Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-12-12
j. S. CROPS n 1872
MOST PRODUCTIVE
TOTAL PRODUCTION OF FARMS
WORTH ss,5s2,ooo.ooo, SAYS
MR.. WILSON.
KING CORN HOLDS THE LEAD
interesting Facts and Figures That
Are Found in the Annual Re-
port of the Secretary of
Agriculture.

Washington, d. C.-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, just made public.
Basing his figures on the census
items of wealth production ON farms,
Secretary Wilson values the grand to-
tai of the 1912 crop at $685. O0, 900.
Besides the production of the soil,
this amount includes the live stock
output.
"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
10 about one-eighth more than the
wealth produced in 1909. During the
past 16 years the farmer has steadily
increased 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. It &C.
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 cpl
demic of diseases 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
81, 750, 100000. The yield reached the
high water mark of 3,169,0 600, 900 bush
els. Hay was given second place in
the estimated figures. The yield was
70, 900 tons, which was held to be
worth 1851, 900, 900. 1.-THE Importance
of this CROP" says the report, sis bet
ter realized when it is observed that
its value is greater than that of the
cotton crop and nearly as great as the
combined values of the wheat, tobacco
and potato crops"
The report states that it is too early
to estimate the production of cotton
this year, but $3.50, 080, 900 was placed
as a possible figure for this crop. The
wheat yield, as estimated by the de-
partment, will be worth to the farmer
1896, 000, 900. Oats were placed as the
fifth crop in order, the value being es-
timated at $47S, 100000. The value of
the potato crop was placed at $780,
600, 900; the barley crop at $125, OQ0,-
900, and tobacco at $97,0 00, 900. The
value of the 1912 1axseed, rye, rice,
buckwheat and hops crops were set
at $4,000, 600, $4,000 900, $780, OO, 900,
$12, 000, 900 and $11,000,000 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
important products. Barley has de-
clined SO per cent, corn 10 per cent,
oats Is per cent, rye II per cent,
wheat 5k per cent, hay 10 per cent,
potatoes 43 per cent, hops AZ per cent,
faxseed 2T per cent and beet sugar
and cane sugar about 20 per cent. The
price of the cotton crop of 1912 has
gained about Is per cent, and for the
tobacco crop TX per cent. Butter has
increased II per cent and milk nearly
5 per cent. Eggs have gained 16 per
cent and poultry about / per cent.