Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-12
THE WEALTH OF OUR FARMS.
Striking Figures Showing the Marvelou,
Degree Of Prosperity Reached In 1905.

Decree OF prosperity heacned IN 1905
In view OF the vast increase that b,.
taken place during the past decade IN
the number and wealth Of our industrial
establishments and In the value OF our
manufactured products, Il will be sur.
prising to many people to learn that our
farms still greatly exceed in value and a,
a source Of revenue every other source On
wealth. not even excluding our great
manufacturing enterprises. The wealth
production of the farms Of the United
States reached in 1906 the highest amour
ever attained in this or any other country
the total figure being nearly six and one
half billion dollars. Four Of the crop,
reached new records as to value, namely
corn. hay wheat, and rice. Corn e1.
ceeds previous yields both In amount and
I'm price, and hay, wheat, and rice reached
new figures as to value only. The gen.
eral average Of production was high IN
the case Of every. crop, and the prices ran
higher still. The secretary Of agriculture
estimates that in addition to the enormous
yield OF wealth, the farms Of the country
have themselves increased in value dur
ing the past five years by over six BILL.
lions of dollars; and he puts the matter
dramatically when he states that with
every going down Of the sun during thu
past five years, there has been registered
an Increase Of three million four hundred
Of the country An analysis Of the prin.
cipal crops for the year shows that corn
reached it's highest production with o..
7OS. 900 900 bushels, clear gain Of a..
OOO. 900 bushels over the very prof1tabls
year of 1899 The hay crop is valued at
sos million dollars; cotton at SIS millions;
wheat at SOS millions: oats, 2S2 millions;
potatoes. 1873 millions; barley, IS millions;
and tobacco at So million dollars. Very
I f,.rv ~ "A frr
dollars in the value OF dairy products
| which reached the total valuation Of 66i
/ million dollars. The farmers hen, says
the secretary. is becoming a worthy CON-
/ panion to the COW, the annual production
/ of eggs being now 20 billions. Poultry
/ products have climbed to a value Of over
| half a billion dollars, so that poultry
completes with wheat for precedence. The
| total value OF horses is estimated al
/ 81 200, 600, 900. There are over 17h mil.
| lion mich COWS, valued at nearly half a
! billion dollars. During the year farm pro-
duce to the value Of S27 million dollars
was exported. During the last 16 year.
/ the domestic exports of farm product;
| have amounted to IL billion dollars. Of
/ one billion dollars more than enough L
| buy all the railroads Of the country a
/ their commercial valuation.
Clear evidence of the prosperity Of tn.
/ farmer is seen in the fact that under q
| recent amendment of the national bank
/ ing law, allowing the establishment o.
banks with a capitalization Of less thar
/ 5000. there have been 1,754 such bank
/ established in the last year, nearly ever
one Of which. says the secretary, is To-
/ Gated in a rural community and tn
/ capital furnished by farmers. For TIL
/ first time in the financial history of tn
South, the deposits in that region excee,
one billion dollars. Should there be N
relapse from his present position as
| wealth producer. three years hence tn
| farmer will find that the farming element
| which forms 35 per cent Of the popula
| ton, has produced an amount OF wealth
within the preceding ten years equal t
one-half OF the entire national wealth
produced in three centuries.-tScientift
| American.