The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-01-22
Farmers Educational
AND
Co-OperativeUnion
OfAmeriCa
INTERESTING FIGURES.

Billions upon billions, the farmer
has again piled his wealth." says
Secretary Wilson of the Department of
Agriculture in his twelfth annual re-
port.
The value Of all farm products in
1908, he continues, reached the most
extraordinary total in the nations
MISREPRESENTATION. This is about
four times the value of the products
of the mines, including mineral oils
and precious metals.
The farmer contributes 81 per cent
of the raw materials used in those
manufacturing industries which de-
pend mostly or considerably on agr-
cultural materials, and these industries
use AZ per cent of all materials used
in all industries.
The gain in value of farm products
in 1908 over 1907 is s29O,O0O,0O0, 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 1903 stands at 1875; for 1904,
at 131; for 1905 at 1874; for 1906,
at 143; for 1907, at 159, and for 1908,
at 165. In the last 10 years the
wealth production on the farms Of
this country has exceeded the fabu-
lous sum of $50 O0O,OOO,OOO.
Corn Is King.
Greatest of all corps is Indian corn,
whose production this year is 2,643,-
100000 bushels. The value Of this
crop is $1,615,O 100000. This is enough
to cancel the Understanding debt of
the United States and to pay for the
Panama Canal and so battleships.
This crop is worth this year nearly
as inch as the great crops off cotton,
hay and wheat combined. Compared
with the averages of the preceding
five years the quality is 2 per cent
higher and the value 43 per cent
higher.
Cotton Second in Rank.
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 more
than l per cent. For the first time in
the history of this country's agricul-
ture, the value of the cotton crop, in
Guiding seed, has apparently exceeded
the value of the hay crop, which has
heretofore held second place.
Greatest Hay Crop.
The greatest hay crop in history
has been gathered this year, 6S,O0O,-
600 tons, or IL per cent above the
average of the preceding five years
It's price is 81 ton less than it was
year ago, but still the farm value
Of the crop is $621,0OO,OOO, or per
cent above the five-year average.
Wheat and Oats.
Wheat is l IL per cent above the
6ve-year average in production and
% per cent above in total value. The
660,0O0,00O bushels of this crop are
estimated to be worth $62O,0OO0O0 to
the farmers or $66,OOO,OOO more than
the most valuable wheat crop here
tofore produced.
Although the oats crop suffered from
drouth the value of 1921, 100000 for
7S9,OO0,00O bushels, or 10 per cent
above the five-year average and
per cent below the average product.
Barley and Rye Too.
The barley crop, 167,000,000 bushels,
Is IL per cent above the five-year
average, and it's value, sS6,0O0,O00, is
% per cent above. Both have been
exceeded only once.
Rye remains in the place that it
has occupied in production in recent
years, but it's value, $22,000,000, is II
per cent above the average. The larg-
est crop of rice ever raised, 29,O0O,000
bushels, is this years, with value
of about $1s,OOO,OOO, the crop being
20 per cent above the five-year aver
age and its value % per cent above.
All cereals aggregate 1928, 900
bushels, total exceeded three times,
but the value reaches 1884 100000, or
more than $3OO.O000OO above that, of
1907, and exceeds still more the totals
of former years Compared with the
preceding five years, the number of
bushels is higher by or per cent and
the value is higher by 80 per cent.
The Newest Big Crop.
The sugar beet crop has never been
so large nor so valuable as it is this
year. The rapid development Of this
crop for sugar making appears in the
statement that the production of beets
in 1908 is As per cent above the aver
age of five years.
The plantation value of sugar cane,
molasses and syrup, not including fac
tory products, is estimated to be S34,-
100000, value exceeded only in 1904,