Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-06
rotary Wilson, the farms OF the United
States are worth &a.13a. 600 600 more In 1905

:
States are worth 80. 133. 600 more In 1905
than they were in 1904. The cotton planta-
tons of the south have increased in value
$460,000.0O0-the most important increase
among the states being In Texas, where
values have advanced $115,000,0 900, while
Georgia stands second, with an increase
of $1,000 900, and Mississippi third with
an increase of $50, 000.000, and, notwfth-
standing the ruin that the planters claim
threatened them in the Cuban reciprocity
treaty. sugar plantations have increased
S20.00000o in value.
The live stock farms have gained more
than any other In value-that is the
ranches, which have been divided into
small farms. They have increased 81, 268, :
600 600 in value during the past five years.
The meadows and grain fields show an in
crease of two billions of dollars in value;
dairy farms, $3.50 600. coo; truck-vegetable
farms, S113,000,oC0. and fruit orchards,
S97. OGO coo.
The highest percentage of increase in
value among farms, 4o.S per cent, is found
IN the gulf states; the next largest increase
is in the Rocky mountain and Pacific states.
where real estate values have increased
4O.2 per cent; the South Atlantic states
show $50 per cent increase and the North
ern Central states (around the lakes and
between the Allegheny mountains and the
Mississippi rlver) an increase of 35.3 per
cent. The North Atlantic and New Eng
land farms have increased comparatively
little in value.
Farmers Become Bankers.
Secretary Wilson sees great cause for
congratulation in the increase in value OF
the plantations of the south, well as
In the bank deposits of that section. He
says that the farmers have become bank
ers which is evident by the large increase
of country banks throughout the agricul-
tural states, In the villages that have
nothing but agriculture TO sus tainS them.
ff irxy hnll Ire
have been established during the past five
years in the southern and northern CEN
trail states, in rural regions where they
are entirely dependent upon the prosperity
Of the farmers and have none but farmers
business to transact. OF these country
banks, COS were organized in the southern
states and 792 In the northern central
states, 513 west of the Mississippi river
and 1877 in Texas, Indian Territory and Ok
lahoma The establishment of these banks
is unmistakable evidence that the farmers
have had idle money to invest, and the rate
of interest has fallen so low that they have
gone into the banking business themselves
and are now loaning money instead of bor-
rowing it.
The increase of deposits in the banks in
agricultural sections has been extraordi-
nary. During the past year 1t has been 1870
per cent throughout the United States and
for a while during the past five years the
increase in the South Atlantic states has
been 1914 per cent; in the Rocky mountain
and Pacific states, 169.S per cent; In the
Northern Central states, 1855 per cent;
while in Kentucky. Tennessee and Arkan-
sas 1t has been 1851 per cent.
Arkansas in the Lead.
If any one would ask where the largest
increase in farmers bank deposits had
taken place during the last five years ! do
not think that you would suggest Arkansas
or Mississippi, yet those are the states that
make the best showing The increase in
Arkansas during the past five years has
been 503.S per cent, the deposits having
more than doubled every year. In Missls
sppi the increase has been 34T.1 per cent,
and in Texas 2iS0 per cent. South Da-
kota takes the lead among the northern
states and shows an increase Of 1857 per
cent in farmers bank deposits; North Da-
kota is 2940 per cent; Kansas, $3.50 per
cent, and Iowa, 1900 per cent.
To realize the full significance of these
facts one must remember that this wealth
has not been acquired by speculation or by
watering stocks, or by stock-jobbing opera
tions or by any of the various methods
known as "fnanciering," 1t has not been
dug out of gold, silver or copper mines, but
has been earned by the sweat Of the brow,
by honest labor, and none of 1t is faint
ed money" When the directors of O. cor
poration vote to increase their capital stock
a million dollars or so they do not add one
cent to the wealth of mankind, visible or
invisible; but every dollar received for agri-
cultural products, whether in corn, wheat
eggs pork, is so much gained.