The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-09
WEALTH OF OUR FARMS.


taken place during the past decade in
the number and wealth of our indus
trial establishments and in the value
of our manufactured products, it viii
be surprising to many people to learn
that our farms still greatly exceed in
value and as source of revenue every
other source of wealth. not even eX-
Guiding our great manufacturing en-
terprises, says the Scientific Ameri-
can. The wealth production of the
farms of the United States reached in
1905 the highest amount ever attained
in this or any other country, the total
figure being nearly six and one-half
billion dollars. Four of the crops
reached new records as to value,
namely. corn, hay, wheat and rice
Corn exceeds previous yields both in
amount and in price, and hay, wheat,
and rice reached new figures as to
value only. The general average of
production was high in the case of
every crop, and the prices ran higher
still. The secretary of agriculture es-
Inmates that in addition to the enor-
nous yields of wealth, the farms of
the country have themselves increased
in value during the past five years
by over six billions of dollars; and
he puts the matter dramatically when
he states that with every going down
of the sun during the past five years,
there has been registered an increase
OF three million four hundred thousand
dollars in the value of the farms of
the country. An analysis of the prin-
cipal crops for the year shows that
corn reached its highest production
with 2.7OS,0O0 bushels, a clear gain of
100000 bushels over the very pro-
fitable year OF 1899. The hay crop is
valued at COS million dollars; cotton
at SIS millions; wheat at 525 millions:
oats, 2S2 millions; potatoes, 1873 mil
lions; barley, IS millions, and tobacco
at 90 million dollars. Very remarkable
Is the the increase of $54,0O,OOO i'll the
value of dairy products, which reach
ed the total valuation of 665 million
dollars. The farmers hen, says the
secretary, is becoming a worthy COM
panion to the COW, the annual produc-
ton of eggs being 20 billions. Poultry
products have climbed to value of
over half billion dollars, so that
poultry completes with wheat for
precedence. The total value of horses
is estimated at $1,2OO,OOO,0OO. There
are over Tx million mich cows, val
ued at nearly half billion dollars.
During the year farm produce to the
value of S27 million dollars was ex-
ported. During the last sixteen years
the domestic exports of farm products
have amounted to ~ billion dollars,
or one billion dollars more than
enough to buy all the railroads of the
country at their commercial valua-
ton Clear evidence of the prosper
ity of the farmer is seen in the fact
that under recent amendment of the
national banking law, allowing the
establishment of banks with a capital
ization of less than $4,000, there have
been 1,754 such banks established in
the last year, nearly every one of
which, says the secretary, is located
In rural community and the capital
furnished by farmers. For the first
time in the financial history of the
south, the deposits in that region ex-
coed one billion dollars Should there
be no relapse from his present posi-
ton as wealth produced, three years
hence the farmer will find that the
farming element, which forms thirty
five per cent of the population, has
produced an amount of wealth with
in the preceding ten years equal to
one-half Of the entire national wealth
produced In three centuries.