The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-20
CROPS WORTH -FOUR BILLION.
MOST VALUABLE IN HISTORY OF
THE UNITED STATES.
Corn and Cotton Worth More Than
Ever BefOre--Oats Come Next-In-
crease of $2OO,OOO,OOO Over Last
Year.

Washington, Dec. 15.-With the
most valuable crops of corn and cot
ton ever produced and the second
most valuable oat crop, the value of
the nations Ia principal farm crops
TINS year aggregates the enormous
total of $4,940,3 900, the depart
ment of agriculture announced today.
In its final estimates of acreage. r~o-
duction and value. This is an incr
of S1S2,95S,O00 over the value
same crop last year, and Of Q
772'Ooo over those of 1911, bs s IN
the prices paid to farmers on g M
ber l.
The acreage of these is
equivalent to a farm ones - n the
size Of continental United = S. The
exact area planted to the crops,
which is more than 95 : cent of
the total of all crops "a Vas 299,-
433,000 acres, an incre of almost
100000 acres over last year's area
and of more than 100000 over the
1911 area. More than one-third of
the total acreage was planted to
corn.
For the crops as a whole the aver
age production per acre was valued
at about s16.5O. The corn crop
averaged $15.9G per acre; cotton,
$22.19; sugar beets $59.64; wheat,
s12.14; cats, $11.44; sweet potatoes
/ $3.50; rice, $26.69; potatoes, $62.1O;
I tobacco, $10O.3S; rye, $12.S4.
! These II crops are only portion of
the production of the soil which ap-
proximates $4,000, 100000 in value
! each year. The total value OF the
animal products Of the farm is esti-
mated at about $4,000, 100000 an
nually.
1.-THE production Of crops in the
United, States in 1913 was materially
lAelow the e-avsragey'.s ting ssecrstary sf
agriculture, David F. Houston, an
nounces, the yield per acre of ali
crops combined being smaller than
in any year Of the past decade, with
the exception of 1911. This shortage
was caused by excessive heat during
the summer months, in an important
portion of the agricultural district of
the United States, and particularly in
Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and ad-
jacent States.
'lnasmuch as crop production of
1912 was unusually large, a greater
proportion than usual has been car
ried into the present crop year, which
should mitigate somewhat the effects
Of the shortage of this years crops.
THE corn crop, the most valuable
farm product Of this country, is
smaller than any crop since 1908.
Wheat production is the largest ever
recorded in this country. The crop
was practically matured before the
drought became effective. The oat
crop is the third largest of our his
tory. There has been a steady expan-
sion of the area of this crop. The
hay crop is smaller than the large
crop of 1912. Rather liberal rains in
the late summer and fall have pro-
duced good pastures. The cotton crop
will perhaps rank fourth or third in
size.
The acreage devoted to these five
crops (corn, wheat, oats hay and
cOtton), comprises about 80 per cent.
of the area in all crops, and there
fore has a predOminating effect upon
the general average condition of all
crops. Nearly all the minor crops
were materially smaller this year than
in 1912 and the per acre yields below
their average
ITO the producers the lessened crop
production this year is largely COM |
pensated by the increased prices re
ceived for their produce; for, although /
the total crop production is approx
mately II per cent smaller than last
years production, the average level
of prices is higher than last wear"