The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
U. 5. AGRICULTURE IS AGAIN ON WAY
 ID BETTER TIMES
Purchasing Power of Farmer Greatly Increased, Report of Department Shows.
 Products Higher
By HARDEN coLFAx
Special Dispatch to The Age Herald (Copyright, 1929. by The Age. .Heraldl


 over winter the department of agri- culture shows in a summary com pleted today, he has increased his purchasing power between 20 and 25 per cent, enjoyed broad general ad- vance of about 20 per cent in the prices of his products and raised his financial standing, through the en- hanced value of all he produces. by sum so gesmt that 1t cannot be nc- curately measured.
 Within that short space of time, during which no crops were harvest ed, the summary shows crops and livs stock have advanced from a level three points below the average of 1918, or pre-war prices, to a point Is per cent in excess of it. Ills products today are fetching in hard cash hundreds of millions of dollars more than they fetched at the begin ming of winter. He may get . billion dollars more for his 1922 crops and live stock than he did for what he sold in 1921. It may be two billions more: even higher; nobody can tell. The markets continue on the up- ward trend and as the farmers of the country are at least s5 per cent of the entire population, their pros perity forms q basis for industrial and national prosperity than which there Is none more sound or secure.
 Comparison of Prices
 Here are some of the thing that comparison between prices now and prices six months ago. as checked up at the department, shows:
 Wheat has risen from S107 to s1.4i a bushel and Is still rising. Corn has gone up from 47 cents to 6s cents a bushel, 16 per cent rise. Cotton was selling in December at around IT cents a pound: today 1t is fluctu- ating around the 21-cent mark. Hogs have risen from 7.26 to l040 cents a pound, q climb of more than t0 per cent. Wool values have shot dp within the past 80 days. Sheep and cattle alone have failed to keep step with the forward march Of farm prices, but even those values are on the increase.
 Back in 1sis the farmers dollar would buy dollars worth of goods at the store. That was 100 per cent value. Last December, however, the farmers purchasing value had fallen to 55 cents. That fall was due to che deflated to the last cent, the prices fact that while farm products had of other commodities were still tar above the pre-war levels. In the six months that have elapsed since last December, the farmers purchas- ing value has risen to ST per cent of the 1913 standard. He has been
 t & cent a month.
 Attributed te Two THings
 The increase in the. farmers pur- chasing power is attributed, at this department, to two things: Tho in crease in the prices of farm products and a further decrease. though slight, in the prices of other commod- ities.
 An upward swing in the cost of foodstuffs may be expected in retail markets. should the trend of prices on the farm continue on it's present way. The increased retail price. however, 1t is being pointed out, should not be great.
 Indications are that the farmers prosperity will be enhanced this year not only by the increased prices but in some particulars. by increased bulk of products. An illustration of this tendency Is shown in returns covering the number of brood sows on farms April last, & census of which has just been completed. The figures show an increase of II per cent or more than 100000 ami mais in excess of the number a year ago. This is inuterpreted as mean ing the farmers will raise at least 100000 more hogs for the market this year than they dld last With hogs topping 10 cents pound this one item alone would add approxi- mately s1oo.ooo.ooo to the farmers increase.
 Other figures of the week. received by government agencies. tell of continuance of hte business revival. Deposits In national banks. the fed- eral reserve board reports. increased by more than s1oo.ooo,ooo during the week. Stock market activities re- suited, apparently, In an increase of loans amounting to $2o.o0o,ooo by na- tional banks. Rail prices contin- ued at about the same level as dur ing the preceding week, showing q decrease of less than one-third of one per cent.
 Railroads to show Gain
 Indications are that the railroads will show net income at the rate of about per cent on April busi ness. notwithstanding the heavy loss of traffic during the coal strike. Such showing would be much better than for last year. when there was no strike. Coal loadings, incidsn- tally, are picking up slightly. &C., cording to the most recent tabula- tions of the Association of Railway Executives showing an increase of 222 cars during the week.
 A heavy grain movement Is re- corded in the tabulation and fall- ing off of neary 1000 cars in forest products. Indications are that the building trades will experience a shortage of cars in some sections which will develop into a genuine shortage with revival of coal min ing. At the present time, however, the roads report 226o0o idle open-top cars in good order on their lines.
 Gold imports to the United States have dribbled down from a torrent to~a normal movement April impor- tation being placed by the depart ment of commerce at slightly more than $12,0o0.0o0. April ex- ports of merchandise stand up we'll with those during March and are above the low level of six months ago.
 The road-building season has opened and many thousands of work CTS who were unemployed six weeks ago have connected again with the