventive action at the
traders end of the line, where gam
blers, interested neither in the produc-
ton nor consumption, disturb values to
the injury of both and make loud out
cry when creatures of their own kind
corrupt officials to betray confidence for
the love of money. The responsibility
for this leak is shared by everyone,
who. to get money without work, gam
bles in farm products. When this form
of industry ceases these parasites who
tempt department officials will have to
work for their bread"
The method of handling crop reports,
he says, has been thoroughly recast
during the past year. There also has
been a decided change in the methods
of work prescribed for field agents.
Each agent is now confined to a defin-
ite group of state with which he be-
comes thoroughly familiar. by travel
each month.
Analysing the principal crops for the
year the secretary says that corn
reached its highest production at 2,708,-
900, 900 bushels, a gain of 100000 over
the next lowest year, 1899; hay is Sec
ond in order of value, although cotton
held second place during the two pre-
ceding years. The hay crop this year
is valued at $605 100000. Cotton comes
third, with a valuation of $575, ,O0O, 900;
wheat, $525, 100000; oats, $2S2,000,00O;
potatoes, $13S, 900 600; barley, $4,000, 000;
tobacco, 10000, 900; sugar can and sugar
beets, $4,000 900; rice, H3,S92,0 900; dairy
products, 1865 100000; an increase of
$54, 100000 over last year.
The Farmers Hen
"The farmers hen," the secretary
says, "is becoming a worthy companion
to his COW. The annual production of
eggs is now a score of billions. Poultry
products have climbed to a place of
more than a half billion dollars in
value, so the farmers hen competes
with wheat for precedence"
There are more horses and with a
larger aggregate value than ever before,
Notwithstanding, as the secretary says,
they were "threatened by the cycle and
later by the suburban trolley and the
automobiles"
He estimates their value at 81, 200, ,0OO,-
600, or nearly as much as the corn
crop.
Although milch COWS are increasing
in number and value the report states
that other cattle and sheep have for
several years been decreasing. There
are 1850, 900 mich cows valued at $482,-
100000. Other cattle are numbered at
43, ,669, 900, with a value of 1852, 900, 900.
Swine number 47,321,O0O, valued at $685.
255,00O In the aggregate the value of
farm animals has increased a few mil
lion dollars within the year and since
the census of 1900 have increased per
cent. With this enormous production,
the secretary says, the wants of SO,
100000 people have been supplied with
a surplus constituting a generous con-
tribution to other nations. The exported
farm products during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1905, had value OF
1927 100000, which was less by $51, ,000 00C
than the average exports for the five
preceding years. In accounting for this
the secretary says owing to the short
wheat crop there was decrease In the
export of that cereal amounting to
SAL ZOO, 900, of $5,000,0O0 in the exports OF
packing house products and another
Sc, 100000 in fruits and other minor
items. The increase included SO, 9,3O5 OO(
in cotton, $4,700,000 in oil cake and oil
cake meal, $4,000,0OO in vegetable oils
and $4,000, 900 in rice and various minol
products.
Exports of Farm Products
During the last sixteen years." the
secretary says, "the domestic exports
of farm products have amounted tC
$12 600, 0OO, 900, or $1,0O0,0O0,0OO more thar
enough to buy all the railroads of the
country at their commercial value, anC
this with a surplus for which there was
no demand at home"
Secretary Wilson points out that the
farmer is taking an important part II
developing the manufacturing inter.
ests of the country by furnishing raw
material, and that he has also become
banker. The farm contributions t.
manufactures during the year were
50, ,673, 900, 900. Under the amendment OF
the national banking laws authorizinl
the incorporation of banks with a cap
ital of less than $4,000 there have beer
104 such banks established in the las
year, nearly every one of which is
located in a rural community and th'
capital furnished by farmers. Speaking
of the increase in deposits in banks b,
farmers the secretary states:
I'm the north central states farmers
4