The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-01-06

| able TO grow all the wheat the American
people need. The new hard wheats
grow in ten inches of rainfall, and the
many million acres that are now pro-
ducing only jack rabbits and cacti and
the semi-wild steer on fifty acres will
grow these wheats and are growing
them
CORN LANDS WELL KEPT.
Generally the American corn farmer
is not injuring his land as the wheat
farmer has, and besides is better pro-
tected, because there is much larger
percentage of corn nutrients to be OBJ
tanned from the atmosphere than of
wheat nutrients.
II consider it notable that we can say
the year 1904 has been even of greater
financial success to the farmers than
the year 1908. One conspicuous item
that has contributed to this abundant
prosperity is the corn crop.
Nearly reaching the high-water
mark of 1902, the crop closely approach
ed two and one-half billions of bushels,
and with the high prices of this year
this CROP alone has value to the
farmers far exceeding $1,000, 600, 900.
The farmers with this crop could pay
the national debt and the interest on it
for year and still have a balance re-
naming large enough to pay the run
ming expenses of the government for
large part of year.
"The cotton crop ranks second in
point of value to the farmer, and the
cotton growers of the South probably
realized out of the last crop nearly
$4,000, COO
MANY CROPS SET RECORDS.
Wheat and hay fought for third
place, and the two crops reached a
value of nearly as much as the corn crop,
or apprecably more than 81, 600, 900, 900.
Potatoes and barley reached their high
est production in 1904, the oat crop was
never so large by 60,000,O00 bushels ex-
cept in 1902 more rice was produced
than in any previous year by approx
mately 300, 100000 pounds, and this list
could be continued seriatim to emphasize
the prosperity of 1904.
"To present it in another form, it
can be stated that the principal crops
that are valued annually by the depart
ment or by commercial houses, had an
aggregate farm value in 1904 of more
than So, SOC, 000, 900, an increase of more
than 81, 600, ,0OO,000 since 1900, and over
$500, 600, 900 above 1903 ~ 49,
"Far:Ashorses' never were oTsff ff!sfyf
as in 1904 when the total exceeded
81, 900, 100000 Farm mules reached
their highest value in 1904, when their
worth is estimated at $217, 532, 900.
Cattle declined in number and appreci-
ably in value, as did sheep and hogs.
Poultry advanced in number, and the
farm hens now are producing one and
two-third billions dozen of eggs yearly,
and the eggs inless than one month are
worth more than years interest on
the national debt amounts to.
FARM WEALTH ENORMOUS.
Five billions of dollars-a sum the
enormity of which it is difficult for the
mind to grasp-can conservatively be
placed as the value of the products of
the farm in 1904 This estimate is plac-
ed after deducting the value of farm
crops fed to live stock. and probably
does not fully represent the value of
wealth produced on farms.
ITO enable the mind partly to realize
what this stupendous production means,
it can be stated that since Columbus
discovered America the gold mines of
the entire world have not prod uced as
much wealth as the American farms
have in the past few years The value
of our farm product in 1904 is over six
times the capital stock of all national
banks, and within three fourth of bill
lion dollars of the value of the manufac-
lures of 1900, less the cost of material
used 1t is twice the value of our i'm
ports and exports combined for year,
three times the gross earnings of the
railroads and three and half times the
value of the output of all our mines and
quarries.
while the farmers did not equal the
record set in 1908 in the value of their
exports, the year 1904 was only slightly
below the average of the last five years,
and closes with over $3.50, 900, 900 worth
of farm products being sold abroad.
Our imports of farm products for the
fiscal year 1904 reached higher total
value than ever before, and leaves a
trade balance in favor of our exports of
nearly $4OO, 600, 900.
FARMERS GROW WEALTHY.
"Within the last four years the value
of farms and farm property has increas-
ed to about $4,000, 100000 Anyone who
doubts the abundant prosperity of the
American farmer, to be convinced of
his error, has only to inquire into the
individual deposit item of the banks in