Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-11-26
Agricultural Prosperity.

Agricultural Prosperity.
Secretary Jas. Wilson has just made
his annual report to the president re-
garding the agricultural conditions and
takes occasion to indicate the position
of the producer from the soil in the de.
velopment of the country. He reports
progress in the sciences and arts of ag-
riculture, aided by the researches of the
department and of the experiment sta
tions, and states that "the time of the
man and the yield of the acre become
more responsive as more imperative de-
mands are made upon them"
Among other things the secretary
says: "The economic revolution 10 the
art and science of agriculture continued
during 1905, with tremendous results
on the national prosperity. The value
of crops continues to rush forward be-
yond comprehension; crops are strafning
the freight carrying ability of the rail-
roads, and the farmer, alive to the i'm
portance of the place that he occupies
in the nation, offers this yearly account
of himself to the people. The secretary
promises that the figures presented in
his review of the years full production
are advance estimates preliminary to
to those to be made later by the depart
ment. Estimates are made for compari-
son with every detail presented by the
census. Farm products of the year have
farm value of very nearly six thousand
eight hundred million dollars, nearly
half billion above the, value of 1905
and exceeding by over two billion dol
lars the figures for the last census.
| hu far ha
able crop, estimated at eleven hundred
million dollars. Next comes the cot
ton crop, which, including seed, should
be worth to the growers nearly six hun
dred and forty million dollars. The
value of hay, which is third in order,
approaches six hundred millions.
Wheat, the fourth crop, may be worth
four hundred and fifty millions; oats,
three hundred millions; potatoes, one
hundred aud fifty millions. Barley,
with value of sxty-five million dollars,
shows gain of 2l per cent in produc-
tion in the past seven years. The to-
bacco crop will be worth about tifty-five
millions. remarkable development
is that of the sugar beet, now the ninth
crop in value. The production in 1906
is placed at three hundred and forty-five
thousand long tons, valued at thirty-four
million dollars. Seven years ago the
value of this crop was seven million dol
lars. The value of all kinds of sugar,
sirup, and molasses aggregates seventy
five million dollars.
"On the whole, crop values have been
neither notably high nor low in COM
parison with recent years, but the high
price level in the general average has
raised the total crop value somewhat as
compared with 1905 and the high pre-
ceding years. To reach still higher
point in this series of high annual
values is an achievement worthy of at
teution.
"The farm still overshadows the mill,
the factory, and the workshop in pro-
viding exports, and with his surplus be-
yond the nations need the farmer has
loaded the fleets of oceans. For the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1906, this
surplus has been exported to the value
of nine hundred and seventy-six mil
lions, the largest amount ever reached
by agricultural exports for this or any
uther country and exceeding the export
value of 1901, previously the record year.
Among chief exports cotton maintains
long lead, with value of four hundred
millions. The packing house products
exported amounted to value of two
hundred and seven millions.
agriculture becomes more scientific
as need arises.-The mighty production
of the farmer for one-third of a century
has come out of an agriculture having
many faults, yet the course of agricul-
ture in this country, unscentific as it
may seem, has had economic justifica
tion. Pioneers, poor and in debt, have
no capital, even if they have knowledge.
They must have buildings, machinery,
and live stock even at the expense of the
soil. Moreover, millions of acres of
fresh land have been coming into pro-
duction faster than domestic consump-
ton required. A more scientific agr
culture would have raised crops in ex
cess of the demands; but when consump-
ton demands and prices sustain, the
farmer will respond, for the doors of
knowledge and example are opening
wider to him. No miracle would be
required to double or even treble the
production of cotton per acre. The
corn crop can be increased by one-half
per acre within onefourth of a century
/ duu ycL WtuOut lodCuiuS tho UNIV, ohu
the same may be said of wheat and
many other crops. One-fourth of the
dairy cows of the country do not pay for
their feed, and more than one-half of
them pay no profit. The egg production
per hen will be increased by at least
dozen year within a generation, while
some poultrymen foretell double that
increase. If the hens of this year had
each laid dozen eggs more than they
did, the increased value Of this produc-
ton would have possibly aggregated
fifty millions of dollars. The farmer
will not fail the nation if the nation does
not fail the farmer. He needs education
to open the powers of the soil now hid
den from him. The work of the depart
ment has already had results valued at
hundreds of millions of dollars annually
and yet has barely crossed the threshold
of its mission of discovery and educa-
ton. Cooperating to the same ends are
the experiment stations in every state
and territory, agricultural colleges,
farmers Institutes, and many excellent
agricultural publications and books"
All this is very gratifying to the pride
of our people. AS agriculture is the
basis Of all prosperity we can easily
account for the great prosperity of the
Iopfiro countrv