The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-12-14
F FARNERS PROSPER
Agriculture Report Shows
Great Gain In Crops.
PRICES ARE NOT TOO HIGH.
Considering Investment, Labor and
Risk, Secretary Wilson Says, Prod
uots Do Not Cost Any More
Than They Should.

Washington, Dec. S.-The secretary
of agriculture, James Wilson, has is
sued his annual report. He reviews
conditions throughout the country in
"A comprehensive manner
He says in part
Nothing short of omniscience can
grasp the value of the farm products
of this year. At no time in the worlds
history has a country produced farm
products within one year with a value
reaching SS,926,OOO,OOO which is the
value of the agricultural products of
this country for 1910. The value of
farm products from 1899 to the pres
ent year has been progressive without
interruption If the value of the prod
ucts of 1899 is placed at 100 the value
for this year is 1S9. or almost double
the value for the census year eleven
years ago During this period of un-
eXampled agricultural production.
period of twelve years, during which
the farmers of this country have stead
lily advanced in prosperity and wealth
and in economic independence, in in
telllgence and knowledge of agricul-
ture. the total value of farm products
! is ST9,OO0.000,000.
THE corn crop of 3,121, 1891 900 bush
els exceeds that of the record yelr
| 1906 and is greater than the average
crop of the preceding five years by /
| per cent. While the value of this corn
crop is below that of 1909 and also of
| 1908. its amount belongs to stories of
magic. 1t can hardly be reckoned as
less than $1,5O0,O00,OO0 sum suffi-
cient to cancel the interest bearing
debt Of the United States, buy all of
the gold and silver mined in all of the
countries of the earth in 1909 and still
leave to the farmers a little pocket
money.
THE growing importance of the
south in corn production is becoming
| conspicuous. In 1889 it produced
| hardly more than One-tifth OF the ma
tional crop; now it produces one-third
| The cotton crop of this year may be
worth in lint and seed around $780,
100000 at the farm. or more than the
| corn crop was worth in any year
| prior to 1901 This value is 13 per
| cent above the five year average The
value of the hay crop is about $720.-
100000. an amount which has been ex-
ceeded but once, and that in 1907 II
| is 13 per cent above the average of
| the preceding five years. Fortunately
the wheat crop is divided into two
! sowings, autumn and spring, so that
| the two crops are subject TO different
| climatic accidents, as was the case
| this year. The production of spring
and winter wheat is 691, ,767, 900 bush
els, or substantially the average of
the preceding five years. whereas the
value is about $625, 100000, or 7.6 per
cent above the five year average.
Production per acre is beginning to
Overtake increase of people. The evi-
dence is very plain that the yields per
acre of our crops are now increasing.
and If the facts were assembled in de
| tail for the states it would be found
that the percentage Of increase in yield
of many of them is greater than the
percentage of normal increase of pop
ulation-that is. the increase of births
| pNtI utdluS III the Olu native element.
After presenting many details with
regard to the increase of prices on
farm products between farmer and
consumer, the secretary of agriculture
declares that "the conclusion is
inevitable that the consumer has no
well grounded complaint against the
farmer for the prices that he pays.
The farmer supplies the capital for
production and takes the risk of his
losses; his crops are at the mercy of
drought and flood and heat and frost.
TO say nothing of noXious insects and
llighting diseases. He supplies hard.
cxacting, unremitting labor"
The report also says:
"Twenty-eight new associations for
the cooperative testing of cows be
longing to members were formed dur
ing the year; fifty-fve are now in
operation. Such tests, which enable
the owners to discard improbable
cows, raised the average annual profit
per COW in one association from $21 .43
to S42.S2 in four years"