Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-02-06
Wealth of Our Farms.

Wealth Of Our Farms.
In view of the vast increase that has
taken place during the past decade in
the number and wealth of our industrial
establishments and in the value of our
manufactured products, it will be sur
prising to many people to learn that our
farms still greatly exceed in value and as
a source of revenue every other source
of wealth, not even excluding our great
manufacturing enterprises. 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 estimates that in addition to
the enormous yield of wealth, the farms
of the country have themselves increas-
ed 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 mil
lion four hundred thousand dollars in
the value of the farms of the country.
An analysis of the principal crops for
the year shows that corn reached its
highest production with 2,70S, ,00O, 900
bushels, clear gain of 42,0O0, 900 BUSH
els over the very profitable year of 1899.
The hay crop is valued at 605 million
dollars; cotton at 575 millions; wheat at
1888 millions; barley, 5S millions, and to-
bacco at so million dollars. Very re-
markable is the increase of "a million
dollars in the value of dairy products,
which reached the total valuation of 665
million dollars. The farmers hen, says
the secretary, is becoming a worthy
companion to the cow, the annual pro-
duction of eggs being now 20 billions.
Poultry products have climbed to value
of over half a billion dollars, so that
poultry completes with wheat for prece-
dence. The total value of horses is
estimated at 81, 200, 100000. There are
over II l-2 million milch cows, valued at
nearly half a billion dollars. During
the year farm produce to the value of
S27 million dollars was exported. Dur
ing the last sixteen years the domestic
exports of farm products have amount
ed to II billion dollars, or one billion
dollars more than enough to buy all the
railroads of the country at their COM
mercial valuation. Clear evidence of
the prosperity of the farmer is seen in
the fact that under recent amendment
of the national banking law, allowing
the establishment of banks with capi-
talization of less than $50, 900, there have
been ,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 fiuan-
cial history of the South, the deposits
in that region exceed one billion dol
lars. Should there be no relapse FROM
his present position as a wealth pro-
ducer, three years hence the farmer will
find that the farming element, which
forms thirty-five per cent Of the popula-
ton, has produced an amount OF wealth
within the preceding ten years equal to
One-half of the entire national wealth
produced in three centuries.-Scientifi
American.