Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1915-12-25
THE NATIONS HARVEST
BREAKS ALL RECORDS
Vaiue OF Crops More Than Five Bill
non Dollars for 1915-oreater
Acrea9e-Higher Prices.

Washington.-The nations harvests
this year have surpassed any ever be
fore recorded. The value Of the prin-
cipai farm crops, based on prices paid
to farmers December !. as announced
Friday by the department of agricul-
ture IN its final estimate as $685.
/ $4,000. making 1915 a banner year
both in value and in production of
/ crops
me unusual situation of extraordi-
nary 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 proceeds, American farmers
began the season by planting greater
areas to grain. The acreage of the
| principal crops this year aggregated
approximately 4S6,57O square miles.
larger than the combined area of Ger
many. France, Belgium, Holland, Den
mark and Switzerland.
Corn was planted on 1Os.32l. 900
| acres, the second LARGEST area ever
planted, and the harvest was 3.O54.-
$4,000 bushels, the second largest
crop ever grown. It's value was ST.
755,S59,OOO, exceeding that of the pre-
vious most valuable corn crop by s33.-
006 900
New records were made in produc-
ton by wheat, oats. barley, rye. sweet
potatoes, rice and hay, while tobacco
closely approached its production rec
ord, 1.103,415.O0O pounds, made in
1910. Each of these crops. in addi-
ton, established records as being the
most valuable ever grown except in
the case of barley and tobacco.
Production of the first billion-bushel
wheat crop and the second three-bil-
lion-bushel corn crop were features of
the year. Wheat acreage aggregated
59,SSS,OO0 acres, or six million more
than ever before. The yield was 16.9
bushels an acre, the largest acre yield
for winter and spring wheat combined
ever ATTAINED in this country.
The final estimate of production
was 1.011, 505,000 bushels, with a value
Of s93O,O00,000. The crop exceeded
last years, which was a record, by
more than 120,OO0.O0O bushels and by
$50,0O0,OOO in value.
Oats, rye, potatoes, sweet potatoes
and tobacco all were planted on record
areas. Oats exceeded its record pro-
duction of 1912 by 100000 bushels
and its record value of 1914 by $685.
100000. Barley production was 49,
100000 bushels more than the 1912
record crop and was worth S4,000,000
more than the former most valuable
crop, grown in 1904. Rice passed the
1913 record by 100000 bushels and
Its 1912 record value by s1,7O0,000.
Sweet potatoes exceeded by 10000
600 bushels the 1910 record and were
worth 100000 more than the 1913
value record. Hay showed a 12,5O0,-
OO0ton increase over the record crop
OF 1912 and was worth $4,000, 900
more than the value record made that
year. Tobacco, while growing on a
record acreage, was worth s26,000,000 |
less than in the record value year.
The potato crop received perhaps
the most severe setback of the year. |
Farmers planted a record acreage to |
potatoes, but the outturn was only |
369,1O3,000 bushels. That was 61,500,- |
600 bushels below the record year and |
6O,SOO,OOO less than last year. The |
value of the crop, however, was s22,-
100000 more than last year.
Cotton produced 11,161 900 bales of
300 pounds gross, excluding linters,
against 16,135,0O0 last year. Acre
yield, 1925 pounds, against 2O9 % last
year. Price, 11.2c, against csc last
year
Sugar beets produced 6,462, 900 tons,
against 5,582,O00 last year. Acre yield,
11.6 tons, against 1O.4 last year. Price,
1884, against $5.45 last year.
In addition, it was announced that
the apple crop was 76,67O,O0O bushels,
valued at S156, 1000 The bean crop
in the three principal producing
states, 1926, 000--a decrease of 1885,
600 bushels-valued at $27,55S,000,
and the cranberry crop, $4,000 BUSH
els, valued at $2,S45,OO0. The value Of
these three crops is included in the
years total.
In addition to these crops other
farm products, such as minor crops
and animals and animal products, will
bring the years total to about $10,-
10O mn OOO