The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-12-01
WORLDS RECORD SET ON AMER
IcAN FARMS.
Report of Secretary of Agriculture
Shows Prosperity Is at Zenith.

Washington, Nov. Another
year of unsurpassed prosperity to the
farmers of this country has been added
to the most remarkable series of
similar years in the annals of the
worlds agriculture"
With this sentence, striking the high
est pitch of optimism, Secretary of Ag-
riculture James Wilson begins his ninth
annaul report, which has just been sub
mitted to President Roosevelt This
review of agricultural conditions shows
that the American farmer-the back
bone of the nation-is everywhere en-
joying unmixed blessings, and that the
wealth which he is winning from the
soil to give to the public reaches fabu-
lous total
Production has been unequaled,"
continues Secretary Wilson. "The
value of the farmers national surplus
still maintains the magnitude which
has built up the balance of trade by
successive additions for many years
sufficient to change the nation from a
borrower to lender; there is continu-
alton of the unprecedented savings
which have embarrassed local banks
with their riches, and have troubled
farmers to find Investments and, as il
all these manifestations of a high de-
gree of wellbeing were not enough, the
farms themselves have increased in
value to fabulous extent. Farm crops
have meyer before been harvested at
such high general level of production
and values. The partial failure of two
or three second-class crops makes no APP.
parent impression upon the great ag-
gregate of all crops"
RECORD VALUES REACHED.
In summarizing the crop situation, he
writes while it may be observed
that only one -corn-reached it's
highest production this year, four crops
reached their greatest value, namely,
corn, hay, wheat and rice. The general
level of production was high, and that
of prices still higher, so that no crops
for which separate estimates can be
made fall below third place in total
value, compared with the crops of pre-
ceding years, except potatoes, barley,
tobacco, rye and buckwheat. The
cereals, including rice, more than main
tanned their previous strong position in
production, and their aggregate yield is
4,521 100000 bushels, with farm
value of So, 1913, OO0, 900, or $145, 600, 600
over last year.
Then, after giving additional stats
tics. Secretary Wilson says: Dreams
of wealth production could hardly equal
the preceding figures into which various
items of the farmers industry have been
translated, and yet the story is not
done. When other items, which cannot
find place here, are included, it appears
that the wealth production on farms in
the year 1905 reached the highest
amount ever attained by the farmer
of this or any other country, a stipend
GUS aggregate of results Of brain and
muscle and machine, amounting in
value to $6,415, 900, 900. 1t might
reasonably have been supposed in 1904
that the wealth produced by farmers
had reached value which would not
be equaled perhaps for some years to
follow, and yet that value is exceeded
by the value for this year by 1856, OOO,-
coo, just as the value for that year ex-
eeeded that for 1908 by S242, 0O0, 900.
GAIN BY BIG JUMPS.
THE grand aggregate of wealth pro-
duced on farms In 1905 exceeds that of
1904 by per cent; 1t is greater than
that of 1908 by s per cent, and trans
cends the census figures for 1899 by SO
per cent, and this after lapse of only
six years. If there is no relapse from
this high position of the farmer as a
wealth producer, three years hence he
may look back over the preceding de-
cade, and, if he will add the annual
figures of his wealth production. he will
find that the farming element, or about
IS per cent of the population, has pro-
duced an amount of wealth within
these ten years equal to one-half of the
entire national wealth produced by the
toll and composed of the SURPRISES and
savings of three centuries"
Comment upon the growth of farm
ers' banks is made as follows: Zone of
the most notable outgrowths Of savings
by farmers is the very great multiplied
ton of small national banks in recent
years. Under the amendment to the
national banking act, permitting the
of banks with capital of
less than $4,000, as many as 1,754 Of
these banks were organized from March
ID, 1900, to Oct. 81, 1905, excluding
those organized in the noncontiguous
These banks are distribut-
ed mostly throughout the South and
the north central states in rural regions,
where they depend for their business
and directly upon the farm.
srs' prosperity, and, secondarily, upon
he village merchants and persons of
>tbar a,up1ovp,apt who tbo,...oI.-. -