Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-02-07
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
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 coun-
try, the total figure being nearly six and
one-half billion dollars. Four of the
crops reached ne" records as TO value,
namely, corn, hay. vt and rice Corn
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 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
Vaiue OI Cne IaTnS OJ inc country. An
analysis of the principal crops of the
year shows that corn reached its highest
pro luctiou with 2, ,70S ,OOO, 600 bushels, a
clear gain of 1900, 600 bushels over the
very pr titable year of 1899. The hay
crop is valued at 605 million dollars;
cotton at 575 millions; wheat at 525 mil
lions; oats, 2S2 millions; potatoes, 13S
millions; barley, 5S millions, and tobacco
at so million dollars. Very remarkable
is the increase of "a million dollars in the
value of dairy products, which reached
the total valuation of 685 million dollars.
The farmers hen, says the Secretary, is
becoming worthy companion to the
COW, the annual production of eggs
being now 20 billions. Poultry products
have climbed to value of over half a
billion dollars, 80 that poultry completes
with wheat for precedence. The total
value of horses is estimated at $780,
100000. There are over III million
milch COWS, valued at nearly half a bill
lion dollars. During the year farm pro-
duce to the value of S27 million dollars
was exported. During the last sixteen
years the domestic exports of farm
products have amounted to IL billion
dollars, or one billion dollars more than
enough to buy all the railroads of the
country at their commercial valuation.
Clear evidence of tho prosperity of the
farmer is seen in the fact that under
recent amendment of the national bank
ing law, allowing the establishment of
banks with p capitalization of less than
$50, 900, there have been 1854 such banks
established in the last year, nearly every
one OF which, says the Secretary, is To-
Gated in rural community and the capi-
tai furnished by farmers. For the first
time in the financial history of the South,
the deposits in that region exceed one
billion dollars. Should there be no re-
lapse from his present position as
wealth producer, three years hence the
the population, has produced an amount
of wealth within the preceding ten years
equal to ope-half of the entire national
wealth produced in three centuries.--
Scientific American.