The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-12-24
Wealth By The Billions.
Years Farm Products Worth 81,
77S,OOO,OOO.

w AShlNu1O bSSOiiibSA
twelve years of service as head OF the
Department, the Secretary of Agricul-
ture in his twelfth annual report to the
President, issued today, renders com
prehensive account of his stewardship
and presents review of the progress OF
agriculture in the United States during
this period Concerning the farm pro-
duction of 1908 he says that the farmer
has created wealth by the billions. FRO.
duction has been above the average OF
recent wears with few exceptions; and,
while some prices have fallen, others
have risen.
The farm value of all farm products OF
1908 reaches the most extraordinary total
in the nations history 778, O0O, 600.
This is about four times the value OF the
products of the mines, including mineral
oils and precious metals. The gam m
value of farm products in 1908 over l9OI
is 1920, 900, 600 and would have been much
larger had not the prices OF cotton ana
hay been low. Greatest OF all crops is
Indian corn, whose production TINS year
is 2, SAB, 900, 900 bushels. The value OF
this crop is S1,615, 0O0, 600. 1t seems
likely that the cotton crop is one OF the
highest three ever produced, but with
value next to the highest or perhaps
more, although the farm price OF cotton
this wear is below the price OF last year
nv more than one cent. For the first
time in the history of this country's ag-
riculture. the value of the cotton crop,
including seed, has apparently exceeded
the value of the hay crop, Wnlch mas
heretofore held second place.
The greatest hay crop In history mas
been gathered this year, 5000, ooo tons
or ~ per cent above the average OF the
preceding five years. Its price is 81 per
ton less than it was year ago, put sun
the farm value of the crop is SOL ooo'
oOO The $50. 600, 900 bushels OF wheat
are estimated to be worth $500 500, 0OO to
the farmers. or S66, 900, coo more than
the most valuable wheat crop heretofore
produced Although the oat crop surfer
ed from drought the value IS S32l, ooo' :
900 for 789, O00, 900 bushels, or 10 per cent
above the five year average value and y
per cent below the average product.
The barley crop, 167, 900, 900 bushels, Is
Is per cent above the five-year average
and its value, $50, 900, 600, is 70 per cent
above. Rye remains in the notch that 1t
has occupied in production in recent
years, but its value, $22, 900, 900, is II per
cent above the average.
The largest crop of rice ever raised,
%, 200, 600 bushels, is this year S, with a
value of about sis, OOO,O 900. All cereals
aggregate 4, 329, 900, 600 bushels, total
that has been exceeded three times, but
the value reaches So, 694, 900, 900, or more
than $500, O0C, 900 above that OF 1907, and
exceeds still more the totals OF former
years.
The sugar beet crop has never been SO
large nor so valuable as it is this year.
The plantation value of sugar cane, mo-
lasses and syrup, not including factory
products. is estimated to be S34, 000, 600,
value exceeded only in 1904. Nearly
500, 900 short tons of beet sugar Will
probably be made from the crop OF this
year, and the factory value OF this and
of the beet pulp is about SAB, O0O, 000.
About 407, 900 short tons OF raw cane
sugar were produced this year. The
sugar beet and sugar cane crops are
together worth about $50, 600, 900 to the
grower. The sugar made from cane and
beets, the beet pulp, the syrup and mo-
lasses of cane and sorghum, and the
maple sugar and syrup it is estimated.
are worth this year 1914 100000. I'm
favorable weather made the potato crop
only 275, 900, 600 bushels, or 5 per cent
below the five-year average, although
the value, $3.50, 000 600, is Is per cent
above and was never equaled by any
former crop Tobacco production is still
low in comparison with recent years.
For the first time this year the value OF
all farm crops equals $1,000, 600, 600.
Although the farmer gets hardly 20 cents
a pound for his batter, between and
cents a quart for his milk, and about
- cents for each egg, yet the value OF
the farm products of the dairy COW is
getting close to $500, 900, 600. The ag-
gregate value of animals sold and slaugh
tered and of animal products at the farm
amounts to about three-eighths OF the
value of all farm products, estimated
upon the census basis, and is getting
nearer and nearer to So, 600, 900, 900.
In his review of the last twelve years
of agriculture, the secretary reminds us
that momentous changes have occurred
to agriculture during the period. keat-
ures of great import have been introduce
ed; forces have become operative whose
results are already enormous, with the
certainty of cumulative and accelerated
future consequences for the nations
good. The farmers work and harvest
have had the benefit of more varied
knowledge and more effective intelli-
gence His life and living have under
gone transformations which increasingly
make the farm preferable to the town.
Economic cooperation by farmers has
developed enormously during the last
twelve wears, and it is safe to say that at
present more than one-half of the 6, 100,
900 farms are represented in this Co
operation the fraction is much larger if
based on the total number of medium
and better sorts Of farmers, to which the
co-operators mostly belong.
In 4Ol cases brought at the instigation
of the department against railway COM
panies for violating the ''twenty-eight
hour law" limiting the number of hours
stock can be kept in the cars without
unloading,) fines and costs amounting to
nearly 500, 600 have resulted. In twenty
five cases for violation of quarantine
laws, the fines and costs have exceeded
$500.
Last year the enforcement of the food
and drugs act began in earnest. The
cases reported by the department to the
Attorney General numbered 1875, of
which ninety-seven were for criminal
prosecution. and thirty-eight for seizure
and condemnation. In fourteen of the
criminal cases, the offenders had to pay
fines ranging from SIS to 500 besides
costs; and fourteen of the seizure cases
resulted in forfeiture of the goods. Many
cases are now pending in the courts, and
not single case has yet been decided
adversely to the Government.
f,1rn of Ia