The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-12-21
FARMERS JUSTIFY
NATIONS FAITH
Have Produced Immense Harvest
This Year in Face of Enormous
Difficulties.

Washington, Dec. 16.--The farm
ers of America have again justified
the faith of the nation in their abili-
ty to meet rs Requirements Of food,
feed and raw materials for clothing,
says the secretary ofagrieulture iE
beginning his annuaf report to the
president. TheNliags produced this
year IN the fase 81 E enormous Difficult:
ties, he. continues. the largest harvest
in the history Of american agricul-
tnre with single exception.
The corn crop of s,19s,0Oo,00o
bushels is unprecedented, represent
iEg more than, four-fifths of the
worlds production. The sweet po-
tato crop of 1o6,000,o0G bushels is
unprecedented, representing more
than four-ffths of the worlds pro-
duction. The sweet potato crop Of
106, 6,000, 600 bushels is the largest
ever produced and far in excess Of
that Of any other year except 1919.
! The rice crop of 52,o0o,0o0 bushels
is one-fourth greater than the larg-
est crop ever before harvested. The
|. tobacco crop of / 1,476,000,000 pounds
considerably exceeds. any previous
yield. The sugar beet crop is more
than one-third larger than the larg-
est ever before recorded. The grain
sorghum crop of 14s, ,ooo, 600 bushels
is 18 per cent. above that of 1919.
which was itself a record crop. The
potato crop of 421, ,900,o0 bushels
has been exceeded only once, and
then BY very narrow margin. The
oat crop of / l,444,ooo 900 bushels has
been exceeded only three times, ane
the tame hay crop Of SS,000,000 tons
only twice. The apply crop of 1885,,
009, 900 bushels has been exceeded
only once. tin 1914. The yields Of
wheat, barley, buckwheat, peaches,
peanuts, edible dried beans, aaxseed
I and cotton are slightly below the av-
e.age, but they, nevertheless, repre-,
sent an enormous volume in the ag-
gregate. The number of all classes
of live stock on farms, although less
than the number in 1919, exceeds By
Is,2IH0oo the average for the five
years preceding the outbreak of. the
European war.
These remarkable results, the sec
retary points out, were achieved un-
der great difficulties. In only fou1
years sef the last 81 was the prog
Tess Of plowing up TO May SO back
lssagd as in 1920. Farmers were dis
couragsd. They saw no hope Of re-
ductioa in the prices of fertilizer,
machinery and supplies, which had
steadily increased since 1914. The
labor supply was approximately 81
per cent. short and wages had risen
TO saeh q point in 1919 that the
farmers were appalled, at the thought
of paying stin higher wages in 1920.
During the time when the farmers
were eultivating their crops, paying
for labor and supplies at unusually
high rates, the prices of agricultural
confnodities generally remained high.
In midsummer, when the farmers
period of outlay was nearly at an end
and their income period was about 20
begin after the problem of produc-
ton had been solved--a sharp de-
cline occurred in The, prices of prac-
tically all farm products. Covering
nearly everything the farmers had to
sell, IT. did not materially affect the
articles they had to buy. The years
output, produced at a normally high
cost, was worth at current prices
SS,0B8, ,000, ,000 less than the smaller
crop OF 1919, and S1,o09,0e0, 900
less than the still smaller crop of
1918. A note. Of warning is sounded
that the stability of agriculture in
the United States is threatened un-
less farmers receive an adequate re-
turn for their products.
Must Have Fair Return.
''The very foundation of our ma
tion-the stability Of our agriculture
lis Threatened" declares the secre-
tary. The farmer must have, un-
der ord:;-ary conditions, reasonable
prospect of a fair return for his la
s Dor and the use of his capital. The
: science, the art, and the business OF
agriculture can not thrive unless he
is suitably and proftably paid io1
the products of his sfaHsa--unless he
receives compensatisa sufficient to
enable him to continue to produce
and to maintain for himself and his
family satisfactory standards of liv'