Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-11-23
HORN OF PLENTY FULL
IS CAUSE FOR THANKS
Unparalleled Prosperity Now En-
joyed by People of the United
States.
BUMPER CROPS; BIG PRICES.
William E. Curtis Says Toilers, Hav-
ing Money, Consume More,
Thus Boosting Cost.

- eA4o THANKSGIVING ScdSOu IucIt 10
a great deal to be thankful for, more
than ever before, because the people
OF the United States were never in
such condition of prosperity and hap
piness as they are to-day. There is no
trouble at home or abroad, except
about few little things. The farmers
never had such crop and never sold
it for such high prices; the manu-
facturers never had so many orders
or so profitable a market; the wage
earners never had so much to do or
received such high wages and the
prospects for the future are equal to
the prosperity of the present.
Secretary Wilson, who is the great
est source of information concerning
the farmers, has just been figuring up
the crops of 1909, which appear to be
record-beaters in almost every instance.
The corn crop, for example, amounts
to 1857 $4,000 bushels, an increase of
nearly 100,0O0000 bushels from last
year, and nearly 200,000000 bushels
five years. The largest corn crop ever
known was harvested in 1907 and
amounted to 2,927000.000 bushels,
nearly 160,000,O00 bushels more than
was gathered from the fields this year,
but the present prices are so much
higher that the crop of 1909 will bring
more money by the millions than that
of 1907.
The wheat crop for 1909 is 724, 1884,
900 bushels, as against 664,6O2,e00
bushels in 1903 and 650,510.O00 bush
els as the average for the previous
five years. This enormous crop, how
ever, was surpassed in 1907 by TO-
100000 bushels and in 1902 by 24,000,-
600 bushels But it should be con-
sidered in this connection that the
price of wheat this year is higher than
it ever was before. 1t has advanced
from 70 cents to $129 per bushel dur
ing the years for which the estimates
are made.
The oat crop is 17S,000000 bushels
greater than it was last year and 49,
100000 greater than the average of
the five years previous. The barley,
rye and buckwheat crops show cor
responding increase and are record
breakers, while the potato crop is
967, 473, 900 bushels, as against 27S,9S5,-
600 bushels in 1908, and an average of
289, 100000 for the previous five years,
and if you win inquire at your gro
Gerry you will learn that the prices
for potatoes to-day are unprecedented.
The tobacco crop weighs 1875, 1S500O
pounds, as against 71S,061. 900 pounds
for 1908 and an average of 69S,000,000
pounds for the previous five years.
do not know whether everybody would
consider this cause for thanksgiving,
but it is no doubt a source of great
satisfaction to the farmers who will
receive the proceeds of its sale.
The cotton crop, as everybody
knows, is short in quantity, but the
price is so high that the planters
will realize more upon it than they
ever did before And if you will go
down the whole list of crops mentioned
in the preliminary estimate of the bu-
reau of statistics of the Department
of Agriculture you will discover that
almost everything shows an increase
in quantity and also an increase in
price.
The aggregate production of the
farms of the United States during the
year 1909 is about 2 per cent greater
than last year, per cent greater than
the average of the previous five years
and in both volume and value it goes
beyond all crops in the history of agri-
culture.
It is interesting to know what be-
comes of these vast quantities of food
and why prices should increase so rap
idly, as you viii discover they have
increased by looking at your market
bills. The generally accepted theory is
an increased demand for local con-
sumption. The statistics show that We
ourselves are eating more and more
of our food products every year, not
only as a result of increased popula-
ton, but as a result of a larger con-
sumption per capita of everything to
eat, which. in turn, is attributed to