Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-14
20 familiar with that fact, but every

too familiar with that fact, but every
woman who goes to market Will be in
terested in his. statement that the mean
factory price of butter averaged IS. IL
cents in 1899, and 81 Is cents in 1908: that
the average farm price of eggs through
out the United States was 11.15 cents in
1899 and 1873 cents in 1903: that the mean
wholesale price of dressed poultry in New
York was. Ills cents per pound in 1898
and 1856 cents in 1908. The wholesale
price of milk in Chicago was 1O.3 cents
per gallon in 1899 and 1916 cents in
1908: while in New York the wholesale
price of milk increased from 10.12 cents
per gallon in 1899 to 1862 cents per gal
Ion in 1908. That partially explains why
the farmer is the most prosperous per-
son in the country.
A similar ratio of increase in the size
and the value of the crop appears in
every item Of the statistics. The product
OF sugar beets, for example,. is worth
S21,JOO,0OO this year. the tonnage being
AL per cent greater and the value 4S
per cent higher than the average for the
preceding five years, while the beet
sugar product is worth S4J.OOO,OOO. a
higher value than for any preceding
year The value of sugar cane increased
81 per cent above the average for five
years. and the crop of cane sugar is
worth $56OOO.OoO. The grand total Of beet,
cane and maple sugar for 1908 is worth
S1O4, 100000, a higher value than ever
before.
The tobacco crop is worth $4,000 600,
10 per cent greater than ever before.
Crops Have Increased in Volume.
In compa rison with the previous five
years. there has been an increase in the
volume of every crop except oats. flax
seed. potatoes. tobacco and hops. and a
higher value for every crop except cotton
seed and hops
The potato crop is , per cent below the
five-year average in quantity. and has
often been exceeded. the total being 2IJ.-
OO0.0W bushels. while the value is $780,
average of the last 1--WE years. and was
never equaled in this country or any
other.
The exports of domestic farm products
in 1908 were valued at SLOT ,O0O. 900.
while the imports of the farm products
of other countries were $40. 1880. leav-
ing balance of trade of S4SS. 100000 in
favor of this country. The magnificent
figures of the farmers contribution to
the exports of this country. and TO the
tary Wilson. joyfully. ARE maint aimed in
spite of this countrys immense growth
in population and the extraordinary i'm
migration of n-agricultural peoples. and
also in spite of the diminishing fraction of
the population that is engaged In agri-
culture. No analysis could more strong
ly indicate the progressive efficiency of the
farmers labor and capital and the telling
effects of the agricultural sciences
The per capita value of the exports of
agricultural products expressed in an
nual averages of five years show that it
has more than doubled during the la
half century. The per capita value during
the period from 1851 to 1855 was SJ.S4
while The average for the last five years
was SGD.
The export of forest products has in
creased from S6O00.OOO 10 $93 900. 600 a
year during the last fifty years.
The exports of cotton last year were
valued at S43S. OOO 900: the exports of grain
and grain products at $215, 900 600. and