South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-10
BIC INCREASE IN
FARM PRODUCTION
Total Gross Value of Crops
and Animal Products in '16,
S13,449,000,0 900.

BY far the largest gross value Of
farm production in this country was
reached in 1915. according TO esti-
mates made by the United States
department of agriculture. The to-
tai Of crops and animal products
was $13, 449,OOO,OOO, an increase of
S2.674, 100000 over the total Of 1915,
which was itself a high-water mark.
The mere increase is greater than
the census gross value of farm pro-
duction in 1889, and is nearly as
large as the census crop value in
1899. The increase of 1916 over
1914 was S3,554, 100000 The gross
value of farm production is the to-
tai of crops and animal products,
and takes no account of the use of
product as a material for other
production; nor are any costs Of
production subtracted. Consequent
ly, the value Of gross production
should be regarded as an index
number, and not as so many net dol
lars put into the farmers pocket.
The value of the net product of
wealth on farms has never been de-
termined, and can not now be esti-
mated. The item for the estimated
years are expressed in gross value
and are made TO conform to the cen
sus plan so as to be comparable with
those for the census years.
If the gross value of the census
farm production Of 1899 is repre-
scented by 100, the value of 1879 was
49,; for 1889, 52.2; for 1909, 1914;
for 1914, 2O9.S; for 1915, 22S.4; and
for 1916, 2S5.1.
In the subdivision of the value of
gross production into its two main
elements, crops and animal pro-
ducts, it appears that the total esti-
mated crop value in 1916 was So
III, 100000, an amount greater than
the sum of the estimated values of
crops and Of animal products for
any year previous TO 1912, greater
than the total estimated crop value
Of 1915 by S2,2O4,O0O.OO0, and of
1914 by $2,999. 100000.
The total estimated value of ami
NAL products in 1916 was $4,33S,-
600, 600, or more than double the
value for 1904, which was the high
est amount to that time. 1t was
greater than the estimated value of
animal products in 1915 by $470,-
600, 900, and of 1914 by S555, 900. 600.
Compared with the value of farm
crops in 1899, represented by 100,
the crop value for 1903 was 1873;
for 1914, 203.9; for 1915, 1905; and
for 1916, 3O3.S A similar compari-
son for animal products results in a
percentage of 1881 for 1909. 220.2
for 1914, 225.1 for 1915, and 252.5
for 1916.
The crop value for 1916 increased
over that of 1899 by 203.S percent,
Of 1909 by Sc percent, of 1914 by
40 percent, and of 1915 by 31.9 per
cent. The value Of animal products
increased in 1916 over 1899 by 1873
percent, over 1909 10y Alb percent,
over 1914 by AZ percent. and over
1915 by 12.2 percent.
From 1908 TO 1914 the total crop
value, as a fraction of the value of
total gross farm production, declined
from 64.6 to SIS percent. In 1915,
on the contrary, this tendency was
not only arrested, but was sharply
reversed. and the crop value then
became GAL percent of the total
of crops and animal products, fol-
lowed by another sharp advance TO
I677 percent in 1916.
Four crops have each exceeded a
billion dollars in value at the farm
in 1916. The estimate for corn is
2,296, 900; cotton lint, based on
gross weight, S1,12S, geo. 900; cotton
crop. including lint and seed, ST.,
ACC. 900, 600; hay. tame and wild, ST.
1872, 100000; wheat, S1,026, 100000
other crops that each exceed a hun
dred million dollars are oats. $685.
600. 900; potatoes, $4,000, 900;
farm wood-lot products. $221.0O0,-
900; apples, S1S6.OOO, 900; tobacco,
$3.50, 100000; barley. $16O.0OO,O0O.
The level of prices paid to pro-
ducers for the principal crops, Dec.
l, 1916. was about 55.9 percent
higher than a year previous. 52.9
percent higher than two years be-
fore of the previous eight years on
Dec /. The year 1916 was one of
comparatively low crop production.
bat the prices and values Of most Of
the crops were extra ordinary high.
OFT nENEInT AKR