Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-16
THIS YEARS HARVEsTs
BIGGEST EVER RECORDED
Value OF Principal Farm Crops An
hounced In Final Government Isti-
mate as So, 5OS,773,OOO.
MANY NEW RECORDS MADE.
Unusual Situation OF Extraordinary
Production and High Prices, Prob
ably Never Before So Pronounced,
Credited to European War.

WASHINGTON, December I5.-Thc
nations harvcsts this year have sur
Passed any ever before recorded. The
salue Of the principal farm crops, based
on !i!ccS paid to farmers December ] :,
was announced to-day by the Depart
meat OF Agriculture in its final csti-
hfatc AS s5,56S.773 900. making 1915 Il
banner year both in value and in pro-
dic'lon of crops.
The unusual situation of cxtraordin-
a." production and high prices, prob
ably never before so pronounced. is
credited principally to the European
war.
With the price OF grain soaring as
The war progressed. American farmers
ac"an the season by planting greater
areas to grain. The acreage OF tho
principal crop this year aggregated
approximately fSG.570 square miles.
That Is larger than the combined area
OF Germany. France belgium. Holland.
Denmark and Switzerland
ColtN IL SECOND LARGEST
AREA EVER PLANTED
Corn was planted on 0S.32l, 900 acres.
the second largest area ever planted.
aud the harvest was 3.0Ji, 53J. 900
bushels, the second largest crop ever
grown. It's value was sl.T5j, $50 900,
exceeding that of the previous most
valuable corn crop by s33, 900. 600.
Ne" records were made in produc-
ton by wheat. oats. barley, rye, sweet
potatoes. rice and hay, while tobacco
closely approached It's production rec
ord, ;,!o3. 700 pounds, mad" In 1910
Each OF these crops. In addition, cs-
tahlish"d records az being the most
valuable ever grown. except In the case
OF barley and tobacco.
Production Of the first 1000. 100000
husa"l wheat crop and the second g.
100000. 600 buShel corn crop were rca-
~ n
rrcgated s.snS. 600 acres. or 5000. 900
more than ever before. The Weld was
lt.' bushels an acre. the largest acre
yield for winter and spring wheat com
hined ever attained in this country.
Tie final estimate OF production MAS
l.oil.5o5, oo0 bushels. with a value OF
St3n."":.o0o. The crop exceeded last
ears. which was n record. by more
than l20,0oo,o0o bushels and By $780,
con coo In value.
tKUTS ALL PLANTED
on RECORD AREAS
oats. rye, potatoes. sweet potatoes
and tobacco All were planted on rec
"rI areas oats exceeded its record
production Of 1912 hv l22. 900. 600
5uslels ana its record value OF 1913
hy '5fo"0,o0o Barley production was
i'',2o"."o0 bushels more than tn. 1912
record crop and was worth $1,000
90" moro than the former most valu-
able rrop. grown ia 1913 Rice passed
tha 1913 record by 3.2Gn, 600 bushels and
Us 1912 record value by $I70oO 900
sweet potatoes exceeded 10y $1,000 90
bushels the 1910 record, and were
worth s3.loe.Ono more than the 1919
value record. Hay showed u l2.50O 600
ton inrrcns" over the record crop OF
1912. ana was worth S55,Go0. 600 more
man tho value record made ;hat year
Tobacco. while growing on "a record
acreage. was worth 326.o06,60O less
than in the record value year
The potato crop received perhaps the
most severe setback Of the wear. Farm
"is planted a record crop OF potatoes
but IN" out;urn was only 359.IU3. 900
bushels That was 81 .5cc. 0o1 bushels
below tho record year. and 80. 500. Ocp
!rsS than last Year. The value Of the
crop, however. was 100000 more than
last ycar.