Washington State journal. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1907-1911, 1907-12-04
WILSON'S
REPORT
SECRETARY TELLS OF
'O7 FARM PRODUCTS.
GREAT INCREASE IN THE iRRi
GATED LAND DIS
TRiCTS.

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 $4,000, 0O0-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 a wonderful plant for pro-
duction wealth. The total crop of
alfalfa hay in 1907 is estimated to be
worth s100. 600.
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 1t 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,.
OO0,000. Next year. IL present prices
are maintained. the products of irri-
cation farming should be worth $780,
100000.
Corn 10 King.
Speaking of the chief crops, the sec
Rotary says that corn ranks first in
importance. Besides its large use as
human food. as a 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 rs per
Son' oDose ZIG average Vaiue Vi tne
crops oi the preceding hVe years.
In value the cotton crop of 1907, es.
timated to be from $650.000. 900 to
$4,000, 900. takes third place, If in the
nn"i eS'inia'e IL JUGS hot oispiace nay
ior secono rank
Wheat Valuation.
The wheat crop of 1907 il 625 ZIG O0o
bushels. s per cent less than the aver.
age quantity for the five preceding
years. But the value is about $500 900.
900, or 5k per cent more than the
average. although the croDs of 1900
1902 and 1908 had each a SLIGHTLY b;pb.
.er value than that of this wear
The farm value of sugar beets gil.
gar cane. sorghum cane and mo,asses
and syrup made on the farm is s64.
900. 900.
-
Tho vo,uo ~ ,ho tot., faru nroduo
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,OOO,0OO. 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 $1,27O,0O0, 900, or
nearly twice as much as the cotton
crop.
The dairy products of the country
alone we're worth nearly $500 600, 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
$500, 100000 in value. In fact these
products were worth more than the
wheat crop. In 1899 the farm price of
eggs averaged trifle over II cents
per dozen; in 1907 1t was over Is
cents. Dressed poultry sold in New
York in 1899 for 1O% cents a pound |;
in 1907 for nearly Is cents.