Lower coast gazette., 1909-09-25
FARMER REAL KING
Remarkable Increase in Prod
ucts During Past II Years.
Many Innovations introduced and
Developed Into Potential Forces
for the Betterment Of Farm
Life During This Period.

During the last II years the agri-
cultural balance of trade in the
| United States increased from a yearly
average of 1924, 900, 900 to SAIL, 600, 900.
or 1871 per cent, according to the de-
! partment's year book, just made pub
lie.
This wonderful development is in
keeping with the progress that has
been made along all lines OF agricul-
| tural activity. At the same time, 1t
is stated, many conditions affecting
| the lives of the farmers of the u
try have advanced in even greater
ratio, until many of the undesirable
features of farm life have been elm
mated.
Many have been the innovations in
troduced and developed into potential
forces for the .betterment Of farm life
during this period, says Secretary OF
| Agriculture James Wilson. The en-
tire system by which the work Of the
| hSl lCulluld al uVpul llilCllJ ldS UISA w
Grated has been changed. Never be-
fore has the work Of state agricul
tural colleges and experimental sta
tons been so intimately related with
the department as now.
During these II years there have
been a great diversification and
geographic extension, Of products,
apart from the cultivation of new
land. Although there has been a de-
creasing production per acre of what
was only recently virgin soil, there
was an increased production per acre
of the entire country.
The yield per acre of cotton dur
ing the ten years ending with 1906
was. from a mean of 172 pounds per
acre during the preceding ten years,
to a mean Of 1871 pounds, or al II
per cent. increase.
Others crops kept pace with cotton.
Within ten years the production of
| ccrn per acre in Ohio increased us
per cent, and in Virginia 1873 per
cent. Oats increased 17.9 per cent. in
Indiana.
Wheat increased 1862 per cent. in
New York and 45.9 per cent. in Ne.
braska. Similar advancement was
made in the yield per acre of other
products. In some degree this up
ward movement began 20 years ago,
but in all lines it has been marked
during the last decade.
Citing the increase in population
based upon the families of the native
born, Secretary Wilson declares that
no one need have fear that the farm
ers Of this country will ever be un-
able to provide for its population.
"They are already demonstrating,
in the cases of various crops and of
various States" he says, that they
can provide for a population increas-
ing faster than by increase due to
excess of births over deaths"
From 1895 to 1906" he says, farm
wages increased faster than did
prices. In the matter of wage in
crease, the farm laborer has Jared
better than the working mar en-
plOyed in mechanical industries.
THE farmer" says the secretary,
Gin results of information, intelligence
and industry, has thrived nightly.
The progress that has been made is
in the direction leading to popular
and national welfare, to the susie
nance of any future population, as
we'll as to a larger efficiency of the
farmer in matters of wealth produc-
ton and saving. and in establishing
himself and his family in more pleas
ant ways of living"