Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-01-07
I3FARN PRODUCTS
WORTH 10 BILLIONS
,,,ord Not Expected to Lower
Cost of Living.
1agrITY SHOWS BIG LOSS
III, ui5dIeman Benefits by a Greater
output, Department Of Agricul-
ture at Washington Says
in Report.

Washington, Dec. 31-Ten billion
sr,-s worth Of products, S5,OO0.000,-
mai cash income-a bumper year in
"a, of droughts and other setbacks-
@a 1918 record of 100000 Ameri-
al farms.
The value Of the 1913 crops is twice
Great as that Of 1899; more than
r6il00OOOO in excess of 1909 and
r5santalIy greater than in 1912. al
n,rgh the quantity of production has
bIan Fourteen principal crops aver
,os about 2O.2 per cent. higher in
,-,a than a year ago, and 4.6 per
.r- higher than two years ago. Their
p-aI values average about 3.S per
cent higher than year ago, and 7.6
pr cent. higher than in 1911.
OF all the crops, it is estimated
that 3 per cent. will remain on farms
Ftere they were produced, and that
% Der cent. Of the animal production
viii remain. On that basis the cash
income is estimated by the depart
neDt of agriculture at $5,847,000,000,
IN a discussion OF the subject made
public.
But despite a record year OF crop
7alues and the fact that the number
Of farms has increased II per cent.
since 1910, the department does not
believe a lower cost of living win fol-
low as a consequence.
However desirable increased pro-
ductOn on farms may appear to be
from the consumers standpoint, the
report says, 1T does not follow that
such Increased production would re-
suit in any increase in the cash IN
come per farm or per capita of farm
population or that prices paid by con-
mmers would be any lower" says the
report. Retail prices are promptly
raised on a prospect of underproduc-
ton, but are very slow to decline il
there is oyerproduction.
The high prices paid by consum-
eTS, ranging from to nearly 500 per
cent more than the farmer receives,
Indicate that there is plenty of room
for lowering the cost of farm products
TO consumers and at the same time
largely increasing the cash income
per farm without increasing farm pro-
tuctiOn.
This condition is undoubtedly a
marketing problem which will have to
be solved by better organizations of
srmers and improved methods of
marketing.
The common phenomenon of rec
ord yield and crop value below the
record, and of record crop value with
low production, is presented by more
han half a dozen of the crops of 1913.
L the farmer gets a high price, per-
laps very high price in case of a
crop Of low production. on the other
land he usually gets but low prices
Tor the crops which he produces In
abundance"
It seems to be overlooked" the re-
port continues. that the farmers are
Producing enormous SURPRISES for ex-
port to foreign countries. Prices are
nigh in other countries as well as in
Ais one. The value of the agricul-
Iual exports of domestic production
10 the fiscal year 1913 was $1,123,021.-
10y an amount which has not before
been QeuaIed.
The largest average cash income
geF farm and per capita is shown in
Tue north central west division. in
GUIDING Minnesota, Iowa. Missouri,
North and South Dakota, Kansas and
nebraska, while the smallest was OBJ
''ned IN Kentucky, Tennessee, Ala
oaaa, Mississippi. Louisiana. Texas,
oAaloma and Arkansas. where the
aoor Of a relatively large number of
SUITS and children is required to
2'oduce the crop.