The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-08-20
Of Farm Crops 10 The United
States
As Shown From The Recent
Census Statistics
Shows Increase IN Prices 10
Past Few Years

Washington, d. c., Aug. 1.-THE to-
tai value of the crops of Continental
United States in 1909 was, in round
numbers, S5,4s7, 100000, as compared
with $2,999, 100000 in 1899. The in.
crease was thus $2,4SS ,OO0, 900, or SO
per cent, according to a statement is
sued today by E. Dana Durand, Direc-
tor of the Bureau of the Census, De-
partment of Commerce and Labor The
tabulations showing these total re-
suits were carried on In the agricul-
tural division of the Bureau of the
Census, under the supervision of l.. @.
Powers, former chief statistician, and
J. l.. Coulter, expert special agent.
A bulletin upon which this advance
statement is based, showing the de-
tails of acreage, production and value
of all crops for the United States, by
States, will be issued at an early date.
In the case of some crops (such as
maple sugar and sirup and forest pro-
ducts of farms) 1t is impossible to Sc
cure usable figure showing acreage
in certain other cases (such as or.
chard fruits, grapes, tropical fruits
and nuts), the number of trees and
vines of bearing and not of bearing age
Is secured In lieu of acreage. The
value of the corps for which reports
~ sTI In
1909 to $4,953 900, 900, or nearly nine
tenths Of the value Of all crops. At
the census of 1900 the corresponding
value was $2,721 ,OOO,O 900, or about the
same per cent of the value of all
crops The total acreage of crops
with acreage reports in 1909 was 311,-
$4,000. In April, 1910, the land in
farms In the United States was re-
ported by the census as S7S,79S, 900
acres. Of which 47S,452, 900 acres were
improved. The crops with acreage
reports, therefore, occupied 35.4 per
cent of the total land In farms and
65.1 per cent of the total improved
land. The same crops In 1899 occu.
pied 2S3 3,21S,0 900 acres, which was 1873
per cent OF all land In farms and $50
per cent of the improved land. While
the total acreage of farms increased
4.S per cent, the acreage In these crops
increased 90 per cent between 1899
and 1909. The improved land not oc-
cupied by the crops specified consists
chiefly Of land In improved pastures,
land occupied by fruit and nut trees
and vines, for which aci cieage was not
reported, improved land dying fallow.
and land In house yards and barnyards.
The total value Of crops In 1909 was
equal to $50 .66 per capita of the popu.
lation of the nited States. while the
value per capita In 1899 was $39.46
(based on the population of the United
States on April Is, 1910. and June 1,
1900, respectively. There were g..
1861 500 farms In the United States In
1910, so that the value OF crops of
1909 was equal to an average of 1868
per farm, while the average value of
crops per farm for 1899 was $523.
The census has made no attempt
to ascertain the total net value of
farm products for 1909. including both
that OF crops and animal products.
Merely to add the value OF these two
groups of products together would In
volve extensive duplication, since large
quantities OF the crops reported are
fed to the animals on the farms and
reported later as live stock products.
II Is impossible to ascertain accurate.
ly the amount of such duplication, and
the attempt to do SO. which was made
at the Twelfth Census, was not con-
sidered satisfactory. For this reason
the relative Importance OF crops AZ O
factor In the agricultural production
OF the United States can not be deter
mined precisely.
A large part Of the extraordinary In.
crease In the total value OF farm crops
between 1899 and 1909 Ia attributed
to higher prices. This might be In
ferred from the fact that, while the &C.
reage of crops with acreage reports
increased only 80 per cent, the value
OF such crops increased so per cent. 1t
also appears by comparing the per-
centages OF increase In the quantity OF
the various individual crops with the
percentages of increase In the value.
Thus, for all cereals taken together,
the production increased only IL per
cent. while the value increased 79.S
per cent for hay and forage the pro-
duction increased 2S per cent and the
value 7O.2 per cent and for cotton (not
counting cotton seedD the production
increased III per cent and the value
ll7.3 per cent
A more precise calculation OF the