The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-12-19
VALUE OF THIS YEARS CROPS
NATIONS FOURTEEN PRINCIPAL
CROPS WORTH S4,94O, 900, 900.
The Department of Agriculture An
nounces Final Estimates on Acre
age, Production and Value.

-
i, nounces Final Estimates ON Acre
age, Production and Value.
WASHINGTON.-With the most
valuable crops of corn and cotton
ever produced and the second most
valuable cat crop the value OF the
nations fourteen principal crops this
year aggregates the enormous total
of $4,940, sol, 900, the department of
agriculture announced today in it's
final estimates of acreage, production
and value. This is an increase of
l$1S2,95S,000 over the value of the
same crops last year, and of $780,
I772,00O over those of 1911, based on
the prices paid to the farmers on
december 1st.
The acreage of these crops is equiv
alent to a farm one-seyenth the size
of continental United States. The
exact area planted to these fourteen
crops, which is more than 50 per
cent of the total of all crop area,
was 299, 443,00O acres, an increase
of almost 100000 acres over last
years area and of more than 2,000,
600 over the 1911 area. More than
one-third of the total acreage was
planted to corn.
For the crops as a while the aver
age production per acre was valued
at about $3.50. The corn crop av-
eraged $15.96 per acre; cotton $22.-
I19; sugar beets, $59.64 wheat,
$12.44; oats, $11.44; sweet potatoes,
$6S.6O; rice, $26.6S; potatoes,
$62.1O; tobacco, $1OO.39; and rye,
I$12.S4.
Final estimates of production and
value of fourteen of the important
crops which form a part of the enor-
nous grand total, aggregating APP
proximately $9,OOO,O00,000, of
wealth produced on farms through
the soil and farmers live stock dur
ing 1913, were announced today by
the crop reporting board, bureau of
statistics, department of agriculture.
The figures are the official govern
ment estimates of acreage produc-
ton and value, based on prices paid
to farmers on December 1. These
fourteen crops are only a portion of
the production of the soil, which APP
proximates ,000,0O0,000 in value
each year. The total value of the
animal products of the farm is esti-
mated at about 100000, 900 annu-
ally.
THE production OF crops in the
United States in 1913 was materially
below the average, the secretary of
agriculture, David F. Houston, an
nounces, "the yield per acre of all
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 adj
jacent states.
"Inasmuch 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 1903.
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, steady ex-
pansion 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
tnlrd In size.
"The acreage devoted to these five
crops (corn, wheat, oats, hay and
cotton) comprises about 80 per cent
of the area in small 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 1essened
crop production this year is largely
compensated by the increased prices
received for their produce; for, al
though the total crop production is
approximately II per cent smaller
than last years production the aver
age level of prices is higher than last
year"
/ IN SOTTTH AMERICA