Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1915-12-15
NINE BILLION IS
VALUE ON FARM
CROPS AND STOCK

| retary Houston's annual report. made
public today, places an estimate of
| $9,S73 100000 on the value of Amer;-
can farm crops and animal products
for last year, a valuation without a
precedent. This, however, probably
will be eclipsed by the present years
showing.
This valuation is an increase of
about $S3,OOO,O00 over the value OF
1913, hitherto the highest ever re-
corded. The increase occurred in the
face of decline in cotton from 1875
cents pound for the 1913 crop to an
average of 7.3 cents for 1914. The to-
tai value of the 1913 cotton crop, esti-
mated at $S46, 900, was $23S. .000.-
coo more than the 1914 crop, although
the latter was fourteen per cent.
greater in quantity.
Of the tremendous flood of exports
which began near the end of the fiscal
year, covered by the secretary's report,
many hundreds of millions represent
farm products.
Between August 1, 1914, and Febru-
ary 1, 1916" the report says, exports
were $1,157, 100000 and imports STILL
100000, giving a favorable balance og
1886 900 100000. OF the total value of
exports, $662,00O,0OO represented agri-
cultural and only $495,00O,O00 non-ag-
ricultural commodities, chiefly manu-
factures.
1.-The total agricultural exports III
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1915,
practically the first year of the war,
were $1,470,O00,000, which is an IN
crease of 1856 100000, or 80 per cent
ever those of the preceding year and
Of $433, 100000, or nearly AZ per cent.
ever the average of the five years,
191O-1914."
What is needed more, perhaps, than
anything else, the secretary says, is
an increase in meat animals. To that
end the department has extended its
activities as far as it's funds would
permit. Elimination of common live
stock diseases, from which losses are
said to be enormous, would result in a
material increase of the meat supply
'It has been conseryatively esti-
mated that the annual direct losses
from animal diseases are approximate
iy $212,0OO,OOO. The indirect losses,
which also are great, cannot be esti-
mated at all. The direct loss acribed
to each disease is as follows:
Hog cholera, $75,000,00O; Texas
fever and cattle ticks, $40,000,000; tn
berculosis, $25,000,000; contagious alb
ortion $2O,000,000; blackleg, So
100000; glanders, $5,000,000; anthrax,
$1,500,0000; scabies of sheep and cat
tie, $4,60O,OO0; other livestock dis
eases, $22,000,0O0; parasites, $5,00O,
600; poultry diseases, $S,75O000."
The citrus fruit industry of the Gulf
states, the report asserts, is serious
ly threatened by citrus canker, q
highly infectious bacterial disease.
While the greater number of infected
ccnters in Texas, Mississippi and Ala
bama have been eliminated, complete
eradication of the disease from Louis
lana and Florida, the department be-
lieves, will require large expenditures
for at least two years.
The potash situation, the report says,
continues serious. There is practical
ly no potash available for fertilizer
ard indications are that the supply
for that purpose will not be increased
materially next year
Recommendation for legislation
made by Secretary Houston to con-
gress include the following;
Legislation designed to promote bet
ter handling and storage of farm prod
ucts and trading ON the baasis of fixed
Continued on Page Five)