Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-05-23
GOVERNMENT CROP REPORTS
Worth the While Of People Who
viii Study.
field AGENT OFFERS SUGGESTIONS
Common Idea That Information is Of
Most Value to the SpecuIator Refut-
ed-Mr. Hare Makes Il Clear That
the Benefit Goes to Those Who Will
Utilize the Same.


the Benefit Goes to Those Who vii
Utilize the Same.
B. S. Hare, South Carolina fielt
agent of the Bureau Of Crop Estimates
United States department Of agricul
ture, has the following to say in refer
ence to the importance Of government
crop reports:
1.-The one great industry of South
Carolina is agriculture, its annual out
put being larger than that Of all Other
industries combined. Much has beer
accomplished during the last decade
in diversification, increased production
and farm organization. In fact, the
industry is being organized as never
before and is passing to what may be
termed a business basis, as distin.
guished from the traditional, routine
hit or miss method of the past. In the
transition its problems must be solved
in the main in exactly the same way
as are the problems Of other indus
tries by the study Of records Of past
performances In connection with pres.
ent prospects and future possibilities
Yet it is singular how little the great
majority of us know Of the agricultu-
raj resources Of the state from bus
mess or economic standpoint. 1t is
surprising to learn how little we know
about the production, or supply and
demand Of any particular crop. The
object, therefore, of this article is to
call attention to the Importance and
economic value of reliable agricultural
statistics and possibly stimulate an
inquiring interest in government crop
reports.
1t might be stated at the outset that
no large industry, business or enter
prise can be long and successfully
conducted without records Of past per-
formances and a knowledge Of exist
ing conditions upon which to base
present activities for future develop
ment. For example. no man with ex-
perience and business ability would
engage in any business enterprise re-
quiring all of his capital without first
studying the past records Of the in
dustry and acquainting himself Of Its
relation to other industries and the de-
mand of the public generally. So the
great industry Of agriculture can not
be properly and successfully conducted
as such without records showing this
information. Statistics Of acreage and
production in past years, of existing
acreage and condition, of growing
crops, Of supplies and prevailing prices
of such crops, past and present are
fundamentally essential for intelligent
and successful handling Of the bust
ness end Of our agricultural problem
las matter Of fact agricultural statfs-
tics, consisting of data pertaining to
acreage, condition, prospective yields
and total production at stated inter-
walls, are of vital importance not only
to the farmer as a class, but men In
other lines of business, as manufactu-
rers, dealers, jobbers, bankers and in
vestors, having present or prospect
i've interest in a county or state, must,
for the proper conduct Of their busi-
ness, have knowledge of the facts that
affect the prosperity of the section or
sections in which they are interested.
1t is deplorable fact that some far
mers object to government reports,
saying that if the reports were not is
sued spectators and business men of
financial centers would not know of
the supply Of any crop and a high
price to the producer could always be
maintained. This Is only one Of his
business delusions, born largely of ig-
norance and indifference to business
methods, for he should know that the
speculator, manufacturer or business
man is following particular line OF
business and it is a rare thing to find
him deceived at any time as to the act
ual or prospective supply of any crop
The only other man who objects to
government reports is the interested
>culator, who opposes them because
he believes that the crop reports are
made entirely for the benefit Of the
farmer and he realizes that they con-
tain the most reliable information as
to condition and production Of the
speculative crops and that the light oi
truth in regard to same prevents him
from spreading false reports IN order
to bull or bear the market and thereby
make his profits from the unsuspect-
ing and ignorant. 1t may be true that
the speculator does take advantage OF
the crop report at times in his buying
or selling of futures, but II he Is ena-
bled thereby to buy or sell at a profit
it is an advantage gained by his wiser
use of these statistics and not an ad-
vantage inherent in the crop report
itself.
a knowledge Of agricultural statis-
tics or familiarity with government
crop reports on the part Of the public
prevents interested spectators from
magnifying or minimizing the actual
or prospective supply of any crop and
the relation thereof to known de-
mand whereby they are able to sue
cessfully raise or lower prices for their
own benefit with a resulting loss to
the producer and consuming public
This is usually done by issuing mac
curate, misleading or unreliable re-
ports as to supply. condition or pros
pective yield Of some particular crop
The farmer, Of course, is the greater
sufferer, for the reason that he Is not
so we'll organized as men in other lines
of business and can not, therefore, take
advantage of sudden fluctuations In
market prices. On the other hand, the
farmer may be materially benefited
by having dependable and reliable
data pertaining to crop conditions and
crop yields made public, such as are
furnished by the United States gov
eminent. He is benefited directly by
being kept informed as to the acreage
condition and prospective yields as
well as prices of various crops outside
| of his immediate locality, enabling him