Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-11-30

conditions, requiring ali the INDUS
TRY and skill of the farmers to grow
an average crop. They have strug-
gled not only with an erratic sea-
son, but with scarcity of help In
all the states and territories of the
Union.
Average Crop and Highest Income.
Such a year as 1907 has been,
with its hard winter, summer wealth
er in March, and late cold springs,
gives exceptional emphasis to the
wisdom of this departments policy
of diverslfying farm products and of
Establishing new crops. A general
crop failure in field as large as the
chief part of the temperate zone of a
continent must be a rare occurrence.
No general crop failure afiiicts the
farmer this year, not even within
small areas. The production of the
farms, all things considered, IS
WELL UP TO THE AVERAGE of
the previous Ave years in quantity,
while its value to the farmer. os
now appears at this annual day OF
reckoning, REACHES A FIGURE
MUCH ABOVE THAT OF 1909,
which by far exceeded any previous
years wealth production on farms.
Out Of the farming operations of
1907, the railroads will get an av-
erage haul of freight, and foreign
countries will take heavy excess
above home consumption. The farm
or will have more TO spond and more
to invest THAN HE EVER BEFORE
HAD OUT OF HIS YEARS WORK.
With an average production Of
about Is bushels per acre, durum
wheat this year covered an area of
over 100000 acres, many OF them
lvalueless for agricultural purposes
before the advent OF this new cror.
It's value 10 the farmer Is over twice
the entire cost OF the department Of
agriculture during the current fiscal
year. including the weather bureau,
the costly meat inspection and the
forest service.
The beet-sugar industry In this
country had not advanced beyond
experiment and given promise until
l1SSS. Since that year II has rap
IDLY grown, under aid and encouT-
lagement from the department of ag-
riculture and tho experiment sta
tions and with favorable legislation
by congress and several state legls-
latures.
AS an acquisition TO agriculture
much may be said in favor of grow
ing sugar beets for the factory.
Tinage must be of the best and the
soil fertile. The pulp OF the beets,
after the extraction of the sugar, is
relished by live stock. The crop is
grown under factory contract con-
ditions, and the farmer knows upon
what he may depend for profit.
In 16 states there were GA fac.
tories in 1906, with a capacity of
working 49,50O tons of beets daily.
Factories with more than three
Iffths of this capacity are situated
in the western division of states.
and in that region this new crop has
so well established itself and the
growing of sugar beets has proved
to be so remunerative that sugar
beet farms OF the medium sort in.
creased in value $42.49 per acre
from 1900 to 1905. as determined
by special investigation by the de-
partment of agriculture. or from /
$99.47 per acre In 1900 to $141.96
in 1905.
Alfalfa, that extraordinary plant
for producing wealth and doing won
ders to farms, is occupying an i'm
portant place in the plans of the de-
partment of agriculture, the expert
ment stations and the agricultural
colleges. Through their efforts
largely it has rapidly gained success
in cultivation throughout a vast area
The value of the crop as hay this
year is Supposed to be $4,000, 5000,
and if the plans and efforts now un-
der way to promote its extension re-
seive a reasonable reward the value
of the future crop will be several
times the present amount.
Among the large efforts that have
the effect of giving steadiness to
the agricultural production of the
nation at times of threatened ad- |
versity is irrigation. This is almost |
entirely confined to the arid and |
semi-arid regions west of the one
hundredth meridian and to the rice |
coast of the Gulf OF Mexico in Texas
and Louisiana hut will mnVa cas-