Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-31
President Walter L. Hathaway in his
ddrcss to the State Farmers Institute
-estcrday said:

ddrcSS to the State FARMERS Institute
yesterday said:
This mid winter session comes to-
gether under conditions unlike those
such meeting OF the farmers Of Nir.
.inia. Never in Il generation have
such lar reaching results been ie-
pendent upon the actions Of agricul-
tuIaI producers; and while this state
incnt, of course. applies TO tho whole
United States. 1t is for US. TO Give at
tcntion TO Tirgir;a's par. In Il. To
serve Loyalty and faithfully each In his
own particular pace and situation is
Tho obligation that confrorts al Of ue.
There has been too much high ia
luting'' and bombastic expression of
.rntiment: too much sentimertality,
distinctly too much slush in the con-
sidcra'ion of the farmers place and
duty In this world crisis In sir.pie
duction OF food for human beings and
animals. II -. OF course. a patriotic
obligation. IL Is also. however, a busi-
ness proposition: and X behooves us,
no: only to encourage In every posi-
bic way the Increased production Of
fnod. by increasing the acreage, better
tillage, harder and more constant
work. but also 1t Is our business duty
10 see that the other lines Of cndea-or
-
operations of the farm be made also
10 10 their part
DISCUSSES PROBLEM
OF PRICE FIXING
I. viii not 10 that the government
shall regulate tho prices Of the things
80 have to sell and leave those wc
have TO buy uncontrolled. 1t must not
Tx the price az wheat at a maximum
FAR under that = which demand and
supply would take II: ard ieave the
prices Of fertilizers and farm macbin-
cry 20 be fixed alone by tie Seller. We
do not object to 81 maximum for
wheat. provided the prices OF the things
that go into the production Of this 50
wheat are also equitabiy regulated
III we wish to increase the production
II our farms this year over lag, war
we must all get together and see tina I
fair and just average Is fixed, not only
'or the prices of our own products. but
IS well fer the things we have to buv,
When SO important an organization
OF farmers as the Farmers UrIon OF
virginia. In its last annual convention
complains. and Justly. that farm ma.
chinery. fertilizers and especially labor
nave been allowed to go without re-
Strictfon or regulation and when we
know from the farm Journals and
ether sources OF inform tion, that ths
farmers all over the United statos nav.
MS same feeling; 1t Is high time that
'he authorities in Washington give this
matter careful attention. III The farm
ers ever get fixed into their minds tho
idea mat they are not being fairly
uealt with, and ln.n their enthusin SIN.
then last years Will be the high water
mark In production. And, II we do our
part We must: 1t Is indeed an impsra-
I'VE ooilEation put upon Us. produce
an aggregate total ri at least 10 ne,
ccnt moro this year than last
IMMENSE VALUE OF
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Figures are generally considered dry
things, but there arc some concerninr
the part Virginia has taken In agricul.
tural production that, to my mind. arr
almost poetic in their interest and sig.
n!ticance.
10 you know that the value Of agrI-
cultural products in Virginia last year
amounted to the wonderful total OF
S344.o0o,000? That in the census year
1909. II was slo0,50o, 900? An Increase
!" eiSht years or 242 per cent. and a
per capita value of $4,000. while In
the entire United States the increase
vas from ss.tS6,00o to $13.5so. 900, 900, 14s
per cent increase or a per capita value
for the whole United States OF Sl35
Further. that leaving out the four agri-
cu!turaliy small mountain States of
Navada. Wyoming. New Mexico and
arizona, whose combined total produc-
tion last year was only Si4S,OoO 900
Virginia had larger percentage in
crease in this period than any other
state in the United States except only
Louisiana. BY the census OF 1900 yIr-
ginia producted.
Corn. 2S.ooo,o00 bushels; wheat,
100000; white potatoes. 100000; hay
10000 tons.
Last year Virginia produced: corn
100000 bushels: wheat. 10000, 900
bushels: white potatoes, 10000, 900; hay
$4,000 tons. Oats upon each date the
same. 100000 bushels: wool, an In.
crease Of only $4,000 pounds.
In all these items. except Data and
hay. the percentage of increase IN Wiz.
e'nia for this seventeen-year period
was greater than that of tho entire
United States. The percentage being:
Nirginia--corn. 165 per cent; wheat
ITO per cent: white potatoes. 1000 per
cent? wool .03l: per cent
f. United States--corn, so per cent;
wheat. 90 per cent: white potatoes. los
per cent wool. 0S per cent.
In addition to these import
ant crops we produced last year:
100000 bushels OF sweet pota-
toes: 5.775000 bushels of peanuts. lo.-
Goo, 600 bushels Of apples. 40, ooo, 900
pounds of tobacco and $4,000 tons OF
cabba &c
WHAT IS THE MATTER
WITH OUR DAT CROP
Why should our oat production not
have increased at all? Why should we
not have kept pace with the rest of the
country in the production OF hay? Why
should We only produce l,S62,000
pounds of wool?
n.te
GINA at rs and 90 cents per bushel. and