Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-30

vested this year in regions OF slight rain
fall. where few years ago each steer
required twenty acres to find his cud.
This crop mas encroached upon the home
! OF the prairie dog and Of the cactus. 1t
| has spread Throughout wide strip OF
country, extending from northern NORTH
Dakota to southeastern New Mexico and
northwestern Texas. 1t Is a common
| crop in Montana and Idaho and in parts
| Of Washington, Oregon and Utah.
This variety of wheat has entered into
home industries, To "a considerable ex-
tent 1t Is mixed with other wheat flour
facture Of macaroni and kindred paste
products in this country. and is pre-
pared as breakfast food. Our desert
| now feeds the cities of the east at nome
and abroad.
IN 1905 Europe took nearly 10000 600
of the 10000 900 bushels of durum wheat
produced in 1906 about 2o,OOo,0o0 bushels
Of the crop of that year. Last year two
thirds of the exports went to Mediterra-
mean countries. The former sheep and
material to Marseille, Naples and Venice;
to Greece. Spain. and even to the original
homes of the durum wheat-northern
Africa and Russia Shipments of this
Europe and Africa named in trade re-
ports, and to other ports unnamed. With
an average production of about fifteen
bushels per acre, durum wheat this year
covered AN area of 3,OOO.0OO acres. many
Of them valueless for agricultural pur-
poses before the advent of this new crop
Alfalfa is producing wealth and doing
wonders to farms. Through our efforts,
largely, it has rapidly gained success in
cultivation throughout a vast area. The
value of the crop this year Is supposed to
be $1OO,OOOOO0, and If the plans and eff
forts now under way to promote its eX-
tension receive a reasonable reward the
value of the future crop will be several
la ~ ap nvta n
alfalfa on large areas by means of in
struction by the Department Of Agricul-
ture, the experiment stations, and the
agricultural colleges, is prize that viii
be worth hundreds Of millions of dollars
yearly; and it will be won.
ct might tell a similar story OF what
this department has done to promote the
rice crop by helping the farmers to ger
better varieties of seed from the orient
and teaching them how to cuiti sin oa IL.
600, or SO per cent above the average for
the last three years, and we are not only
able to supply our own market, but are
exporting rice to foreign countries.
Surplus Produce for the World.
Last year we exported $1.14S, OOO,O 600
worth of produce from the farms and the
forests of this country. without counting
the manufactured merchandise that
amounted to almost as much more. Con-
gress appropriates about billion dollars
every year for the support Of the govern
ment, for the executive, legislative and
judicial. departments, for the erection OF
new public buildings. for the improve
ment of our. rivers and harbors, for the
support Of the army and the navy, for
building battleships and cruisers, for pay
ing pensions to old soldiers, for digging
the Panama canal, and for all other pur-
poses; but the total of all these expendi-
lures does not come within $loOOo,Ooo or
the value of the surplus products of our
farms, which we sell abroad for cash, and
IL Wall street wants more money let it
expedite the sale of the produce that Is
held back in the west today for the lack
of transportation, so that it may be ship
ped to the people who are waiting IN Eu-
rope to buy it.
I'VE have more than a billion dollars
worth Of food awaiting shipment. and 1t
Is all new stuff, the product Of the soil.
the result of the labor of the farmers OF
this country, and every dollar it repre-
sents is dollar added to the wealth of the
people of the United States and the world.
This years results Of the American far
mers' labor exceed last years crops by
$685.. 900, 600. 1t is almost incredible. One
can scarcely comprehend it, and yet peo-
pie on Wall street are afraid to do bust
ness. If they get dollar they button
up their pocket on it and they shy at
their own shadows.
Some Pointed Facts.
"There was never country 80 rich as
this.
There was never a country so pros
porous as this.
There was never a country 50 produc-
tive as this.
There was never a country where labor
Is so richly rewarded.
"There was never DeODle cOntenteQ
as ours.
There was never a country in which
human beings lived so well.
And the farmers are the richest Of
them all
Their power to produce wealth. their
power to contribute to the happiness and
the prosperity of the world is growing
steadily. 1t multiplies every year with
increase the value and the results of
| their labor the Department of .Agricul-
ture has more than 1000 specialists study
ing farm problems all the time, in addi-
ton to the fifty-five experimental stations
of the different states.
Value Of Various Crops.
1.-THE seven cereal crops harvested in
the United States this fall were worth
So 37S, 900 900, or 90 per cent above the
average of the previous five years. They
were worth $296 OOO, 600 more than the
crop Of 1905.
1.-The corn crop this year is worth ST.
$50, 100000, or % per cent above the av-
erage value of the five previous crops.
THE corn crop of eight such years as
1907 would pay for duplicating every mill
of steam railroad in the United States,
their costly terminals. their rolling stock
and all their other property
"Thirteen such crops would replace the
banking power of the United States. its
capital. surplus deposits and circulation.
Seventeen such crops would be equal
to all the money in the world.
THE hay crop this year is probably
more valuable than the cotton, and
amounts to $66O,O0O,00O, or $85, OOO, 900
more than in 1905.
1.-THE cotton crop of 1907 is estimated
from $3.50, 600 900 to $675 200. 600. and the
expectation is THAI it will be sold for even
more.
Wheat, the fourth crop of the year In
value is about per cent below the aver
age quantity of the preceding five years,
but it Is worth 5l per cent more in
lars.
1.-The oat crop is short about 10 per
cent below the average, but in value 1t is
a gain of 26 per cent in comparison with
the average for the last five years, and
Is worth 1860, 600, 000-the most valuable
oat crop ever produced.
I'VE raised 800, 427. 900 bushels of pota-
toes, which are worth $50 100000; the
barley crop is 147. 192, 600 bushels. worth
$115, OO0,OOO, or S. per cent above the