The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-30
ten BILLION
DOLLAR CROP
Continued From Page one.
consequence

W AAA IA va %AASe
prices paid by consumers would be any
lower" says the report. "Had the to
tai production In 1913 equaled or ex;
ceeded the 1912 production, it seems
probable that the cash income pei
farm would not have been greater and
might have been less than in 1912
but 1t is extremely doubtful whether
the cost to the consumer would have
been, any less, because retail prices
are promptly raised on a prospect OF
under-production, but are very slow
to decline il there Is over-production
1.-THE long line Of distributors and
mtddlemen between the farmer ano
the consumer are in a position to take
advantage. of the market and to a Ger
tain extent control the market in both
directions, because they are better or
ganized to keep informed Of crop and
market conditions and to act prompt
ly than either farmers or consumers
who are not organized and as indt-
yiduals are helpless ~ .
1.-THE high prices paid by consumers
ranging from s to nearly 500 per cent
in some cases more than the. farmer
receives, indicate, that there is plenty
Of roo for lowering the cost of farm
products to consumers, and at the
same time largely increasing the cash
income per farm without increasing
farm production.
HIS COhuAtlCn IS undoubtedly q
marketing problem which will have
to be solved by better organizations OF
farmers and improved methods OF
marketing. When, as the result of
such organization and improved meth
DDS the price of farm products can be
maintained at a higher level without
increasing the cost to consumers,
the output of their farms, with a fair
prospect of realizing reasonable prof
1t or their investment of time, labor
and money, which in the aggregate is
enormous"
Corn with q value of 1882, 000. 900
comprised % per cent of the value Of
all crops, although the volume was
under the record.
The other principal crops with val
ues are given In the order in which
they come. Cotton, $79S, 0O0, 600; hay,
$797, 600. 900; wheat, the largest crop
ever raised in this country, $50, 00o,-
900; oats, $440, 600. 600; potatoes. $685.
600, 900; tobaccos, 1922, 600, 900; barley,
$4,000, 900; sweet potatoes. $4,000
cane sugar. $4,000, 900; rye, '$26,000,-
000:. rice, $4,000. 600; flax. seed, $751;
$40, 900, 900. =
IN quantity of estimated produc-
ton, the, record has been broken by
wheat, rye, rice, sugar beets, beet sug-
ar, aTd thet total Of beet and cane sug-
ar. OF the remaining crops, oats, bar
ley and hops have been exceeded twice
in production. The estimated produc-
ton Of the other crops, of which sep
arate account is made. was relatively
low. =
THE value Of the crops of 1918 is
high. A new high record in. estimated
value is made by the total Of all GER
calls, and separately by corn. cotton,
cotton seed, tobacco Inc sugar beets.
Only once has there been a higher
estimated value for oats, rye, rice,
potatoes, hay. hops, and the total Of
beet and cane sugar. Only twice has
the estimated value Of wheat and Of
beet sugar been exceeded. =.
Dairy products OF 1913 are esti-
mated at more than $S14,0 900, 600. Eggs
and fowls have an estimated value of
more than $57S, 900, 600.
1.-THE wool productions Of 1913 esti-
mated at 304, 000, 900 pounds was over
$51, 900, 900. .... ~
"The common phenomenon Of
record yield and crop value below the
record, and Of record crop. value with
low production is presented by more
than half a dozen Of the crops Of 1918.
If the farmer gets a high price per
bushel or other unit of quantity in
case Of crop of low production, on the
other hand he usually gets but low
prives for the crops which he pro-
duces in abundance.
1.-THE prices Of fourteen principal
crops average about 20.2 per cent
higher than a res ago and 4.6 per
cent higher than W years ago.. Their
total values average about 3.8 per
cent higher than a year ago and &c
per. cent higher than two years ago..
I fhnEn dove nR hf~I Nrf~o- -
food, 1t seems to be overlooked that
the farmers of this country are pro-
ducing enormous SURPRISES for export
to foreign countries. Prices are high
in other countries as well as in this
one. s.. y
The value Of the agricultural ex-
ports of domestic production in the
fiscal year 1913 was $1,123, 021,469, an
amount which has not before been
equalled. The re-exports otherwise
called the exports Of foreign agri-
cultural products are estimated at
$12, 000, 900. The so-called balance Of
trade in agricultural products is in
favor of the exports Of domestic farm
products by $780, 600, 600.
During the fiscal year of 1913 over
166, 000, 000 pounds. of beef and its
products We're exports, but this guam
tity included only somewhat more
100000 pounds Of fresh beef.
The quantity Of exports Of, beef and
Its products has rapidly declined from
733, 000, 600 pounds in 1906. The ex-
ports Of pork and it's products in 1913
amounted TO $4,000, 900 pounds, q
quantity that is exceeded by the aver
age for the proceeding twenty three
years n with three exceptions by
the exports of Zach one of these years.
4 THE $ reports indicate that in
1QnQ fha total. O YVoniInf= nf 70 ~, 1xyoOaC
paid to farm laborers was 1851, Gil, 287.
This is almost double the cost in 1899,
which was S357, 301, $50. Considerable
increases in this time Of expense are
indicated since 1909.
Special reports concerning the sub
tropical fruits Of southern California
and. Florida, indicate in the form OF
percentages, the estimated production
of these fruits compared with a. full
crop. In California the olive crop of
1913 was 80 per cent of a full crop,
the figures for 1912 and 1911 being
respectively 81 and 81 per cent. Table
grapes were produced in California to
the extent of SO per cent of atfull crop
in 1913, as compared with SO per cent
in 1912 and IS per cent, in 1911. The
orange crop of California in 1918 was
so per cent Of a full crop-a low, pro-
duction, due to adverse weather.. in
Florida the orange crop OF 1913 was
100 per cent, or In other words, 1t was
equal to a, full; crop. in comparison
with, which the crop of 1912 is repre-
by 125 and the crop of 1911
by IS. ssss
'tThe lemon crop of California SUI
Tered with the oranges and amounted
to only 81 per cent Of a full crop in
1913. AGAINST which Is IS per cent OF
a full crop In 1912 and 90 per cent I'M
1911. The grapefruit crop OF Florida
In 1918 was "A per cent OF a full crop,
compared with los per cent in 1919
and 81 per cent in 1871. In Florida 80