Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-12-14
new farm RECORDS
SECRETARY WILSON MAKES
HIS REPORT.
Wheat in the United States Worth
Half a Billion DoIIars-PouItry and
Eggs More-Farm Exports Exceed
imports by Large sum-Irrigation
Helped Greatly.

The eleventh annual report of Secre-
tary of Agriculture James Wilson, just
made public, opens with the statement
that the farm production for 1907 is
well up to the average in quantity,
while its value is much above that
of any preceding year. The farmer
will this year have more money to
spend and more to invest than he ever
had before out of his years work
This years durum wheat crop is
worth $40, 000,000-more than twice
the annual cost of the entire depart
ment; 100000 acres are now used
much of it land formerly valueless,
the home of the prairie dog and the
cactus"
The beet sugar industry has grown
very rapidly during the past Is years
Alfalfa is wonderful plant for pro-
duction wealth. The total crop of
alfalfa hay in 1907 is estimated to be
worth $100,0O0,000
Irrigation is yet confined almost en-
tirely to the arid and semiarid regions
of the west and the rice lands of the
Gulf coast, but In time it will doubt
less be practiced largely in the more
humid regions of the country as it is
in similar regions of the old world.
The irrigated area now under cultiva-
ton in this country is 100000 acres,
and the crops grown on this area in
1907 were worth not less than $175.-
O00,0 Next year, If present prices
are maintained, the products of irri-
cation farming should be worth $780,
100000
Corn Is King.
Speaking of the chief crops, the sec
rotary says that corn ranks first in
Importance. Besides it's large use as
human food. as live stock feed,
the starch of corn becomes the fat
of the hog and the finish of the steer"
thus becoming a great factor in the
production of meats and meat prod
uts for export. While not as large as
that OF 1906, the value of the corn
crop of 1907 is greater and is &c per
cent above the average value of the
crops of the preceding five years.
In value the cotton crop of 1907, es-
timated to be from $650.0O0,OOO to
$675, 100000. takes third place, if in the
final estimate 1t does not displace hay
for second rank
Wheat Valuation.
The wheat crop of 1907 is 625, SIG, 900
bushels, 5 per cent less than the aver
age quantity for the five preceding
years. But the value is about $500, 00O,-
900, or 5h per cent more than the
average, although the crops of 1900,
1902 and 1905 had each a slightly high
ser value than that of this year.
The farm value of sugar beets, SUI
gar cane, sorghum cane and molasses
land syrup made on the farm is s64,-
100000
Farms Produce SAP, 100000.
The value of the total farm produc-
tons in 1907 exceeded that of 1906,
which was far above that of any pre-
ceding year. The total value for 1907
is $7.412,0 100000, an amount 10 per
cent greater than the total for 1906.
The animals sold from farms and
those slaughted by farmers in 1907
were worth about $1,270,O0O, 900, or
nearly twice as much as the cotton
crop.
The dairy products of the country
alone we're worth nearly $500, 000,0 900
in 1907, or much more than any crop
save corn. Prices of both butter and
milk have advanced.
The poultry and egg products for
1907 should be estimated at more than
$600,000,00 in value. In fact these
products were worth more than the
wheat crop. In 1899 the farm price Of
eggs averaged trife over II cents
per Dozen; in 1907 it was over 1S
cents. Dressed poultry sold in New
York in 1899 for 10% cents pound;
in 1907 for nearly Is cents.
Exports and Imports.
During the fiscal year ended June
80, 1907, the domestic exports of farm
products were valued at 81, 055, 900 900,
or $79.0OO,0O0 above the high record
for 1906 Plant products made up four
ffths of this total, cotton alone
amounting to 1882 100000.
Cotton is the greatest of all our ex-
ports, having, in 1907. 29A per cent
of the total value.
Agricultural products valued at
1921, OoO, 900 were imported during the
past fiscal years 403, 100000 worth OF
plant products and 1924 600. 900 worth
of animal products. The principal
items among these imports were: