The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-02-08
VALUE OF FARM
PRODUCTS SCARS
Increase in 1916 Over 1915
Greater Than Total Re-
ported in 1889.
PROFITS ARE NOT ESTIMATED
Uncle Sam, in Compiling Figures on
Production, Cannot Determine
Net Returns Received by
Growers.

By far the largest gross value Of
farm production in this country was
reached in 1916, according to estimates
made by Uncle Sam. The total Of
crops and animal products was $13,-
449000,000, an increase of $2,674OOO,-
600 over the total of 1915, which was
itself a high-water mark. The mere
increase is greater than the census
gross value of farm production in
1889, and is nearly as large as the
census crop value In 1899. The
increase of 1916 over 1D14 was $3,554,-
100000. The gross value Of farm
production is the total of crops and
animal products, and takes no ac-
count of. the use of product as a
material for other production; nor are
any costs of production subtracted.
Consequently, the value of gross pro-
ductiOn should be regarded as an in
dex number, and not as so many net
dollars put into the farmers pocket.
The value of the net product Of
wealth on farms has never been de-
termined, and cannot now be esti-
mated. The items for the estimated
years are expressed in gross value and
are made to conform to the census
plan so as to be comparable with
those for the census years.
If the gross value of the census farm
production of 1899 is represented by
100, the value for 1879 was 46.9; for
1889, 52.2; for 1909, 1914 for 1914,
2O9.S; for 1915, 22S.4, and for 1915,
1851.
Crop Values Soar.
In the subdivision of the value of
gross production into its two main ele-
ments, crops and animal products, 1t
appears that the total estimated crop
value in 1916 was $9,111, 100000, an
amount greater than the sum Of the
estimated values of crops and Of ami
NAL products for any year previous
to 1912, greater than the total esti-
mated crop value of 1915 by $2,204,-
00,000, and Of 1914 by $2,999, 100000
The total estimated value of animal
products in 1915 was $4,338, 100000 or
more than double the value for 1904
which was the highest amount to that
time. 1t was greater than the esti.
mated value of animal products in
1915 by $47O,OOOOOO, and of 1914 by
$555, 100000.
Compared with the value of farm
crops in 1899, represented by 100, the
crop value for 1909 was 1880; fol
1914, 2O3.9; for 1915, 1908, and fol-
1915, 303.S. A similar comparison fol
animal products results in a percent
age of 1887 for 1909, 22O.2 for 1914
225.1 for 1915, and 1925 for 1916.
The crop value for 1916 increased
over that of 1899 by 2O3.S per cent
Of 1909, by $50 per cent; of 1914, by
400 per cent, and of 1915, by 31.9 pei
cent. The value of animal products
increased in 1915 over 1899 by 1925
per cent; over 1909, by 41.3 per cent
over 1914, by lat per cent, and ovel
1915, by 1872 per cent.
Animal Products Fall Behind.
From 1908 to 1914, the total croI
value, as a fraction of the value OF
total gross farm production, declined
from 64.6 to 61.8 per cent. In 1915
on the contrary, this tendency was moi
only arrested by was sharply reversed
and the crop value then became 64.1
per cent of the total Of crops and ami
NAL products, followed by another
sharp advance to 67.7 per cent in 1915
-Four crops have each exceeded 6
billion dollars in value at the farm II
1915. The estimate for corn is 81,
296 900, 900; cotton lint, based on gros!
weight, 81, ,129, 100000; cotton crop, in
Guiding lint and seed, $1,406OOO,0O0
hay, tame and wild, $1,162 100000
wheat, $1,O26, 100000. Other crops tina
exceed hundred millions dollars are
Oats, 1856, 600; potatoes, $417, 900,
600; farm woOdlOt products, $221,
100000; apples, $1S6,0O0, 900; tobacco
$169,O00,0O0; barley, $16O,OO00OO.
The level of prices paid to produc
ers for the principal crops, Decembe
l, 1916, was about $50 per cent high
er than year previous, 52.9 per cen
higher than two years before and 52i
per cent higher than the average o
the previous eight years on Decembe
l. The year 1915 was one of compare
lively low crop production, but tn
prices and values of most of the crop
were extraordinarily high.