Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-02
HATS OFF To THE
AGR|CULTUR|STS
They Have Increased Value Of
Farm Products $500, 100000
in Year.
NEARLY DOUBLED IN DECADE
Seventy Billions Of Dollars TAX
en- from Soil in II Years Have
Made the Farmer Citi-
zen Of the World.

Washington Nov. 3o-Mest prosperous
of all years is the place to which l'o9
IL entitled In agriculture. declares the
secretary of agriculture in his 18th annual
report. made public to-day The value
of farm products Is so lncomprehensibly
large that It has become merely row
Of figures. For this year 1t Is S7Go,VloWo,
b gain of $500. 100000 over 1908. Tho value
Of the products has nearly doubled In ten
years. The report says "Eieveh years
of agriculture, beginning with "A produc-
ton of &4,417 coo, 90 and ending with S.11.-
DeooOo A sum of $4,000 op.Oo0 for the
period 1t has paid off mortgages, 1t has
established banks. it has made better
homes it has helped to make the farmer
b. citizen Of the world. and it has provided
him with means for im--,v,ng his soil
and making II more productive.
The most striking fact in the worlds
agriculture Is the value of the corn crop
for 1869, which Is about slTco, ooo@0. 1t
nearly equals the value of the clothing
md personal adornment of 16,om0n peo-
pie according to the census of 1900 The
gold and silver coin and bullion OF the
United States are not of greater value.
IT has grown up from the soil and out
of the air in 100 days. sl5,11.0o day for
one crop. nearly enough for two Dread
naughts daily for peace or war THIS
crop exceeds in value the average of the
crop Of the 1--WE preceding years by SO
per cent.
Cotton is now the second crop In value,
md this years cotton crop Is easily the
most valuable one to the farmer that has
been produced With cotton lint selling
MT 1871 cents on the farm November and
with cotton seed selling for about sg per
ton, the lint and seed of this crop are worth
about 1850. ONN, 90 TO the farmer. NO cotton
prop since 1879 has been sold by farmers
for as high q price per pound as TINS
ene.
Third In value Is wheat. worth about
k76 100000 at the farm. and this largely
Exceeds all previous values. The Novem-
Der farm price was almost an even del
lar bushel. a price which has not been
rqualed since 1851. This Is the third wheat
crop in point Of size, with 725,eoe, on
bushels.
The hay crop is valued at Seas 900, 90;
oats at s4oo.O 900: potatoes at 1912 600. 900;
and tobacco at nearly sloeoo.ooe. Beet
md cane sugar and molasses and sirup,
from farm and factory, will reach he
total OF about s950Oo,OOO. The barley
CROP IL worth sss. 100000. faxseed, $685.
600 600. and 900 600, 600 pounds of rice $685.
(O00o0.
COMPARISONS OF YEARS.
The production OF all cereals comb'n ed
IL All OO0OO bushels, an amount con-
siderably greater than that for any other
yenr except 1909. 1t exceeds the average
of the preceding five years by e.5 per
cent. The value of all cereals In 1903 has
never been euualed in n previous year. II
Is almost exactly 5000. o0oon. or "a pol
cent. above the fve-year average
compared with the average OF the pre-
v,ous Ave years. all principal crops are
greater In quantity this year except cot
ton, naxseed. hops, and cane sugar; bu'
without exception every crop IA worth
more to the farmer than the fve-yeas
average.
This is the year Of highest productior
FOR potatoes. tobacco. beet sugar, ~
sugar. and rice; next t. the highest pro
duction for corn. oats, ana all ceren's
(ompared with 1868. gains In value arc
found all along the line. the exceptions
being barley, buokwheat. rye and milk
The increase FOR cotton, lint ana seec' u
eeos. 900 .OO0 wheat. s07 10000; corn. SloS
OJoOOO hay. So. 0C0 900; oats $2,Ooo,oW; 10
bacco, slS.000.0o0; potatoes. No,OoVoo.
The increase in the value OF farm proc
ucts this year over 1903. $S68,UoVoo'
enough to buy new equipment OF farm
machinery for over 100000 farms. INT
yalue of the cereal crop to the farme
would nav for all of the machinery, tools
and implements of the entire manufac
turing industry. The value OF all crops
f70O.o0 go, would make a half paymen
on the value of all steam railroads, &C
cording to the valuation Of 1904.
Secretary Wilson concludes his review
Of the production of 1909 as follows: IN
agricultural production OF 1903 must au
much to the prosperity OF farmers. IN
record is uncxampled in wealth proouc
ton and tells OF abundance In quaht'tS
Year by year the farmer is better an
better prepared to provide the capital an
make the expenditures needed to improv
his agriculture and to educate his chii
nren for farm life and work"
RETAIL. MEET PRICES.
Secretary Wilson has Just finished
unique investigation made for the pun
pose OF this report relating to the IT
crease of wholesale prices of beef VINE
sold at retail Through employees or IN
bureau of animal industry inquiries Wer
made in so cities, large, medium an
Fmal, in all parts of the country.
Tchedule was prepared to record tine act
ual experiences of retailers in buying an
selling a carcass or half carcass of bee
and among the facts ascertained were III
Weight and wholesale cost of certal