The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-12-09
CROP VALUES
BIG FIGURE
TOTALS PRESENTED BY A
REPORT OF SEC. WILSON
ARE STAGGERING.
Present Year Carries Banner for
all Kinds of Farm Pro-
ducts.

WaSh1ngton, IL. l., Dec. =
The banner year for agriculture
prosperity is the distinction CIV
en- 1909 in the annual report of
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
which was made public today.
The value of farm products is so
incornprehensibly large that it
has become merely a TOW OF fig-
ures. For this year the total is
So. 76O. 100000 gain of 1860 ,0G0,-
900 over 1908. The value of THE
products has nearly doubled in
ten years. The report says;
Eleven years of agriculture, be-
ginning with production OF 3d.
AZ, 100000 and ending with $S,-
go, 100000. A sum OF $70,0OO,-
100000 for the period. 1t has paid
off mortgages, it has established
banks. it has made better homes,
it has helped to make the farmer
citizen of the world. and it has
provided him with means for inn
proving his soil and making it
more productive
Busy Year for Department.
1t also HAS been a busy year
for the agricultural department.
In addition to increased activity
in the enforcement OF the pure
food law, the secretary found
time to complete a unique inves-
tigtion into the selling OF beef
in which he figured out that the
consumer pays 3S per cent above
the wholesale price-this being
the average profit of the retail
meat dealer. In Chicago the fig
tire is 46 per cent.
The most striking fact in the
worlds agriculture is the value
OF the corn crop for 1909, which
is about $1.,20,000,000 according
to the report. 1t nearly equals
the value OF the clothing and per-
sonal adornments of 10000. 600
people. according to the census
OF 1909. The gold and silver coin
and bullion OF the United States
are not of greater value. 1t has
grown up from the soil and out
of the air in 120 days-S15, OOO.-
600 Hay for one crop, nearly
enough for two drdadnougi,ts
daily for peace or war. This crop
exceeds in value the average Of
the crops OF the FIVE preceding
years by SO per cent.
Wheat Sets New Mark.
Third in value is wheat. worth
about $t25.000,000 at the farm.
and this largely exceeds all pre-
vious values. The November
farm price was almost an even
dollar a baishel, price which has
not been equaled since 1891. This
is the third wheat crop in point
OF size. with 725, 100000 bushels.
The hay crop is valued at
1865. 600. 900, oats at 800, 100000
potatoes at $212, 100000 ard to-
bacco at nearly Sl00,000,000. Beet
and sugar cane and molasses and
syrup from firm and factory will
reach the total of about $95, O00,-
600 The barley crop is worth
SSS. 900. 900, 1axseed $40 900. and
/ 900 .000,0 900 pounds of rice $685.
100000.
The production of all cereals
combined is All 100000 bushels
an amount considerably greater
than that for any other year ex-
cept 1906. 1t exceeds the aver
age OF the preceding five years by
6.5 per cent. The value of all ce-
reals in 1909 has never been
equaled in a previous year. 1t is
almost exactly $4,000 900. or
81 per cent above the five year
average.
| Secretary Wilson concludes
MS review OF the production Oh
1909 as follows:
1.-THE agricultural production
OF 1909 must add much to the
prosperity of farmers. The record
rs unexampled in wealth produc-
ton and tells of abundance ir
quantity. Year by year the farm
er is better and better prepared
to provide the capital and make
the expenditures needed to i'm
prove his agriculture and to ed
ucate his children for farm lift
and work"