Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-11-20
TWELVE BILLIONS
VALUE OF CROPS

(From the Manufacturers Record.)
The Manufacturers Record esti-
mates that the total farm value of all
farm products, including livestock,
this year will reach the great sum of
$12,000,0 100000, Notwithstanding the
fact that unfavorable weather condi-
tons cut short the production of grain
and other foodstuffs this year to an ex-
tent that has rarely ever been seen
in the history of the country. Meas
uring the wheat crop by pounds, since
the quality this year was lower than
| that of last year there was total
yield of only 547,000,000 bushels, as
compared with 1,011 100000 bushels
last year. This loss would alone have
resulted in a very heavy increase in
the price of wheat for it means almost
famine conditions in wheat, as COM
pared with normal crops, but there
was at the same time a decrease of
Ali 100000 bushels of corn, a decrease
OF 100000 bushels of oats, $4,000
900 bushels of barley, 100000 bushels
of rye, and 100000 bushels of buck
wheat.
The total grain crop of the United
States as estimated by government re
turns on November l was ATT, 600, GOA
bushels as compared with total crop
in 1915 of 6,O23, 100000 bushels, a de-
crease of 1,245, 100000 bushels.
Even these figures, showing the
staggering loss in grain production, do
not tell the full story, for other food
crops suffered in the same way. The
yield of white potatoes this year was
100000 bushels short of last year;
the yield of sweet potatoes, a stand
ard crop of the South, was $500 900
bushels short. There was a decrease
of 26,500,000 bushels of peaches, and
a decrease Of 100000 barrels of ap-
pies, while even pears showed a de-
crease of nearly 100000 bushels.
The decrease shown in grain amt
other foodstuffs was as follows:
Corn, All ,027 900 bushels decrease.
Wheat, 403, 948,O 900 bushels decrease
Oats, 81, 100000 bushels decrease.
Barley, 53,473,OOO bushels decrease.
Rye, 100000 bushels decrease.
Buckwheat, 4,322,OOO bushels de-
crease.
Kafirs, 53,436,000 bushels decrease.
White Potatoes, 7O,1S9,OOO bushels
decrease.
Sweet Potatoes, 1852, 900 bushels de-
crease.
Peaches, 26,549,000 bushels decrease.
Pears, $4,000 bushels decrease.
Apples, 8,975,OOO barrels decrease.
Reducing the decrease in apples to
bushels instead of barrels, here is
total falling off in the grain, potato,
peach, pear and apple crop of nearly
1875, 100000 bushels. 1t is disaster
which spells short supplies at high
prices for at least the next II months,
and nothing but bumper crops next
year can overcome this situation and
restore prices to normal conditions.
Rice alone shows gain amounting
to 100000 bushels, and rice, which
ought to be one of the staple food sup
plies of the country, has as yet had
no marked advance in price in keeping
with the advance In other food sup
plies.
The value of nineteen staple crops,
as based on the November l estimate
of the United States department of
agriculture, on prices then ruling on
the farms, was $7,O99, 1886, O31, as COM
pared with the estimated value on
November l, 1915, of the same crops
OF that year of $5,9S3, 306,S17. Thus,
while these crops hace decreased enor-
Ioously In quantity, they have at the
same time increased enormously ia
Price. The farm value of the same
crops on November / estimates would
show a gain of $1,116,O31,214 over
the value of the same crops on No
vember l last year. We thus have an
increase in value due to a decrease in
quantity, and to an enlarged home and
foreign demand so significant in ex.
tent as to give an intimation of what
would happen IL we should unfor.u-
se 81 AsNs