The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-01-03
CROP WORTH TEN BILLIONS.
AMERICAN FARM PRODUCTION
FOR YEAR 1913 WORTH MORE
THAN EVER BEFORE.
Sumo $4,000, ,0OO.O WIN BE Paid
Producers for Their Efforts. Rest
Of Crops VIII be Consumed ON the
Place Of Origin.

Washington. Dec. 2s.-Ten billion
dollars worth OF products. Ave billion
dollars Of cash income a bumper
crop In spite Of droughts and other
setbacks--is the 1913 record OF g.
100000 American farmers. More than
$4,000. 100000 of this sum was in
cereal products and $3.50. 90. 900
worth of animals sold and laughtered
and animal products The value Of the
1s1a crops 10 twice that OF 1899. more
than 31.ooo.ooo over 1910. and sub
stantially greater than 1912.
or all the crops II Is estimated that
- per cent will remain on farms
and that 20 per cent OF the animal
production also will remain. On that
basis the cash income is estimated
at @5.s47,ooo.0oo. Despite record
year Of crop value although the
record Of production has fallen--and
the fact that the number OF farms has
Increased IL per cent since 1910,
until there now are estimaed to be
s.600.000 farms In the country, the
department Of agriculture. in a dis.
cussion OF the subject made public
today. does not take the view that a
lower cost OF living will result.
However desirable increased pro-
duction on farms may appear to be
from the consumers standpoint. II
does not follow that such increased
production will result In any increase
In the cash income per farm or per
capita Of farm population. OF that
prices paid by consumers will be any
lower" says the report.
Had the total production In 1919
squalled or exceeded the 1912 pro-
duction II seems probable that the
cash income per farmer would not
have been greater and might have
been ieas than In 1919. but II is ex-
tremely doubtful whether the cost to
the consumer would have been less,
because retail prices are raised
promptly on q prospect Of underpro-
duction. but are slow to decline II
there is overproduction.
Tho long line OF distributors and
middlemen between the farmer and
the consumer 10 In a position to take
advantage OF the market and to
certain extent control the market.
Tho high prices paid by consum-
era ranging from s to nearly 500 per
cent I'm some cases more than the
farmer receives. indicate that there is
plenty o., room for lowering the cost
Of farm products to consumers and at
the same time largely increasing the
cash income per farm without In
creasing farm production.
This condition undoubtedly Ia a
marketing problem which will be
solved by better organization OF farm
ers and improved methods of market
ing"
Corn. valued at asi.ss2.ooo. COM
prised 2s per cent Of the value of all
crops although the volume was under
the record. Other principal crops, with
values. are given in the order In
which they come: Cotton, S7ss,00o,-
900: hay. $4,000. 900: wheat tho
largest crop ever raised in his coun-
try-ts1o.ooo.o 900; oats. $4,000. 900;
potatoes. S22s. 900. 900; tobacco. sl22.
100000: barley. sss.OOO.ooO swee,
potatoes. s43.ooo.Ooo; sugar beets.
$4,000. 900; Louisiana cane Igar.
s2s.ooo.ooo: rye. t2s.oOO.OOO; rice,
e32.ooo.ooo: haxseed. S2l. 900 900:
hops. $4,000. 900: buckwheat. ,lo.-
600. .oeo.
In quantity OF estimated produc-
ton the record has been broken by
wheat. rye. rice. sugar beets. beet
sugar and tho total OF beet and cane
sugar. OF the remaining crops. oats.
barley, cotton and hops have been
exceeded twice In production.
The value OF the crops Of 1914 Ia
high. A new high record In estimated
value 10 made by the total OF all
cereals and separately by corn. cot
ton. cotton seed. tobacco and ssgar
oeets Only once has there been a
higher estimated value for oats, rye.
rice. potatoes. hay. hops and che
total OF beet and cane sugar. Oaly
twice has the estimated value of
wheat and OF beet sugar been OK
cssded.
Dairy products OF 1919 are esti-
mated at moro than $4,000. 900.
Eggs and fowls have an estirnat cd
value OF more than t57s.ooo. 900.
'"The wool production OF 1918. es-
tlmated at sot.ooo.ooo pounds. was
over t7i.o0o.0oo.
''Iha nrt0aa ~ A nrlnriNst