The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-12-08
.FAAMFHBvBB4S-.'''
BREAK RECORDS
Crops For 1910 Valued at
$S,916,O0O,COO.
wilson MAKES REPORT

Lauds Farmer, His Work, and Tells
OF Risks He Runs--corn Cultlva-
ton In South Becoming conspicu-
ope--says Production Per Acre
'overtakes Increase In Population
and That Consumer Has No Ground
TO Blame Farmer For High Prices.
Washington, Dec. S.-The secretary
Of agriculture, James Wilson, has is
sued his annual report. He reviews
conditions throughout the country in
3 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 pro-
duced farm products within one year
with value reaching SS,926, 900 900,
which is The value of the agricultural
products of this country for 1910.
The value of farm products from
1899 to the present year has been
progressive without interruption. II
the value of the products of 1899 is
placed at 100 the value for this year
is 1S9, or almost double the value for
the census year IL years ago. During
this period of unexampled agricul-
tural production. a period of u
years, during which the farmocs Of
this country have steadily advanced
in prosperity and wealth and in eco
nomic independence, in intelligence
and knowledge of agriculture, the
total value of farm products is S,9,-
O00, 100000.
"The corn crop OF 3,12L3SLO0O
bushels exceeds that Of the record
year 1906 and is greater than the av-
erage croD of the preceding five
years by Ia per cent. While the val
ne of this corn crop Is below that of
1909 and also of 1908, its amount be-
longs to stories of magic. 1t can
hardly be reckoned as less than ST.
BOO, 100000, a sum sufficient to can
eel the interest-bearing debt of the
United States, buy all of the gold
and silver mined in all of the coun-
tries OF the earth in 1909 and still
leave to the farmers a little pocket
money.
Corn In the South.
"The growing importance of the
south in corn production is becoming
conspicuous. In 1889 1t produced
hardly more than one.ffth OF the ma.
tional crop; now II produces one.
third. The cotton crop Of this year
may be worth in lint and seed
around $900,OO0,0OO at the farm, or
more than the corn crop was worth
In any year prior 10 1901, This value
is 13 per cent above the hvc-year
average. The value of the hay crop
is about $720,000,00O, an amount
which has been exceeded but once,
and that in 1907. 1t is 13 per cent
above the average of the preceding
FIVE years. Fortunately the wheat
crop Is divided into two sowlngs, au.
tumn 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 bushels, or sub
stantially the average of the pyeced-
ing five years, whereas the value is
about $625, 100000 or 7.6 per cent
above the five-year average.
Production Per Acre Increasing.
production per acre is beginning
to overtake increase of people. The
evidence is very plain that the yields
per acre OF our crops are now in
creasing, and II the facts were as
sembled in detail 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 population--that
is, the increase of births over deaths
In the old native element"
INSTRUCTION in the methods Of road
building" the report says. has con
tinued through the medium of object
lesson roads built at local expense
under the supervision of an engi-
neer of the Office of public roads.
more than 100000 square yards of
road, equivalent to about IA miles OF
road 10 feet wide, were completed
during the year"
After presenting many details with
regard to the increase of prices on
farm products between farmer and
consumer, the secretary of agricul-
ture declares that the conclusion is
Inevitable that the consumer has no
we'll grounded complaint against the
farmer for the prices that he pays.
The farmer supplies the capital for
nroduc don and takes the risk Of his