The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-09
city government free from all partisan
political influence.
TIE CROPS OF THE COUNTRY.

son. of the United states Department
OF Agriculture. fairly bulges with NIL
lions and billions The year 1912 was
a wonderful crop year. and it exhausts
the vocabulary OF Secretary Wilson
3 for fitting phrases.
/ Tho earth" the secretary declares.
has produced its greatest annual d.
: vidend." There is q high general level
Of production. 1.-The man behind .'e
plow has filed the nations iarder.
crammed tho storehouses and Will send
liberal supplies 70 foreisn countries"
The American farmer has plowed deep.
I lie has produced corn 10 sell and keep.
In almost every product OF the soil ne
has broken the record OF output.
The total crop value says Secrc-
tary Wilson. is SO far above that OF
1911 and of any preceding year that
the total production Of farm wealth
is the highest vet reached b. half bill
lion dollars" He bases his estimate on
the census items OF wealth on the
farms and puts the grand total for
1912 at s9.532.o00.0Oo The corn crop
is estimated at 3.l6s.ooo. goo bushels
the biggest on record. In value u
reaches the fabulous amount of ST.
10000. 900. Hay has gone back into
second place. The value of this years
crop is sSsl. 100000. and has never
been equaled." The combined value OF
the cotton lint and cotton seed crop Is
put at $3.50. 600 900. This years produc-
ton was not as large os that OF 1911,
but exceeds that Of other years. The
wheat crop is worth s596.0oo.ooo. an
amount exceeded only in Two previous
years Tho cat crop is nth in value.
and. although the price has declined.
the production is SO enormous that the
value Of tho crop is estimated to be
s47S0 600 The potato crop Is one
of bumper production. The country
never before raised SO many potatoes.
yet the crop is worth only Sl90,eo".VOo
because Of low prices. The barley crop
is greater by far than any previous
crop. but its value. sl25,0OO,OOo. is not
as much as that of the crop of 1911. /
Tobacco did not reach the high level
OF production: it amounts to 959,4S7, 900
pounds. and is II per cent above the
average of the preceding four years.
The total value OF the crop is $4,000
600. about II per cent above the f1ve-
year average.
The story is the Same al through 7
the report The year was n record
breaker for crop production and for !
crop values Only two crops had J
been exceeded twice in former produc- I
ton. and these are wheat and tobacco;
only two crops had been exceeded once
in production. and these are cotton ana
rice: all of the other crops stand AT
high-watcr mark--ali OF the cereals I
but wheat and rice. the great barley
crop. potatoes. faXsced and beet !.
sugar" says Secretary Wilson. In ad-
dition. the prices at the farm are
generally profitable" and will con
tinue the prosperity that the farmers
have enjoyed IN recent years"
There IS great showing also In :
live stock products. The value OF the
dairy COWS. products for 1912 is put at
more thai. ss3o,Ooo,ooo. There has
been a vast increase in the poultry
industry. The estimate OF the value
Of egg production i. s55o.ooo,ooo. The
added value of the fowls raised brings
the estimate up to ,57o.cOo,Oce.
H. sixteen years the farmers wealth
production has increased 141 per cent.
an Indication that tho farmer
is alive to his possibilities. and
that the campaign for more
and bigger craps has not been In
vain Secretary Wilson's summary Of
production and values represents ~
marvellous array of figures which at
test the greatness OF the country and .
the Importance Of the crops as a basis
% enduring prosperity. /