The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-10-20
FLOR|DACROP
REPORTS FINE
Preliminary Statement of The
Thirteenth Census Report
STATISTICS OF INTEREST
All Farm Crop Reports Show a Decided
Increase in Acreage and Production
florida's Development Begun

Statistics relative to the leading crops
for the State of Florida, collected at
the Thirteenth Decennial Census, April
Is, 1910, are contained in an official
statement issued by Census Director
Durand. 1t is based on tabular summa-
ries prepared under the direction of DR..
lie Grand Powers, chief statistician
for agriculture in the Bureau of the
Census. The figures are preliminary
and subject to slight revision later,
when few other farms, whose returns,
now incomplete, will be included in the
final tables. 1t is not expected that
these additions will materially modify
the amounts or rates given in the pres
ent statement
The leading crops of the state for
1909, ranked in the order of valuation,
were: Corn, S.. 709, 600; cotton, 50, 842,-
600; peanuts, So, LAT 900; sweet pota-
toes and yams, 81 ,23l 900; tobacco, ST..
OPS. 900; hay and forage, $847, 900, and
potatoes, $840, 600.
During the decade prior to 1909 corn
increased Sc, 204 acres, or ga per cent.
Starting with 800, 294 acres in 1879,
corn rose to 1913, 906 in 1889, to SOC, 567
in 1899, and to Cos, III in 1909. The to-
tai weld in 1909 was 1923, 767 bushels;
the average yield per acre, IL bushels;
the average value per acre, SO. 40.
During the last ten years cotton has
increased al, 629 acres, or 1873 per cent.
From 245, 5Y5 acres in 1879, cotton drop
ped to 227,370 in 1889, and again to 22l,-
1926 in 1899, but rose in 1909 to 1853, asa.
The total yield in 1909 was IS, 056 bales;
the average value per acre, $3.50.
From 1889 to 1909 peanuts increased
56, sos acres, or 8l.6 per cent. From
1889, when 26, l66 acres were harvested,
peanuts increased by 1899 to SO, 452, and
again by 1909 to 126, $50. Hence in the
twenty years from 1889 to 1909 peanuts
have increased nearly fourfold. The
aggregate production in 1909 was 3l5,-
O89 bushels; the average yield per acre
Is bushels; the average value per
acre, SIT.
For the decade ending 1900 sweet po-
tatoes and yams showed decrease of
796 acres, or 3.5 per cent. Starting
with 10, 167 acres in 1879, sweet pota-
toes and yams dropped to 1893 in 1889,
rose to %, 791 in 1899. but again fell in
1909 to 1895. The total yield in 1909
was 2, 083, $50 bushels; the average yield
per acre, IS bushels; the average value
per acre, $56.
In the period from 1889 to 1909 tobac-
co increased 1881 acres, or 1873 per
cent. 1t has advanced from 80 acres
in 1879 to 100 in 1889. to 2,O56 in 1899,
and finally to 1887 in 1909. The aggre-
gate production in 1909 was 3,5O5, 800
pounds; the average yield per acre, 879
pounds; average value per acre, $257.
For the decade ending 1909 hay and
forage showed an increase of 80, 1856
acres, or 1883 pr cent. From $50
acres in 1879, hay and forage increased
to 1861 in 1889, to q. 1874 in 1889, and
again to 81, 729 in 1909. Hence during
the last decade hay and forage has in
creased nearly one and onc-half times.
The total yield in 1909 was So, 800 tons;
the average yield per acre, ton; the
average value per acre, Sl5 81.
During the last decade potatoes in
creased 4,757 acres. or 1868 per cent.
From 1889. when 1,2lS acres were re-
ported, potatoes advanced to 1872 10y
1899 and to 8, 500 by 1909 The total
yield in 1909 was $50, 1867 bushels; the
average yield per acre, lOl bushels;
the average value per acre, sos 70.
The cereals had an aggregate acreage
of $50, 1856 acres in 1909, as compared
to COZ, 322 acres in 1899, an increase of
33, l64, or IL per cent. Corn constitu-
ted more than nne-tenths of the total
acreage and total value of the cereals.
The average value per acre of all cere-
ais combined was &c. 80, about three
ffths as great as that of hay and for
age. Of the cereals showing important
acreages oats showed the highest aver
age value per acre. OF the hay and
forage crops "other tame or cultivated
grasses" ranked first, constituting more
than two. fifths of the entire hay and
forage crop. Cotton, with an acreage
slightly less than one-half as great as
that of corn, had value more than
four-ffths as great. Sweet potatoes
and yams, with an acreage about two
fifths as great as hay and forage.
showed value one and one-half times
as great. Peanuts, in acreage and val
ne, respectively, were about two and
one third and two and one-half times as
great as hay and forage. There were
few miscellaneous crops, the most OF
which are we'll above the more usual
crops in value per acre.