The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-14
FARM PRODUCTS
Of GREAT VALUE
Nearly &c. 900, 100000 Worth
of Cereals, Livestock, ETC.,
the Record for This Year.
INDIAN CORN HEADS LIST
SUGAR BEET AND CANE CROPS
WORTH ABOUT $56,ooo,ooo.

is taken from the annual report OF the
secretary of agriculture:
After twelve years of service as head
of the department. the secretary of ag-
riculture in his twelfth annual report
to the president, issued today, rendsrs
a comprehensive account OF his stew
ardship and presents a review of the
progress of agriculture in the United
States during this period. C)ncerning
the farm production of 1908, he says
that the farmer has created wealth by
the billions. Production has been above
the average of recent years with few
exceptions; and, while some prices have
fallen, others have risen.
Agricultural Production of 1908.
The farm value of all farm products
of 1908 reaches the most extraordinary
total in the nations histOry-$7,77S, 900,-.
600. This is about four times the value
of the products af the mines, including
mineral oils and precious metals. The
farmer contributes 81 per cent of the
raw materials used in those nlanufac-
turing industries which depend mostly
or considerably upon agricultural mate-
rails, and these industries use Il per
cent of all materials used in all indus
tries.
The gain in value of farm products
in 1908 over 1907 is 1920, O00, 900 and would
have been much larger had not the
prices of cotton and hay been low. The
value of products in 1899, the census
year, being taken at 100, the value for
1908 stands at 125: for 1904, at 1871; for
1905. at 1874; for 1906, at 143; for 1907,
at 159; and for 1908, at los. During the
last ten years the wealth production On
the farms of this country has exceeded
f.,Ia I.,Y.e e
Greatest of all crops is Indian corn,
whose production this year is 2,G43, 900
bushels. The value of this crop is ST.
$4,000. This wealth, grown out OF the
soil in four months of rain, sunshine
and some drouth, is enough to cancel
the Understanding debt of the United
States and to pay for the Panama ca
nal and fifty battleships. This crop is
worth this year nearly as much as the
great crops of cotton. hay and wheat
combined. Compared with the aver
ages of the preceding five years the
quantity is per cent higher ami the
value 43 per cent higher.
Enormous Cotton Crop.
1t seems likely that the cotton crop
is one of the highest three ever pro-
duced. but with a value next to the
highest or perhaps more, although the
farm price of cotton this year is below
the price of last year by III ore- than i
cent.
For the first time in the history Of
this country's agriculture The value of
the cotton crop, including seed, has ap-
parently exceeded the value of the hay
crop, which has heretofore held second
place.
The greatest hay crop in history has
been gathered this year. 6S.000.O0O tons,
or u per cent above the average Of the
preceding five years. Its price is 81
per ton less than it was year ago. but
still the farm value of the crop is
1921 200, 900, or per cent above the five
year average.
Wheat is liz per cent above the five
year average in production and % per
cent above in total value. The 600, 000,-
900 bushels of this crop are estimated
to be worth $500 100000 to the farmers.
or SEQ. 100000 more than the most valu-
able wheat crop heretofore produced.
Although the oat crop suffered from
drouth the value is 1921, 100000 for 1885,
0O0,G00 bushels, or 10 per cent above the
hve-year average value and 9 per cent
below the average product.
The barley crop. 167. 000. 900 bushels, is
Is per cent above the five-year average
and its value. SS6 000, 900, 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. s22. 090, 900, is II per cent
above the average.
The largest crop of rice ever raised.
23.000,000 bushels. is this years, with d
value of about $4,000, 900, the crop be-
ing 20 per cent above the fve-year
average, and its value % per cent above
Record Aggregate Value.
All cereals aggregate 1929, OOO. 900
! bushels, a total that has been exceeded
three times, but the value reaches 81
$4,000, geo, or more than $500, 900 600
above that of 1907, and exceeds still
more the totals of former years. Com
pared with the preceding five years, the
number of bushels is higher by OF per
cent and the value is higher by 81 per
cent.
The sugar beet crop has never been so
large nor so valuable as it is this year
The rapid development of this crop for
sugarmaking appears in the statement
that the production of beets in 1908
is 40 per cent above the average for
five years.
The plantation value of sugar cane
molasses and strip, not including fac
tory products, is estimated to be s34,-
100000, a value exceeded only in 1904
and greater than the five7year period 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 S45,-
100000. About 407 900 short tons of raw
cane sugar We're produced this year, an
amount perceptibly greater than the
high production figures of four or five
| former years.
The sugar beet and sugar cane crops
! are together worth about $40, 000, 600 TO
| the grower. The sugar made from cane
and beets, the beet pulp, the strip and
molasses of cane and sorghum, and the
maple sugar and strip, il is estimated,
are worth this year s94, 000, 900.
Unfavorable weather made the potato
crop only 275.O0o, 600 bushels, or per
cent below the five-year average, al
though the value, $3.50. 00o 00e,. is IS per
cent above, and was never equaled by
any former crop.
| Tobacco production iss still low in
comparison with recent years. but the
price is probably a little above that of
| 1907, when there was a decided increase
above former years. The value of this
| l. Oh a. 20 4.