The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-02-02
Wealth in Agriculture.

1t hardly needed the evidence f,,,;..
ed by Secretary Wilson in his ANIMAL I1 III
port of the Department of A0ricnIt,, 70,
to prove the abundant prosperity of ~ :
American farmer du ing the mast fa,.
years, but it is none the less pratifv;n"
: to learn anew that the pursuit. which ;s
still the basic industry of the TInitaJ
States has been singularly blessed Allie
as regards yields and profits during tho
past tWelvemonth. 1t may be said that
the subject has really in a sense lent f.
self to some species of word. painting
and Secretary Wilson has, as usual
risen to the occasion. For instance. the
fact that the corn crop will yield this
year value greater than ever before is
one which will not surprise, but when
REINFORCED by the statement that the
farm value OF this crop this year would
more than suffice to pay the entire
national debt, in addition to one years
interest thereon, and a large share of
the governments annual expenses. it
displays the value of Americas leading
cereal production i'll way not easy to
misunderstood. Again, the statements
that the hens of the country in one
month laid eggs enough to pay years
interest on the debt, or that the farms
, of this country in two years produce
more wealth than all the gold mines
. of the world since the discovery of
America, are examples of descriptive
power OF no mean order.
Even the drIeSt statistics the Secretary
furnished are replete with interest to
those who study the nations wel-being.
We learn therefrom that the value of
the products of the farm in 1904 will
! aggregate 81, 900, 0OO, 900, this estimate
being reached after deducting the value
OF crops fed to animals on farm. This
! total is shown to be gain of SO per
cent. over 1903 and of 312 per cent. over
the census year 1899. Here again the
Secretary comes to our aid with few
comparisons which are illuminative.
He says that this years agricultural
product is more than six times the
amount of capital stock of all national
banks; 1t lacks only three-fOurths of a
billion dollars of the value of the man
ufactureS of 1900, less the cost of materi-
ais used; it is three times the gross
earnings from operations of the coun.
try's railways, and four times the value
of all minerals produced in this country.
Next to corn, cotton is this year the
most valuable crop, with an estimated
total of $500, 600, while hay and
wheat, which comes next, combined,
will about equal the value of corn.
The exact statistics of the production
and value of each crop are not given.
| but 1t Is comforting to know that while
the wheat production is the smallest
/ since 1900, the money value is the great
est since 1881. Potatoes and barley
reached their highest production in 1904;
save IN 1902, the Oat crop was never so
large by 60, DOC, 600, bushels. The present
crop OF rice promises a yield of 900, 600,
900 pounds, 100000, 600 pounds more
than ever before. Horses and mules
reach their highest value this year.
with an aggregate value exceeding
, Sl,354, 600, 900. On the other hand, cat
+, tile, sheep and hogs all show slight de-.
cline.
Naturally the farmer has profited in
other lines than in the mere annual sales
of his product, Secretary Wilson esti-
mates the increase in farm capital in
four years at 100000 this, it is ex-
planned, not recognizing the enhance
ment in the value of the land during
the past two years. In addition the
Secretary throws additional light on the
prosperity of the farmer by showing
that in the distinctively agricultural
States of Iowa, Kansas and Mississippi
the deposit in all kind of banks increased
in the eight years from June 30, 1896,
to October 81, 1904, by respectively 1854,
PIC and 301 per cent. During the same
period the deposits in all banks of the
l nlted States as whole increased by 81
per cent.
The value of government encourage
ment to agriculture through the depart
ment is pointed out in the progress
made in rice culture in Louisiana and
Texas, while in the production of durum,
or so-called macaroni wheat, the dryer
sections Of the west, it is said, have been
greatly benefited. In addition, good
beginning in the fight against the boil
Weeyll has been made by educating the
growers in better methods of cultiva-
ton and i'll the value of early maturing
seeds. Tests and experiments in the
introduction of new and to this country.
strange plants and seeds, such as dates
from the Sahara, mangoes from India,
pistasche from Turkey, barley from
Moravia, grapes from the Caucasus.
and vast amount of similar work, is
noted. A hardy orange that will stand
frost has been evolved from the Japan
ese and Florida varities. In addition,
the experiments regarding soil inocula-
ton with nitrogen bacteria, plan
which would seem likely to ultimately
revolutionize agriculture, as it is con-
Quoted to-day, have gone forward to
what is termed success.
AS the result of the departments &C.
tlvity in the inspection and determin-
alton of food products the Secretary
report satisfactory progress. Author
lied by Congress, the department has
taken steps to standardize food products
for purity. One result of this work is
the general conclusion against the in
discriminate use of borax as a food
preventative, except in cases where the
necessity is clearly manifest. Taken as
a whole, the Secretary's report is one
which should repay persual, and less
probably than ever before is this depart
ment's report open to the charge of dry
ness or dizziness.
10 it burn? Use DIR. Thomas Eclectric
Oil. cut? Use DIR. Thomas Eclectrjc
Oil. At your druggists.
ENDORSED GOV. COBB.
Mrs. l.. M. N. Stevens Writes Letter to Cow
ernOr.