The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-03

per ton for the entire country was
Sl2.26 in 1910. That for Virginia hay
was {l4.46-a value per ton two dol
lars and twenty cents creator than
that for the country at large. Nor is
this a fair comparison, since II was
the value OF hay in the East which
boosted the average for the nation to
even that figure. Averages of SO, $40
ana Sll are the rule throughout the
greater part OF the West and Central
West. And the average OF South De-
kota is seven dollars and i've mills,
True, as a division of the country,
the South Atlantic States as a whole
produced less valuable hay than was
grown in the North Atlantic section.
But what of that great country TO the
West? What of that much Ii saralded
prairie and alfalfa nds? Except for
the irrigation practced In some OF the
far " estern States, Virginia would
lack little of heading the list for aver
age yield per acre. In States wher,
irrigation is practiced. and several
crops OF alfalfa per annum arc har-
vested, we find an annual average yield
per aero of from two to two and one
half tons. But the farm values for
that section are approximately three
dollars per ton less than those pre-
vailing in Virginia. In fact. omit
ting the North Atlantic States. no di-
vision OF the country can compare with
Virginia in average value of hay
grown.
VirginIn's Location.
Considerable of this differcnc. may
be accounted for by the fact that Vir-
ginia is much nearer one of the larg.
est hay consuming regions in the
world than the West. New York city,
for all its utilization of powsr in many
lines which formerly employed horses,
still finds horses Indispensable in in
dus,ry. amusement and pleasure. New
York has lost none OF its prestige rs
4 user of hay. Similar conditions per-
tain in all Eastern cities. Not only do
tn ese buy hay for internal consump-
ton, but some quantities are bought
for export, and good deal is also
bought with transhipmcnt TO Florida
and Gulf ports in view. Much of the
export hay is sent direct to European
and other markets. The remainder Is
used 10 victual horse and cattle trans
ports.
This export demand for hay rs now
much less than it used to be. owing to
the decrease In cattle being shipped
out to foreign markets The grow
ing demand for hay at home also has
diminished the quantity available for
export. I5ut this loss in export trade
or IN no way. In fact. the export hay
business of the United States Is now
practically at a standstil Out of a
total production in 1910 of over sixty
million tons but 55.235 tons were ex-
ported during the fiscal year ending
june 80, 1911. This of course. is en-
tirely apart from the coastal trade In
hay between Northern ports and Gulf.
Porto Rico, Panama and other domes-
tic points.
Imports OF hay for the same period
wers so small as to remain unraportcd.
primarily this was due to similar
scarcity OF farm foodstuns in foreign
countries; another reason is the prac-
;ical!y prohibttive tariff of 81 rer ton.
regardless OF grade.
But Firginia's nearness to large ur-
han populations is not It's only adj
vantage. Its location is such that 1t
can compete with any market for this
trade OF that great and populous sec
ton lying in and east of the Appala-
chan system OF mountains. There are
numerous cattle and horse farms To-
Gated In this region. which do not. and
probably could not II they would grow
sufficient forngo TO feed their animals.
These enter the open market 10 buy