The daily sentinel., 1908-12-14

Cotton..It 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 year is below the price of last
year by more than l cent.
For the first time in the history
of this country's agriculture. the
value of the cotton crop. including
seed, has apparently exceeded the
value of the hay crop, which has
heretofore held second place.
Hay.-The greatest hay crop in
history has been gathered this year
-6S million tons, or p per cent
above the average of the preceding
. years. Its price is 50 per ton less
than it was year ago; but still the
farm value of the crop is 621 million
dollars, or per cent above the D
year average.
Wheat.-Wheat is l II per cent
above the 5-year average in produc-
ton. and 30 per cent above in total
value. The go million bushels of
this crop are estimated to be worth
$40 million dollars to the farmers.
or 66 million dollars more than the
most valuable wheat crop heretofore
produced.
Oats and Other Although
the oat crop suffered from drought,
the value is 321 million dollars for
7S9 million bushels, or 10 per cent
above the 5-year average value and 9
per cent below the average product.
The barley crop (167 million bu
ShelS) is IL per cent above the D.
year average, and its value CSC mill
ion dollars) is % per cent above.
Both have been exceeded only once.
Rye remains in the notch that it
has occupied in production in recent
years: but its value (22 million dol
lars) is II per cent above the aver
age.
The largest crop of rice ever raised
t23 million bushels) is this years,
with value of about 8 million dol
lars. the crop being % per cent above
the 5-year average and its value 23
per cent above.
All Cereals.-All cereals aggregate
4.329, 900 bushels. total that
has been exceeded three times; but
the value reaches S2.69i 100000, or
more than 800 million dollars above
that of 1907, and exceeds still more
the totals of former years. Compared
with the preceding years, the num-
ber of bushels is higher by - per
cent and the value is higher by 32
per cent.
SuSH1 lottlS anu dnt.- he St -dG
beet crop has never been so large nor
so valuable as it is this year The
rapid development of this crop for
sugar-making appears in the state
ment that the production of beets in
1908 is 4 . per cent above the average
of . years.
The plantation value of sugar
cane, molasses and sirup, not includ-
ing factory products. is estimated to
be "a million dollars, a value exceed
ed only in 1904. and greater than the
5-year average by 10 per cent.
Nearly 100000 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 As million dollars. About 407.-
short tons of raw cane sugar We're
produced this year. an amount per-
ceptibly greater than the high pro-
duction figures of or former years.
The sugar beet and sugar cane
crops are together worth about 90
million dollars to the grower The
sugar made from cane and beets. the
beet pulp, the sirup and molasses OF
cane and sorghum. and the maple
sugar and sirup. it is estimated. are
worth this year 81 million dollars.
Potatoes, Tobacco and Hops.-Un-
favorable weather made the potato
crop only 275 million bushels, or 3
per cent below the 5-year average.
although the value (l90 million dol
lars) is IS per cent above and was
never equaled by any former crop.
Tobacco production is still low in
comparison with recent years. but the
price is probably little above that
of 1907 when there was a decided in
crease above former years The value
of this crop is about the same as for
1907 and is higher than at any time
before that year.
On account of the extremely low
price of hops in 1907, the average
production and value of 1905 are
low and have been exceeded in many
former years.
All Farm Crops.-For the first
time. this year. the value of all farm
crops equals > billion dollars. and
of this total the value of the corn
crop is about one-third; wheat, hay
and cotton combined make more than
another third, and the smaller crops
the remainder. or nearly one-third.
Never before has the hay crop been
50 large in quantity nor the rice
crop, nor the sugar beet crop, nor
beet and cane sugar production. The
produo tion of barley has been exceed
ed in only one former year, and cot
ton by only two years at the most. |
The highest crop values in compar-
ison with former years are held by |
corn, wheat. rice. all cereals. pota-
toes, sugar beets, possibly tobacco, by |
beet sugar and by beet and cane su-
gar combined. Next to the highest |
value was reached by hay, barley. |
oats. sugar cane and cane sugar. and |
perhars by cotton.
Animal Products.-Although the 1
no.
for his butter. between 3 and cents |
a quart for his milk and about y |
cents for each egg, yet the value of |
the firm products of the dairy COW