Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-30
BILLIONS IN CROPS
Many Reasons for Thanksgiv-
ing by the American Farmer.
FORMER RECORDS BROKEN
Secretary Wilson Tells Of the Work
Of His Department.
CANNOT MEASURE ITS. VALUE
Introduction Of Durum Wheat and
Development Of the, crop-sur-
plus Produce on Hand.
FORMER RECORDS BROKEN
CANNOT MEASURE ITS. VALUE

Development Of the crop-sur-
plus Produce on Hand.
| BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Secretary Wilson preached his usual
Thanksgiving sermon to the people OF the
United States today. and it is the biggest
sermon that was. ever delivered by human
lips 1t contains bigger stories than were
ever told before and bigger figures than
were ever placed upon the record books
of prosperity. Baron Munchausen, with
all his monstrous Misrepresentation and
fantastic falsehoods. never approached the
volume Of truth that is contained in the
eleventh annual report of the Secretary Of
Agriculture,
And only two other members Of the
cabinet since the foundation Of the re-
public have made eleven annual reports
William Writ of Virginia was Attorney
General from 1917 to 1929; he prosecuted
Aaron Burr in the United States courts at
Richmond and was afterward candidate
for President upon the anti-Masonic
ticket. Albert Gallatin was Secretary of
| the Treasury from 1901 to 1913. but part
Of the time was in Europe adjusting the
finances OF the government. Secretary
Wilson Is one year short of Gallatfn and
Writ in his cabinet service, but will catch
up to them at the end Of the present
| administration.
for" Is the mild way in which the Secre-
| tAry of Agriculture begins his story. Our
ing the first half Of the year he was
threatened with general crop failure
thronghout the length and breadth of the
| country east Of the Rocky mountains.
The very last day was exhausted that
could be withheld from crop growth and
still leave harvest worth taking.
Every necessary day for the develop
| ing Of the corn crop was worth 20, O0O, 600
bushels Of corn. Cotton needed a longer
time and offered to pay 81, 000, 900 pounds
Of lint for the favor OF each day of growth
during the full term. Wheat offered over
| 5000. 900 bushels a day, tobacco 1000. 900
| beets 1000, 900 of sugar.
1.-THE entire production Of the farms was
! at stake and was dependent on a crop
growing season OF sufficient length, and
0D0, 900 to the farmer and the nation. D..
Worth Over Seven Billions.
cat the end of the harvest the farmer
has provided the country with commodi-
ties that are equal to the average Of re-
cent years In quantity and vastly more
than are needed for national consumption
His compensation for his years work is
$7.E2. ooo, 900.
THE miner cannot restore the mineral
| to the mine. With the farmer it is DIFF
ferent. The primal forces and atoms Of
the universe are his. The sun shines and
| the rNin falls and the farmer applies his
art and science to inexhaastible resources,
/ ever adding enormously to the country's
| NQntfol ND 6yoYf
The grand total for 1907 Is $7,412.-
0Oo0. This is $657 600 600 above the
value OF 1900 81. 105 coo. O00 above that Of
1905. 81 .253, o0o 600 above that of 1904. ST.
4eo 600 above that OF 1903. and 81. $685.
00o0 600 above the census amount for 1S99
| The value Of the farm products Of 1907
was 10 per cent greater than that Of
1905. II per cent over 1905. 20 per cent
over 1904: Is per cent over 1908, and 81
During the last nine years the farmers
Of the United States have produced wealth
to the fabulous amount Of $50 OOO, 0oo. 900
Farm Dairy Products.
Besides the crops, there were farm
dairy products in 1907 which nearly reach
$500 100000. The price OF butter increased
~ cents pound over 1906, and milk q OF
a cent gallon
More than 5000. 600 600 must be re-
garded as the value OF the poultry and
eggs produced on farms in 1907. The
! amount may easily have been larger. This
industry has advanced at such q rapid
rate that no arithmetic can keep up
with It.
1.-The animals sold from farms and
slaughtered on them in 1907 were wort h
about 81. 270. COO 600.
Dairy products are much more vaIu-
able than any crop except corn. and are
equal to one-third of the value Of all
cereals
THE poultry products are worth more
than the wheat and. perhaps, as much
as the hay.
1.-THE live stock sold from farms and
slaughtered on them is worth nearly
twice as much as the cotton crop.
| 1T Is only by comparison that glim-
mer OF understanding can be given to
such numbers. Enough is apparent
however. to make it plain that the farmer
of the United States is in q business that
counts for national welfare by providing
| the wherewthal on a scale Of magnifi-
cence that defies the imagination to COM
prehend."
l asked Secretary Wilson If he did not
think he was putting up some pretty stiff
| figures.
Too Big to Be Believed.
Eyes. and they are under the truth" he
explained. IT care not to tell the whole
story because people would say that it is
too big to be true. I only put in as much
as the public will believe. The human
mind can grasp and comprehend only
facts of a certain magnitude, and there
Is no use in asking 1t to do more. A
few months ago Representative Littlefeld
! who is chairman Of the committee on ex-
penditures in the Department Of Agricul-
| ture, and has been making an investiga-
ton Of our behavior over here, requested
me to furnish him with a statement as to
the value Of the work this department has
been doing the last year in the interests>of
the American farm,r. I called In the chief
of each division and asked them to submit
estimates. When I added them up the
total was 80 big that I knew nobody
would believe it. so cut it down two
thirds and reported to Mr.. Littlefield that
to the best Of my knowledge and belief
we had contributed $232OO0,oOO to the
good Of the farmer during the year. when
the actual amount, according to the opin-
ions OF my subordinates. was nearly $780,
COCOON.
| at is difficult to express in dollars the
value of our work in increasing the crop
yield per acre by plant breeding. by the
Introduction Of new and profitable crops,
by the preservation of crops in suppress
ing insect and fungus pests, by enabling