The Washington herald., 1908-08-12


duction Of a bumper crop this year II
the total value Of farm products in the
United States this year is eight billions o.
dollars. lthe highest mark in history. as
IS indicated by present prospects, about
u per sent OF that result viii be due. IN
the opirioa cf experts. 70 the work done
by the government for the benefit OF the
farmer. The annual value Of the work
done by the Department OF Agriculture
IS estimated by officers Of that depart
uent al not less than S56o.e11,0aa- This
work was along the line Of the introduc-
ti0n and perfection Of new crops. the de-
strUction Of injurious insects. and similar
work that is being done all over che
country IN addition 10 il. the reclaua-
tion service and other government bu-
eeaus are helping agriculture 20 the eX-
tent Of hundreds Of millions Of dollars
annually.
Last year the actual total value Of
American farm products was S7-54S.ooo 90.
That this Will be increased shis year 10
the extent above indicated Is not doubted.
The acreage OF most OF the important
crops IS as large or larger than it was
IN 1877. while the condition Of practically
all of the crop is much better at this
tine than il was a year ago This has
been due 10 better weather conditions.
from the farmers standpoint and %
other causes. not the least being the in
creased activities OF the government
scientists. who are devoting their time
and labors 10 helping the American
farmer produce more and better crops,
thereby enriching himself, the nation.
and the world
Cereals. Of course. viii lead this year,
vita q total farm value OF not less than
$50 90. co. Last year the value OF The ce-
real crops was about s--37S. .010.001. which
was 3 per cent above the average Of the
previous i've years The total cereal pro
ducti0n this year VIII be S5a0o7.1a5 more
than IL would have been If the AgrIcuI-
turaI Department lad not introduced and
perfected d1rum wheat. Swedish oats.
and other hardy cereals in recent years
These new cereals thrive in semi-arId
and cold regions where grain OF the old
species cannot De grown successfully.
Duruu wheat was introduced into the
United States SIX or seven years ago by
the ArEicllcCraI Department To-day its
annual crop IS 100000 bushels, valued
AZ Ss1e11.l11 The value OF the Swedish
oats crop IS estimated al S5JJl.Jl0 The
total. value Of the oats crop This year VIII
probably close TO f1.ra1Ja-
Corn and not cotton. is king among
American crops. This country produces
1oUr-ffths OF the worlds production Of
corn The total corn crop here in 1e7
was over -517. s771l1 bushels. worth 81
SCI. 'a'.G1" and il is expected To be nearer
100000 tl-s year The Agricultural De-
rartu=1cs work along the line Of. de-
s-royilg grain weevils. which attack corn
among other things. has been estimated
al about 500 101. IN other words. the
crop is worth that much more than L
would have been II government scientists
had n0t been lighting the weevils-
Cotton and hay are making a contest
for second place In Americas crops. The
cotton crop viii be sufficient for the
worlds needs. Last year a total OF H.
67S-C-1 bales was produced IN this c0uu-
Jry- This year the condition OF the crop
is such that Indications are l1 favor Of a
very Eoo5 crop OF its value. noc less
than 81 .6f1 10 is believed. viii repre-
sent the benefits derived by cotton from
the operations Of the Bureau OF E1tO-
uoLoEy against -ra E5z3 vyeevII and coz
ton worm AS ,le result Of years OF in
vestizat55n. the Agricultural Department
has shown southern planters how 20
raise cotton without the weeEI and how
% Ee- I'D Of that pest when it appears.
The planters are said % be somewhat
aracleric- however. with the result that
the boil wesvI crossed the Mississippi
River last fan and IS spreading north
ward and eastward ar the rate Of fifty
TO s=ve-ty-6ve miles a year. The depart
Errt has bred parasites 20 prey upon the
boil v=ev-L the latest discovery being
-lz- the rag weed Ueevl, heretofore sup
posed u De q useless insect. can be
trained 20 prey upon its relative, the boil
weeviL
The acreage Of the hay crop this year is
the same as in Is7-. bur ITS condition IS
better. and the outlook lsyrhat the tota
production Of hay this year VIII be iron
$4,000 20 100000 tons. valued at moi
less than $4,000 o.. The value OF ths
timothy crop is being increased 10 the eX
cent OF S+5.drooo0 a year. or % per cent
owing 90 investigation by the Bureau C-
Plant Industry. This bureau has also i'm
proved f1e hay crop by introducing hroD'
grass and other grasses, the production o
which il the DaECras alone Us valued a
about Sz1F1"9 a year. Alfalfa. under th'
fostering care Of the government, lal
been made worth many millions year
While the Plant Industry Bureau ha.
been perfsctinc durum wheat and othe
grain crops. the Entomology Bureau has
been saving millions annually in thes
crops by assisting in The destruction O.
bugs which live on The wheat The in
furious insects referred 10 include tn
Hessian ay. which formerly desuOye,
from 100000 20 S2o.o10090 worth o
wheat and other grains: the green bug
and other pests. These bugs being Uude
subsection. the spring and winter whea
crop this year viii probably aggregat
6f10-a110 bushels worth. upward Of SOD.
0leaoo.
Other grain crops also derive a grea
deal Of benefit from the Agriculture De
parJmert's activities against bugs Of vari
Gus kinds. OF these crops. il IS estimated
oats VIII produce 16lQ0O.100 bushels o.
more barley. 100000 bushels; rye. o.
05a13 bushels and buckwheat faxssed
and rice in proportion The total cerea
crop being worth S2-5O0. .O00. .1J0. according L
unofficial estimates
Next 10 the cereals. cotton. and hay
the tobacco and potato crops are leaders
In 1877 the amount Of tobacco produce
was nearly -0l011.Gl0 pounds, which va
worth S75 23f 113. This year the tobacc
acreage IS nearly 61-015 acres less .thal
last year. but -1he condition OF the Gro,
IS considerably better. so tina. what IN
planters lose in quantity they viii max
up in quality and price In this connec
ton, u is estimated that the annual valu
Of improvements Of The tobacco croE
through The Introduction OF new types an