Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-28
FARMS ARE GOLD MINES.
(Contiued from Page y.

for 1899 by SO per cent. Should there
be no relapse from his present posi-
ton as wealth producer three years
hence the farmer will find that the
farming element, about IS per cent Of
the population, has produced an
amount Of wealth within ten years
equal to one-half of the entire nation
al wealth produced in three centuries.
Value Of Farm Animals High.
4 The value Of horses and mules on
farms exceeded last winter $1,452,000,-
600. Mich COWS are advancing in
numbers and are worth $482,000,000.
The value Of all other cattle is esti-
mated at $662,O0O,O00. Sheep are de-
clining In number and total value,
while swine maintained their previous
}, position and are valued at over $685.
/ 100000.
| During the last fiscal year exported
domestic farm products were valued
at 1927 100000. This is below the an
nual average for the five years pre-
ceding and the relative position Of
farm products in domestic exports is
declining one on account of the gain
In exports of manufactures. Neverthe-
less, during; the last sixteen years the
domestic exports Of farm products
have amounted to $4,000, 100000, or
$1,000,000,00O 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
sixteen years. the farmer has secured
a balance Of $685., 900, 900 to himself,
out of which he has Offset an adverse
balance Of $543, 100000 in the foreign
trade In nonagricultural products,
turning over to the nation from his
account with other nations 5000 ,O0O,-
900. The exports Of forest products
were $63,000,0O0.
Farmers Gold Fills Banks.
One of the most notable outgrowths
of savings by farmers is the great
multiplication of small national banks
in recent years. AS many as LISA
banks, each with a capital Of less than
$50 1000, were organized from arch,
1900, to October, 1905. These were
distributed mostly throughout the
south and the north central states in
rural regions. In the south 633 Of
these banks were organized and in the
north central states 1872. The capital
OF these banks has come from the far
mers.
The increase during the year which
ended June 30. 1905 in Iowa and South
Dakota was 14.9 per cent; in Nebras-
ka. 1875 per cent; in Kansas 81 per
cent and in North Dakota 25 per cent.
During the same time bank deposits
In Massachusetts increased 81 per
cent.
But still more remarkable is the
bank statement for the south central
states. Throughout the whole area of
that division the increase was 22.8
per cent, while the general average in
crease for the United States was but
1876 per cent. For the first time in,
the financial history of the south, de-
posits in the banks of that region now
exceed $1.000.0O0,000. These remark
able increases in bank deposits in ag-
ricultural states and the increase in
the number Of small country banks
are directly and indirectly because of
the profits that have come to the
farmers.
Land Values Are Sacrificed.
The department this year undertook
and has just completed an investiga-
ton Of the changes in the value per
acre Of medium farms since the CEN
sus Of 1900. Inquiries were addressed
to $4,000 correspondents distributed
throughout every agricultural neigh
borhood in the United States and re-
turns from these correspondents war
rant the following statements: During
the past five years the value Of medi-
UNI farms in this country has increased
1876 per /. cent as compared with an
increase Of 25 per cent for the ten
years preceding. The increase in the
south central group is 40.S per cent;
in the western group 40.2;in the south
Atlantic group, 26 per cent; in the
north Atlantic group, 1875 per cent.
Figured in dollars of gain per acre,
the increases during the five years
past of medium farms were in the
north central division SLIPS; in the
western division, $3.50; in the north
Atlantic, 1925; in the south Atlantic
division, $4.93 and In the south CEN
trail division, $4.66. The average in
crease for the United States was 1871.
The cotton farms have increased in
value s460,000,OO0, SO that it might be
said that during the past five years
the cotton plantations have had six
crops, one Of them a permanent
investment promising to pay a good
return year by year. Hay and grain
farms show an increase Of $2,O00,O00,-
900, live stock farms still larger
gain, dairy farms $685.. 100000, tobacco
farms s57,OoO,0O0, rice farms $780,
900 fruit farms s97,O00,0OO and vege-
table farms 100000.
Every sunset during the past five
years has registered an increase of
$3,400,000 in the value of the farms of
this country.
Every month has piled value upon
value until it has reached, s102 ,O0O, 600,
that portion OF the national debt bear
ing interest is equaled by the increas-
ed value of farms in nine months and
this increase for little over a year
balances the entire interest-bearing,
and misunderstanding debt Of the
United States.
Figures Tell story Of Wealth.