Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-12-06
new FARM RECORDS
SECRETARY WILSON MAKES
HIS REPORT.
Wheat in the United States Worth
Half a Billion DoIIars-Poultry 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
we'll up to the average in quantity,
while it's 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, 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-
alfalfa hay in 1907 is estimated to be
worth $100,000,000.
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,-
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
a 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 26 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 $65O,OO0,0OO to
1875, 100000, takes third place, if in the
final estimate it does not displace hay
for second rank.
Wheat Valuation.
The wheat crop of 1907 is 625,576;0OO
bushels, 5 per cent less than the aver
age quantity for the five preceding.
years. But the value is about $500,O00,-
900, or 512 per cent more than. the
average, although the crops of 1900,
1902 and 1905 had each a slightly high
er value than that of this year.
The farm value of sugar beets, SUI.
gar cane, sorghum cane and molasses
and syrup made on the farm is 1884,
100000!
Farms Produce, $7;412,00o, 600.
The value of the total farm produc-
tions in 1907 exceeded that of 1906,
which was far above that of any pre-
ceding year The total value for 1907
is $7,412,00O,0O0, 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,OO0, 5000, or
nearly twice as much as the cotton
crop.
The dairy products of the country
alone were worth nearly $500, GOO, 600
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 a trifle over IL cents
per dozen; in 1907 it was over IS
cents. Dressed poultry sold in New
York in 1899 for 10% cents pound !;
in 1907 for nearly Is cents.
ExportsNand Imports.
During the fiscal year ended June
30, 1907, the domestic exports of farm
products were valued at 1855, OOO, 900,
or $79,000,000 above the high record
for 1906. Plant products made up four
1fths of this total, cotton alone
amounting to $482,O00,OOO.
Cotton is the greatest of all our ex.
ports, having, in 1907, 1914 per cent
of the total value.
Agricultural products valued at
S627O0O,00O were imported during the
past fiscal year-$403, 900, 900 worth OF
plant products and 1924, 900 900 worth
OF animal products. The principal
items among these imports were:
Sugar and molasses, S94, O0O, 900; cot
fee, $78,000,OOO; fibers, $4,000 900;
packing house products (mostly hides
and skins), $96,OOO,OOO; silk, ST., 900,
600; and wool, $42,OO0,OOO.
During the fiscal year 1907 the ex
ports of farm products exceeded the
imports by $444,OOO,OOO, balance thai
has been exceeded only four times
in 1898, 1899, 1901 and 1902.