The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-12-07
1909 FARMERS
BANNER YEAR
Increased $3.50 100000 Over
1908 High Price for Grain,
Cotton and Meat.
THEY PRODUCE s8,76O,OOO,OOO
VALUES or FARM PRopIrCrs.


IooaccO. .s............... 100000, 600
The.yalue Of farm products has be-
come SO incomprehensibly large that
it is merelya row of figures, says Sec
Rotary Wilson in his thirteenth annual
report, whIfPh was made public Tues
day. For 1909 it is SIS, 760, 900 600, am
increase of 1859 900, OO0-over 1908. 1t
was the most prosperous of all years
for the farmer. The value of his pro-
ducts has nearly doubled in ten years.
The report says -" Eleven years of
agriculture, beginning with produc-
tionlof 81 All, 100000 and ending with
S8,7SQ,000,00 A sum of $40, 0OO, 900, 900
for phe period 1t has paid off mort
cages, 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 improving his soil and making il
more productive.
There has been a tendency of the
animals and crops to increase in value
at the farm at faster rate than all
commodities have increased at whole
sale. Within the wholesale trade, also.
farm products exceed all other classes
of commodities in relative Increase Of
prices since 1896, and food is exceeded
only by farm products and BIZ lumber
and building materials. The only large
exception to the leading place taken
by farm products in rise of prices is
unfed beef cattle, the farm price of
which has barely begun to rise above
the price level of 1896-1900.
The increase in the value Of farm
products this year over 190S-S869, 00O,-
0OO-is enough to buy a new equip
ment of farm machinery for more than
100000 farms. The value of the GER
cal crops to the farmer would pay for
all the machinery, tools and nipple
ments of the entire manufacturing IN
dustry. The value Of all crops, IS, 700,-
900, 900, would make a half payment on
the value of all steam railroads, accord
ing to the valuation of 1904.
The secretary does not believe that
the soils of the country are wearing
out" On the contrary, the average
Yields to the acre have shown decided
tendency to increase for the last forty
years. So far as can be observed cases
Of failure on the farm are due to indi-
iyidual neglect or misjudgment not
incident to the soil itself. With regard
to abandoned farms in the eastern
states it is stated that the idea that
the soils have become exhausted is a
mistaken one, and the suggestion is
made that an increasing production
can be brought back through change
in farm management and the infusion
of new and active blood in rural com
munitieS. The great fundamental fact
which farmers should learn is the
adaptability of soils to crops, and the
first step in agricultural development
is the knowledge of the particular soil
characteristic of the farm.
Secretary Wilson closes his review of
the production of 1909 as follows -
" The agricultural production of 1909
must add much to the prosperity OF
farmers. The record is unexampled in
wealth production and tells OF abund-
ance in quantity. Year by. year the
farmer is better and better prepared
to provide the capital and make the
e Expenditures needed to improve his
agriculture and to educate his chill
dren for farm life and work.