Tombstone epitaph., 1917-12-09
CROP OF 21 BILLION
SHOWS RECORD PROSPERITY or
 AMERICAN FARMERs.
Thanksgiving Day Found Horn ef Plenty erImming FuiI.-corn 10 First on List With Value
 of 4,e59, 900 900.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
 Washington. Thanksgiving Day found Americas horn of plenty with new high record fullness.
 Responding faithfully to President Wilson's appeal and the needs Of a war-torn world. American farmers pro duced a gross total of $2l .000.000.- 600 worth of farm products. eQualing in valeu the nations total expenditure in one year of war.
 That great total being the value of all crops. animals and animal pro- ducts. was s6,50O.o0 greater than last years and more than the com bined value of any two previous years. There were record crops of corn, oats. rye. white and sweet pota. toes. tobacco and beans.
 The principal farm crops will reach more than $12,000. 100000 in value. minor crops s2.5c0.OCO000 and ami malls and animal products. including butter. cheese and eggs. about $6.50O.- 900, 900. This years values are based on preliminary production estimates. and prices paid to producers Nov. l. as reported by the Department of Az riculture. An official estimate of the principal farm crop values will be made by the Bureau of Crop Estimates on Dec. II.
 Cern, the country's greatest crop. accounts for about One-third of the in. creased farm products value Of this year It is estimated at about $4.659.- 100000. compared with $2.296.o00.000 last year. $1.723.O0O. 900 in 1915. and s1.577. 100000 the average for the five years 19l0-14 In point of quantity corn this year saw its largest produc- tion, being G6.O0O.000 bushels more than the 1912 record crop, 60s.000.000 bushels more than last year and 459.- OOO,0O0 bushels more than the 191014 five-year average.
 Next in point of value comes cotton with a crop valued at about sl.9Sl.- 000.000. accounting for more than one tenth of the years total value in crease. Production this year is about G00.0oO bales larger than last year and 2.S40.0OO bales smaller than the 19l0 14 five-year average.
 Hay is the next most valuable crop. with total of s1,390. .000, 900. com pared with SLICE ,OO0, 900 last year and $1.O5G. 900 900 in 1915
 Wheat. the fourth crop in point of value. is worth more than a billion dollars. for the second time in Amer ican farming history. Its value is es- timated at $l ,32O.000.O00, compared with s1.o25.7G5,0 900 last year. $9i3.- 303.000 in 1915 and s6 939.000. the average value of 1S1O-14 crops.
 No other crop has reached the bill, lion-dollar total. although oats comes within s25,000.0O0 of that figure, be- ing valued at s975.O00. .o00, compared with $G56,000. 900 last year and the ls1O-14 average of SAP ,909 900.
 Potatoes passed the half billion-dol lar mark, with a total of s5G2. 900 600, as compared with $417.0G3.000 last year. $22l ,992 900 in 1915 and $213.' G5l 900 the 191O-14 average.
 Other important crcps show in creased values. Barley. estimated to be worth s225.Oo0, ,OOO. is more than double the l910-l4 average value; rye, with a value of $95.O00. 900, is worth almost four times as much as it's value averaged for the l910i4 crops. and both buckwheat, with a value of $26, ,0O0. 900. and sweet potatoes. with a value of $94 .JOO. 900. are more than double the 1ol0-14 average. Flaxseed is valued r.t $29,O00.O00. and rice at $33, ,OOO. .O0r, both being less than last year in point of value. because of smaller production Tobacco, a rec ord lrop. is valued at $249 9,000. 900. cor pared with 169.0O0.O0O last year and $lO3.061 900. the 1910-14 average.
 Striking increase in value is shown by the beans. onions, kaffirs and broom corn crops. all of which more than doubled last years value. Beans are estimated at $120.000. GOO. com pared with $45, ,000.0 900 last year and s27 ,0O0, GOO in 1915; onions at $19.- 341 900, compared with $9.sS2.00O last year and $7.2s1 900 in 1915: kaffirs at SIPS, ,000, 900, compared with $53,269,- 900 last year and $51.157.OO0 in 1915, and broom corn at $13.5O0.000. com pared with $G.549.oo0 last year and S4. .7ss. 900 in 1915.
 The peach crop is valued at $6S.- 500 900; pears. $l3,5OO. 900; apples. S2Os .s36 900; sugar beets. $54,000, 900; $I4.O00. 900; hops. $12. 900. 900. and cranberries, S2.4O0.000.