Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-08

American agricultural products in the
past year reached total valuation Of
$S.926, OOO, 600. according to the annual re-
port of the Secretary of Agriculture, made
public today. The report says this is a
figure the human mind is totally inca
pabe Of grasping without some smile,
and, cutting out single item from the
vast total. the Secretary makes compari-
son. At no time in the worlds history has
a country produced farm products within
one year with a value reaching the
amount of the agricultural products for
the United States for 1910.
The corn crop is the leading cereal
crop in size and money value. 1t totals
3, 121 1891 600 bushels and Is Of greater
value than the average crop of the pre-
ceding five years by IA per cent. IT is
smaller than the record crops of 1869,
but it still is worth 81, 500 100000. enough
to cancel the interest bearing debt of the
United States, buy all the gold and silver
mined In all the countries of the world in
1909, and leave the farmers of the coun-
try some pocket money besides.
Regarded as National Asset.
The Secretary says the corn crop is to
be considered a national asset in more
senses than one, because it represents
not only vast piece Of wealth for one
year, but is a source of annual income
that with care can be increased and con-
tinued indefinitely.
Another feature Of the corn production
10 that the south each year is taking
higher rank. While in 1850 it produced
only a fifth of the national total, it this
year produced a third.
The cotton crop this year in lint and
seed was worth $DO0O0O.UOO at the farm,
an advance of $jV,UtU,OUO over the previ-
GUS year in spite OF the boil weevil. It's
money value was Ii per cent over the
dve-year average.
Value Of Other Products.
The hayscrop is just the same per cent
above the five-year average. The total
vaKia rs $72O,OOO,OU0 and has been ex-
ceeded IN q single year but once. That
was in 1907 =.
The total value of the wheat crop was
$625. OOO,OUO and was 10 per cent above
the five-year average.
The oat crop ranks as low as fifth in
the agricultural products of the country,
but 1t reaches the comfortable total of
$3.50, oO0,O0O. For the second time in the
history of the country the crop passed
the million bushel limit
The potato crop was not all garnered
when the report was compiled, but the
estimates place it at 32S $4,000 bushels.
This figure has been exceeded but once.
The beet sugar production reached 3d.
Geo short tons OF money value of SOL
O0O.UD 1t was about the same as the
production of the previous year. The
sugar cane production was $2S,GO0.O00 and
| this has been exceeded four times.
Tobacco has broken the record set by
the crop of 1900. and is worth $95O0O,OOO.
While the crop is only little above the
record 1t is 26 per cent ahead of the five
year average.
Barley did not maintain it's record for
quantity, but the value of the crop is
$17 cOO,OO0. and is 16 per cent above the
ffve-year average.
Average Of Farm Crops.
It is impossible to go into details as to
all the crops mentioned in the report,
but it can be said that the farm crops as
. whole fell short of the records set in
1900. There was decided advance, how
ever. in the value and production of ami
mails, eggs. poultry, butter and milk,
| which brought up the total so that the
aggregate production exceeded that of
1909 by $3040OU,0OO.
One significant feature Of the world
trade situation Is the trade balances in
favor Of the United States in agricultural
exports has steadily fallen since 1903 and
this year 1t was only $19s.Og0,925. The
high mark opposed to this in 1908 was
4SS.OO4,7 1917. Even with the decline in the
trade balance the total of exports Of
farm produce for the present year stands
at the enormous figures of 1911 1O7 ,O67.
Cotton was the principal item of export
In the past year. valued at $3.50, Al, 243.
In spite OF the great amount of domes-
tic agricultural production and the inn
nense agricultural exports, there are still
many agricultural products that the
United States imports largely, and these
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