Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-02-12
BALTIMORE. Md. February

piled by the Manufacturers Record,
there was a decrease last year in the
combined output of corn, wheat, and
oats of 236,000,O00 bushels in the
country outside of the Southern
States, while in the South these gains
showed an increased production of
1886 100000 bushels. AS result of
this the South made greater per-
centage of increase in the total value
of agricultural products than the rest
of the country.
The aggregate value of all South
ern crops in 1919 was $7,022 ,000,-
900, as compared with $8,768 900, 900
for the rest of the country. Thus the
South last year produced "A per cent
of the entire crop values of the coun
try. The most striking fact in con
nection with this is that the total
cotton value, seed included, was only
little more than $4,000, 900 900, leav-
ing nearly $1,000, 100000 as the valse
of the South's diversified crops.
Counting the South's livestock pre-
duction at about the same per cent
age as ruled last year would give -
this section 3,000,OO0,0O0 as the /.
value of it's livestock output, or to-
tai of all farm products of s10,000,-
100000 This is $30O,O00,000 in ex-
cess of the aggregate value of all
farm products of the United States
as late as 1915, which was the high
st total that had ever been reached
up to that time, and is just little
less than one-haf of the total value
of the, entire country of all farm
products in 1918.
These stupendous figures give some
indication of the amazing advance in
diversified farming and in the agri-
cultural wealth of the South.
The value of the South's crops in
1919, the increase being largely made
up by the gain in it's output, was
nearly $1,166, 100000 more than in
1913, while in the rest of the country
the gain, was only 1929 900 The
South's increase in crop values was
10 per cent, and in the rest of the
country it was only 6 per cent.
Comparing tie crop values in 1s-
10 over the average for the FIVE years,
1913-1917, the South shows gain of
$3,603 100000, which is equal to 1es
per cent, while the rest of the coun-
try for the same time had gain of
1874 ,000, 900, or 7e per cent.
In connection with the food supply
of the country, it is fact of sig
nificant Importance that the grain
production of the entire country out
side of the South last year showed a
decline of 236, 100000 bushels, inscon-.
trast with the gain in the South of
1876, 800, 900 bushels, II it had not
been for this remarkable increase in
the South we would now have very
much higher prices for food stuffs
and feed stuffs of all kinds .s
The decrease in the United States
winter wheat acreage for this year of
25 per cent, or 100000 acres, and
a similar percentage of decrease in
rye acreage are among the most sig
nifcant signs of the times, showing
the great decline in the grain rodue7
ing regions of the West of the acre
age given to winter crops. Unless
this decrease in the West is offest by
an increase in grain in the South this
spring, there is a strong possibility
that we might next winter face
shortage in grain production which
would seriously effect our livestock
supply and bring about food prices
which would make the present prices
seem very cheap.
In the total value of farm crops
last year, Texas leads the entire
country with total of $1,076, 000,-
600, while the next State is Iowa, with
1851 900, 900, and Illinois with $685.
1000. The extent Of diversity of
farming in Texas is shown in the fact
that the grain production of the State
was nearly 400,000,000 bushels. Other
Southern States made similar phen-
nomenal productions. The value of
North Carolina crops last year was
$683, 0G0,0 900, compared with the five
year average, 1913-1917, of $685.
100000 South Cardinals crop pro
duction last year exceeded in value by
$45,000,0 900 the total of California
and the value of North Cardinals
crops exceeded by $208,000,000 the
value of California s. The three
Pacafic Coast States, Washington,
Oregon and California, had aggre-
gate values for crops last year of
$S10,000,000, which was $266,000, coo
less than the cree values of the State
of Texas North Carolina was fourth
on the list, being exceeded only by
Texas, Iowa and Illinois and was