Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-12-13
RECORD FOR CROPS
WILSON SAYS PRODUCTION OF
FARMS THIS YEAR WILL
TOTAL 1882, 100000.
CORN YIELD HOLDS LEAD
Secretary of Agriculture Estimates
VaIuc of Above Product at $780,
o0o, ooO-Hay Is Given Second Place

Washington, Dec. 9-The most pro-
ductive year in the history of the
United States has drawn to a close.
according to the annual report Of Sec
rotary Of Agriculture Wilson to the
president. made public Friday.
Basing his figures on the census
items Of wealth production or farms.
Secretary Wilson values the grand to-
tai of the 1912 crop at 1882. 0oO. 900.
Besides the production of the soil, this
amount includes the live stock output.
In commenting on the productive
ness OF the past year In relation to
those preceding Secretary Wilson
said:
THE enormous sum represented by
the crop output Of the United States
for 1912 is more than twice the value
of the wealth produced on farms in
1899, according to the census. and it is
about one-eighth more than the wealth
produced in 1909. During the past 16
years the farmer has steadily in
creased his wealth production year by
year, with the exception of 1911, when
the value declined from that Of the
preceding year"
The report of the secretary was one
of the most bulky ever submitted by
the department of agriculture. 1t oc-
cupied 259 pages and contained about
100000 words. Most of this space was
devoted to a lengthy review of the
technical work of the department,
covering such subjects as the epi-
demic OF disease among cattle, the
campaign of the department against
insects Injurious to crops, reports on
soils, and a detailed statement of the
operations of the weather bureau.
In addition to information of this
nature, Secretary Wilson Included a
crop statement which showed that the
corn yield held the lead. The esti-
mated value of this product was ST.
$50, 000, 900. The yield reached the high
water mark of 3,169, 000, 900 bushels.
Hay was given second place in the
estimated figures. The yield was IT,
425, 900 tons, which was held to be
worth 1851. 100000,
The report states that it is too early
to estimate the production of cotton
this year, but $3.50, 600, 900 was placed
as a possible figure for this crop.
The wheat yield as estimated by the
department, will be worth to the farm
err $3.50. 900. 900. Oats were placed as
the fifth crop in order, the value being
at $47S. 600. 900. The value
of the potato crop was placed at $780,
100000; the barley crop at $125,000.-
900, and tobacco at $97. 600. 900. The
value OF the 1912 flaxseed. rye. rice.
buckwheat and hops crops were set
at $39. 900 900, $4,000. 600, $780, 600, 600.
$12. 600 900 and $11. O00. 900 respective
ly. The production of sugar from the
beet was set at 100000 tons.
Farm prices at which the crops OF
1912 are valued have declined from
the prices of 1911 in the cases Of some
products. Barley has de-
clined 36 per cent. corn 10 per cent,
oats rs per cent. rye II per cent,
wheat 5h per cent. hay 10 per cent.
potatoes 43 per cent. hops 43 per
cent. faxseed 81 per cent. and beet
sugar and cane sugar about % per
The price of the cotton crop
of 1912 has gained about IS per cent.
and for the tobacco crop tx per cent.
has increased II per cent. and
milk nearly 5 per cent. Eggs have
gained 16 per cent. and poultry about
1 per cent