Fergus County Democrat., 1908-12-22
THE VALUE OF A YEAR s CROP.

THE VALUE OF A YEAR s CROP
The report of The secretary OF agrl-
culture always makes interesting read
ing and the figures in it astound the
casual reader. According to his report
the value Of the products OF the farm
this year break all previous records ana
amount to nearly eight billions OF dol
lars, enough to purchase all the rall-
roads oi the United States it about %
per cent Of water were squeezed out OF
their stock and bonds. William y.
Curtis writing to the Chicago Record
IJcrsld makes the statement that the
farmers Of this country in the last ~
wears have produced wealth to the
amount of 60 billions Of dollars, sum
beyond all possible comprehension.
Regarding the crop figures Of 1905 there
are !, few interesting statements CLEAN
cd from Secretary Wilson's latest re-
port:
The greatest Of all crops is Indian
corn the priceless gift of the Indian,
which this year amounted to 2,6l3Ooo,
600 bushels, valued bt $l,Gl6,O0nooo
which the secretary says is enough TO
cancel the interest bearing debt of the
United States, pay for the Panama Ca
nal and build so battle ships besides.
The value of the crop this year is by far
the highest ever reached and is an IN
crease of S6OO.OOO,O0O over the crop OF
1907. In 1896 corn was worth 2l.o
cents bushel today it is worth 6o.3
cents. In comparison with the average
of the preceding five years the quanti-
ty of the crop of 1908 is 81 per cert
greater and the value is 42.6 per cent
higher.
Usually the hay crop comes next to
corn in value, but this year cotton
stands second, because of a large yield
and the high price. The hay crop lost
| its relative place, because, although the
production was great, the value is low.
I he price this year at the farm is more
than 50 ton less than it was year
ago, and although the number of tons
Of hay harvested is the largest ever
known in the country and the tota!
value, $G2l 600 900, has never been eN-
ceeded but once, il is till second to tbs
crop of cotton.
The wheat crop is G6o,OO0,OO0 bushels
and has never been exceeded, wmle its
value is $d2O,0oOOOO, and was never
equaled nor approached nearer tina,
$66, ,OOO, 900.
The Cat crop is smaller than usual be
cause OF protracted drought i'll certain
sections, and the total is 7s9,OOO,O0
bushels, valued a. 1921, 100000, which i
9.3 per cent below the average of til
last five years.
The crop of rye is l67 100000 bushels
worth $S6O0OG0O at the farm, the pro
duction being l3 per cent greater an
the value 226 per cent higher than til
i average for the preceding five years.
The barley crop is 30,OO0,OOO bushel
valued at $22,OOO,OO0 which is pr
cent increase in volume and IL per Ger
, increase in value above the average ,
the last five years.
The rice crop is 23,O0O,OO0 bushels an
is wort.. $4,000, 900, an increase of %
per cent in volume and 22.7 per cent
value above the average of the last ii,
. years.
8 The combined crop of cereals produc,
in this country this year is 1929, ,OG(
O00zbushels, valued at $500, zoo, 900 ;
:, amount more than $3OO,OOO,OOO abo
:, the total of last year.
TIL, value of the cattle crop-the al
); mails sold and slaughtered during t
-, year-is nearly $3,O0O,OOO,0OO.
The value of the dairy product
. the last year was nearly $SOO,OOO,Ot
ot and Secretary Wilson says that tie eg
ho and poultry produced on the farm Il
year are worth as much as the colt
:. Ur the llay or the wheat.-Tribune
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