Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-24
Eloquent Figures.

The rapid industrial growth of the
South in The last two decades has d.
yerted attention from the remarkable
increase in It's agricultural production,
SAYS the Baltimore News. The erection
of cotton mills, furniture factories and
steel plants has not been at the expense
Of the farms. On the cOntary, the
farmer has improved his methods OF
cultivation and extended the titled area
until he has added another agricultural
empire.
Not only has the cotton crop contin-
ually Increased in value until the past
year it brought over 100000, 600 but the
ccttonseed products now bring $66, l34,-
$50 Il year, while the production of corn,
wheat, rice sugar cane, hay alfalfa,
etc, has largely increased. A few years
ago cotton was almost the sole crop of
many farmers in the South. Now they
are diversifymg, and fruit growing,
cattlt raising, dairying and the raising
of vegetables ana poultry for the city
markets have brought large profits to
the farms. The raising of Strawberries,
grapes. potatoes, lettuce. tomatoes and
truck growing generally have brought
prosperity TO entire sections that once
lived from hand to mouth The growing
| of melons. peaches and apples in GeOr-
| gia and the Csrolinas has made these
state, great fruit producers, While the
apples grown in certain belts of Virgin
ia ana West Virginia are sought for
everyw here ii: profitable prices.
BY raising more Of his supplies, in
stead of buying his side meat in Chi
cago ana his hams in Cincinnati, the
Sc uthcrn farmer now lives at home
ard boards at the same place. The
farmer who raises fine cattle, sheep,
milk. butter, chickens eggs. fruit,
vegetab ble4. hcgs wheat, and corn on
his own Plantation has solved the prob
lem of profitable farming, and is be-
yond the reach of panics and above
financial depression.
| The increase in the value Of farm
property in the last eight years is es-
| timated at $S,0O0O00 900, or nearly nine
times the capital of the countly's nn-
| tional banks. a writer in the Manu-
facturtrs' Record states that the farms
in the South alone will this year yield
| a production valued at nearly 81 00O
| 600. .0o0. This is more than the total
production OF the country in 1880 and
above the same amount that all the
states produced in 1S9O-anly IS years
ago. In 1880 and 85G5, 600 persons en-
gagged in agriculture produced a total
Of $246G, ,0O0, 0O0-$2S7 per capita. The
total production of 1907 was $7,4l2 G00,-
000-S61S per capita.
Every one who has kept close
| watch upon events has noticed the
steady increase in the valuation of
farming lands in the South, and it is
plain that this is justified by the con-
stantly increasing production and sub
seqnent increase in profits.
With the Improvement in methods of
culture, the growth of population and
ever-increasing demand for food, the
future prosperity of the farmer seems
to be assured. Whatever political, so
cial or Industrial changes may COME
our very existence is based on the farm
for the farmer feeds us ALL
The telephone, the telegraph, rural
free delivery, good roads and the eX-
tension of electric car lines are bring
ing the farmer into close touch with his
ncighhors and his markets. Farm life
is becoming more and more attractive
year by year, and the farmer is coming
to realize that he is not only an inipor-
tant factor in the country'S life, but
the most Independent man in the
world.