The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-04
YEAR ON THE FARMS.
SECRETARY WILSON'S REPORT
SHOWS GAIN OVER 1908.
Most Prosperous Year-Agricultural
Products for 1909 Represent Total
OF $500, 900, ,OOO-Corn Crop
Heads the List.

|
porous Of all years is the place to
which 1909 is entitled in agriculture.
declares the secretary of agriculture
IN MS 18th annual report, made pub
lie today. The value of farm prod
ucts is so incomprehensibly large
that 1T has become merely row Of
figures. For this year it is sS.7sO.
100000, gain of $S69,OOO,OOO over
1908. The value of the products has
nearly doubled in ten years. The re-
port says. ELEVEN years of agricul-
ture, beginning with a production of
$4,417,000,000 and ending with S.
| 76O,OOO,OOO! sum of $4,000, ,OOO.-
600 for the period! 1t has paid off
mortgages, 1T has established banks.
1t has made better homes, it has
helped to make the farmer a citizen
OF the world, and it has provided him
with means for improving his soil
and making it more productive"
The most striking fact in the
worlds agriculture i. he value of
the corn crop for 1909, which is
about $1,720, 900. 1t nearly
equals the value of the clothing and
personal adornments of 10000, 900
people, according to the census of
1900. The gold and silver coin and
bullion Of the United States are not
or greater value. 1t has grown up
from the soil and out of the air in
12O days-$15, ,000,0 900 day for one
crop, nearly enough for two dread
naughts daily for peace or war. This
crop exceeds in value the aevrage Of
the crops of the five preceding years
by SO per cent.
| Cotton is now the second crop in
value, and this years cotton crop is
easily the most valuable one to the
farmer that has been produced With
cotton lint selling ar 1877 cents on
the farm November l and with cot
tonseed selling for about SIS per ton.
the lint and seed Of this crop IRE
worth about sS50,000, 900 to the far
mer. No cotton crop since 1878 has
been sold by farmers for as high a
price per pound as this one.
| Third in value is wheat, worth
about $75O,OO0. 900 at the farm, and
this largely exceeds all previous
values. The November farm price
was almost an even dollar a bushel.
a price which has not been equaled
since 1881. This is the third wheat
crop in point of size, with 725, 5000, 600
bushels.
The hay crop is valued at $685.
100000; oats at $400, 900, 900; pota-
toes at 1912, 100000; and tobacco at
nearly $1OO,OOO,OOO. Beef and cane
sugar and molasses and sirup, farm
and factory, will reach the total of
about sos, 100000. The barley crop
is worth sSS,OOO,Ooo, f1axseed $685.
100000, and 1,OOO,OOO,OO0 pounds of
rice $25,O00,OOO
The production of all cereals COM
|
| amount considerably greater than
that for any other year except 1906.
| 1t exceeds the average of the preced-
| ing five years by 65 per cent. The
value of all cereals in 1909 has never
| been equaled in previous year. 1t
is almost exactly $4,000, 100000, or
ont ha a.
erage.
Compared with the average of the
previous five years, all principal
crops are greater in quantity this
year except cotton, flaxseed, hops,
and cane sugar; but without excep-
ton every crop is worth more to the
farmer than the five-year average.
This is the year of highest produc-
| ton for potatoes, tobacco, beet sugar,
all sugar, and rice; next to the high
est production for corn oats and all
cereals. Compared with 1908, gains
in value are found all along the line,
the exceptions being barley, buck
Wneat, rye and milk. The increase
for cotton, lint and seed, is $20S, ,000,-
900; wheat. s1O7, 900, 900; corn, $685.
100000; hay, s29,OOO,OOO oats, s22,-
600, 900; tobacco, $1S,0OO,O 900; pota-
toes. $15,OOO,O 900.
The increase in the value of farm
products this year over 1908, $685.
100000, Is enough to buy new
equipment of farm machinery for
over 100000 farms. The value of
the cereal crops to the farmer would
pay for all of the machinery, tools,
and implements of the entire manu-
featuring industry. The value of all
crops $500, 100000 would make