Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-04

PACKING mouse pfOuucIS' eApOftcu
amounted TO S207, 100000.
''The imports of agricultural prod
ucts consist mainly of the same arti-
cles year after year and reached their
highest value in 1906 $554.06O.O00
These included packing house prod
ucts. $o6,O00,0o0; sugar and molasses,
SS6,O00.000: coffee, $T3,0c0000; silk.
54,000000; vegetable fibers, SJO,Oe9.-
600: wool, S39,000,000: tobacco, S22,-
100000; fruits, S21, 100000; tea, $l4,-
600. 600. and of vegetable oils. $12.G0O.-
0G0. In forest products 1906 shows an
import value exceeding $9o.000,000,
against total value of exports of sim
liar products amounting to 50 100000.
If real estate, domestic animals, other
live stock. implements and machinery
are included, the farmers capital has
increased since the census valuation by
probably SS.OO0,000,000, the present
valuation being probably $28,000,033,
OOO."
The report which contains some in
teresting figures on meat production,
the result of a recent large and search
ing investigation by the department,
says:
In the last census year, 1900, 49,
502,O coo meat animals were slaughtered
and exported. Every time the clock
ticks second during ten hours of a
workday the farmer drives nine meat
animals to the butcher. The meat
production of 1900 in pounds attained
such great numbers that they may be
better understood if reduced to the
average of the census private family,
4.6 persons. To such Ii family in 1890
the farmer supplied 1,014 pounds of
meat, amounting to half a ton, and
then had one-eighth of his supply left
over for the foreigner 1t is upon the
selling of this surplus in foreign coun-
tries that the farmer depends for the
maintenance of profitable prices for
his meat animals.
Conditions Partly Justified.
1.-THE mighty production of the farm
for one-third of Il century has come
out of an agriculture having many
faults, yet the course of agriculture in
this country bad as it may seem in its
unscentific aspect, has had large eco
nomic justification. While pioneers,
poor and in debt. are establishing them
selves they have no capital, even if
they had the knowledge. They must
have buildings, machinery and live
stock, even at the expense of the soil.
Millions upon millions of acres of fresh
land have been coming into production
faster than domestic consumption has
required a more scientific agriculture
would have raised wheat that no one
wanted to eat, corn to store on the
farm and perhaps eventually to be used
for fuel and cotton not worth the pick
ing. So it has happened, with reason,
that the production per acre has been
low. but there is no likelihood that
low production is fixed and that the
farmer must continue his extensive
system. When consumption demands
and when prices sustain the farmer
will respond. The doors of knowledge
and example are opening wider TO him.
1t would be no work of magic to dou-
BILE or even treble the production of
cotton per acre. The corn crop per
acre can be increased by one-half with
in quarter of u century and without
any pretense that the limit has been
reached No wizards services are
needed for this, but just education.
The same statement is applicable to
wheat and many other crops. One
fourth of the dairy COWS of the coun
try do not pay for their feed. and more |
than half of them do not return any |
profit. In proportion as the dairyman
weighs the milk of each COW and APP |
plies the Babcock test will he increase
the supply of milk. butter and cheese. |
1t is merely a matter of education |
The egg production per hen will be in |
creased by at least a dozen per year |
within generation. and there are poul- |
trymen who are not enthusiasts who |
foretell double that increase.
Cotton planters are now out of their |
former bondage to future maintenance, |
md in the middle west there has been |
4 conversion of Il million agricultural |
debtors, paying high rates of interest, |
INTO financially independent farmers, |
1ebt free and begging the banks to |
receive their savings at as small |
.ate of interest as per cent.
Farmers are using their new capital |
% abolish the waste places of the land |
md along many lines of improved pro-
luction. Formerly there was plenty of
farm labor and a dearth of farming |
capital. Now these conditions are re-
versed, and labor is scarce and capital
abundant Notwithstanding the farm
ars' inability to do some things for
want of labor, the new situation is a
great Improvement upon the old one.
The farmer can now employ every la
DOR saving device and thus reduce both
he labor and the cost of production.
he can raise his land to Il higher state
# fertility than can be made by chem
cal fertilizers, alone, because he can
advance the needed capital for per-
nanent soil Improvement and IS III n
position to await results. He can pro-
luce things that require years for the