The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-09-22
Too Small Returns From
Farm Products in Kentucky

In an article recently published, Prof
Henry Lloyd of Pennsylvania rniver-
sity says:
These facts concerning agriculture
i'm general and Kentucky agriculture
in particular were brought ou. in the
last census. In the United s ties III
round numbers the capital inFo-t ted in
agriculture is twenty billion collars;
in manufacturing. ten billion in agri-
culture, the number Of labH.rs en-
ployed is ten and a half million; in
manufacturing, five and a quarter mil
lion. In agriculture. the horse power
used is eighteen million; iu m4nufac-
turing. eleven million. But lie re-
turns bear no such ratio. If the value,
in dollars, of the total product of manu-
facturers in the United States. after
deductiug for the cost of raw materials,
be divided by the number Of laborers
that product it, the quotient b. SLOTS.
II the total value Of all farm PRODUCTS.
including live stock. etc.. b.. divided
by the number Of men engaged, the
quouent is SAT-
Free Advantages in City
Let il not be forgotten tuar he lab
Crer engaged in manufacturers works
eight. ten, or, very rarely o. twelve
hour day; lives near 10 public schools,
public parks, libraries and museums,
and has the advantages Of good music.
newspapers. telephones and rapid tran
sit. While the agricultural laborer
works a ten. twelve, and I'm some sea
sons OF the year, siXteeu-h0ur day,
is exposed to all sorts Of wind and
weather and is without the advantage
Of many of the things which enrich the
Nfe of the city laborer.
Kentuckys Standing
Kentucky belongs 20 this class Of
agricultural states. Let us inquire
what place she holds i'm this class. A
comparison based on the last census.
between Kerfuckv and other states
and the entire nation in regard to agri-
culture a'one. not including live stock,
etc. brings out the following facts
The returns. per labCrcr employed, are
for Kentucky, 1892, for Illinois, $425;
for Oklahoma. Sass: for Nebraska,
$3.50; for Iowa $Gl1: for North Da-
kota. 1855; for the United states. $3.50;
for the entire north.contra, division
over $780, for the entire western divi-
sion over $500. Arc these facts not
sufficient to indicate that it is a mat
ter Of supreme importance TO see to
10 by all reasonable and honorable
means that the economic position Of
Kentucky IS made more nearly com
parable 10 that Of other states?
Comparison Of Crop YeIds.
But IL is interesting 10 inquire what
Kentucky crops yield the hes. returns
for the labor employed. I once made
a careful study of the returns from
agricultural labor in Kentucky. COM
pairing labor bestowed on tobacco with
that bestowed on the Comh.r alton Of
crops. corn. wheat and hay ! used az
my basis of reckoning. tho crop re-
ports issued by the Department of Ag-
riculture at Washington. and the best
expert information that I could obtain
concerning the amount Of work neces-
zar- % produce various crops in Ken
lucky. The upshOt of it was that in
order To obtain for the labor expended,
a money return equal 70 that obtained
from the culture Of corn. wheat and
hay. IL would bee necessary for the to-
bacco grower 20 receive S'4.30 per
hundred pounds for tooaoc1 m what ia
known as winter order The fact
that instead Of receiving SIi.5o, the
grower received from the trust an
average of not more than 81. suftl-
GENTLY iudicate7 the extremity 70
which the growers Of tobacco have
been reduced. / do not affirm that
the ooee ne T have stated ~ applies
to the fertile lands cf the Blue Grass
region of Kentucky.
Blue Grass Above Average.
Rut let It be remembered hat there
are ten counties in the H'1e Grass
region and 1l9 counties To- kentucky
I'm making these estimates 7 have used
the figures found I'm the crop reportes
as they relate 10 the yields per acre
and the market price of tine respective
crops for the year 1901 There are