Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-06
AMERICAN FARMER
LEADS THE WORLD
SEC'Y HOUST0NSAY
Aggregate Value Of Crops Last
Year Was $15,873, 100000;
Stock, So, $50, 900, 900.
ALL RIVALS DISTANCED

Washington. Dec 6.-Thc American
farmer leads the world in individual pro
duction of crops, Secretary Houston oi
the Department OF Agriculture. asserted
today in his annual report. While coun-
tries such as Belgium, under intensive
farming, get a higher acreage weld, he
said. taking both acreage and yield per
acre into account, the American agrt-
culturst produces two and a hall times as
much rs his Belgian and German rivals,
23 times as much as the British farmer,
32 times as much as the French, and
more than SIX times as much as the Ital-
ian.
The result Of this and Of the American
farmers war work Is shown IN the l9la
American crop production, placed at three
times greater In valUc than the average
annual output during the five year period
preceding thc European war. The ag-
gregate value OF all crops this year Is
placed at 1858. 600, 900 ae compared
to Sl4 ,222, 600. 600 in 1918 and an average
Of s5,s29 600 600 during the hvc Year
period
Live stock on farms this wear Was iia,Ir-
cd at So. $50 O00. 600 as against SS,2Sf,
0OO. 900 in 1918
The average Weld for all crops for the
decade ending in 1918 Is about l6 per
crnt greater than for the average for the
decade ending with 1890, the report SAID
The average rate OF increase for the past
- wears is about one-half Of ono per cent \
year.
Estimates in the report put the 1919
wheat production AZ 9lS,47l 600 bushels
and corn It .. 9IO $50, 900 bushels Cotton
i ex1e,ctcd to reach I0.6o6 600 hales and
tobacco 1 $40. $50. 900 pounds
'Thr farmers Of the nation IN 1919
planted an acreage IN leading cereals
greater by 1900. 600 than the pre-war
annual average which. il Is estimated will
Weld Gas 600 900 more than thp pTp-war
average Nr Houston >aId oi war work on
thc farms They increased \ inter Of
mich cows over 1914 t,y 600 oi
other cattle iv $500 0OD. Hlne by
rs 700 600 and ot horses and mules by
100000 OF 4 total Of ?. 9ol00o
The planting operations OF the year
lcran before the fighting ceased and tie
call vas still for more wheat Inc depart
ment Sugges tcd = maximum fali acreage
Of 47 POO 600 acres. an increase oi IL per
cent over 1915 There Was actually
planted f926l 600, the largest acreage N
tie nation 4 history. 69o0,R0 acres more
thsn In 1918
II J ne SprinG WItcdt atFN9AEe Ns-N @~t%i'o'
600 whilc the winter and spring plantings
confined amounted 10 1854 600 acrcs Or
:. 200, 900 more than the preceding record.
II. y estimated that the weld Will ~
cred that If 1918 hv 1000 000 bushels
and viii ne tho nations second record
wheat crop. The estimated corn crop q
, 100000 900 bushels vii he 100000,
600 greater than that Of 1915.
The nation can further expand its out
MT of commodities ~ cultIvating unused
tiIlahle land. estimated st more than 80
ner cent Of the total, the report states.
Expansion Is limited, however, by the
slnplv Of capital and labor
10 step 10 promote farmers co-operat-
Jve associations along the right lines,
should he omitted, the secretary saId. II Is
estimated that these organizations market
anDusllv approximately Sl,500.000000
worth of commodities
Included in Mr. Houston recommen-
datIo9s were the following
The building M, primarily under State
Law. az s system Of personal credit Unions.
for farmer. whose financial status and
oneraIoas make il difficult 10 secure ac-
cnnmodations through the ordinary chan
,els expansion of facilities for aiding IN
nsrletInc. especially extension Of the
y,a-l-et news and food products inspection
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