Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-04
WEALTH ON FARM
Big Crop Gain Shown by Secre>
tary Wilson in His Report
for the Year.
CORN EASILY THE LEADER
increase About Half a BiiIion-TotaI
Value of 1906 Yield is
1924, ooo,ooo

| secretary w llSOA Oh lue
| of agriculture in presenting to the pres
| ident his tenth annual report indicates
| the position of the producer from the
| soil in the development of the country.
| He reports him as making progress in
| the sciences and arts of agriculture,
| aided by the researches of the depart
ment and of the experiment stations,
and states that 1.-The time of the man
and the yield of the acre become more
| responsive as more imperative de-
mands are made upon them" The re-
port says:
The laws made by congress at it's
| last session to be put in execution by
the department have required and
have received special attention. The
meat law is being enforced with but
little friction. Inspection is now made
in about 1000 houses, and about 1900
experts have been added to the inspec-
ton force of the bureau of animal in
dustry. Rules have been made, as re-
qured by congress, for the execution
of the pure food law.
Economic revolution in the art and
science of agriculture continued during
1906. with tremendous effect upon the
nations prosperity. Crops so large as
! to he beyond any rational cOmprehen-
sion have strained the freight carrying
ability of railroads. The farmer has
become aware of the Importance of
the place that he occupies in the repub-
lie, and, in the pride of his occupation,
he is ready to offer this yearly account
of himself to the people. Preliminary
crop estimates, subject to modification,
must be used in the following review
of the years farm production in adj
vance of the final estimates of the de-
partment 10 be made little later The
estimate of total agricultural wealth
production has been continued from
previous years and is again presented
as an indication of the financial results
of the years operations. All attempts
in the past, by subtracting from this
grand total of value such products as
are used wholly or in part in the max
ing of other farm products in order
that the farmers net wealth production
might be ascertained. have given no
indication of what that net production
was and have only obscured the mat
ter. Taken at that point in production
at which they acquire commercial
value. the farm products of the year,
estimated for every detail presented
by the census, have Il farm value of
$6,794. 100000 This is $3.50, 100000
above the value of 1905, $3.50 900. 900
above 1904. $S77, 100000 above 1903 and
$2,077, 100000 above the 1899 census.
Corn. WOrth Over Billion.
corn remains by far the most valu-
able crop, and the figure that it may
reach this year is $1,100.O00,0GO for
2.SS1 100000 bushels. The cotton crop.
fiber and seed combined, follows corn
in order of value and should be worth
to the grower nearly $G40O00,G00.
The value of hay. which is third in
orler. approaches $G00.0G0.O00.
Wheat. the fourth crop. may be
worth over S450,O000O0 Oats $780,
100000; potatoes, $150,O00O00. Seventh
among the crops in order of value is
barley, cereal that has gained 81 per
cent in production in seven years. The
145.O00,000 bushels grown this year
may be worth $65.0O0.OOO. The tobac
CO crop, it is expected will be worth
500, 100000. or perhaps 100000 more.
\ remarkable development has been
made within n few years by now the
ninth crop. beet sugar. The production
in 1906 is placed at 3i5,000 long tons
with Il value supposed to be near $34.
100000. Seven years ago the value of
this crop was about $T,000,000. The
value OF all kinds of sugar sirup and
molasses reaches a total of $I5.000.000
ION the whole. crop values have been
neither notably high nor low in compar-
ison with recent years. but the crops
are so many in number that losses
meet gains, and the crops have been
on such high price level in the gen
eral average that they have raised the
total crop value somewhat above 1905
and the high preceding years, To reach
a still higher point in this extraordi-
nary series of high annual values than
had been touched before is an achieve
ment that deserves attention.
1.-The farm still overshadows the mill. |
the factory and the workshop in pro |
viding exports and with his surplus |
beyond the nations need the farmer |
has loaded the fleets of oceans. These |
products were exported to, the value of |
$976 O00, 900 during the fiscal year end |
ing June 30, 19o6-enough to build |
high class railroad half way aroun1 |
the earth. This is the largest amount |
ever reached by agricultural exports |
for this or any other country and ex- |
ceeded by S24,0009o0 the. extraordi-
~Cfnrnarh WOru7cs