Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-10-30
ON SOUND BASIS
is AGRICULTURE
Virginia Is Ahead of Most States,
Compares With Amy of Them

AT the present time, Virginia's
: agriculture is on as sound a basis
: as the agriculture of any other State
in the Union,' declares John r
Hutcheson, Director of the Virgins
: Extension Division of the Depart
: ment of Agriculture, in issuing fiat
denial that this state is on a decline
agrieulturally. On the other hand
: Mr.. Hutcheson says, the Virginia
farmers have learned to diversity
their crops, to produce economically
and are now studying better meth
DDS of distribution.
The number Of farms in vir-
ginia have increased from approx
mately $4,000 in 1920 to 193,0OO
in 1926" adds Mr. Huteheson, quot
ing U. S. Census Bureaus figures on
farm enumeration taken last year.
This is an increase of about four
per cent in the total number of
farms and must be quite a surprise
to those who are prone to believe
that Virginia is declining as an ag-
ricultural state. During this same
period there was a net decrease
throughout the United States as a
whole of 5000, or one-half per cent.
Twenty-four states, or exactly one
half show decreases during the five
years.
1 Steady Growth
"A study of agricultural statistics
for the past 80 years will show that
there has been a steady development
/ of Virginia's agricultural resources
and that at the present time Virgin
las agriculture is on as sound ba-
sis as the agricultural resources of
any other state Union These sta
tistics show that higher percent
age of Virginia farmers own their
own farms than do the farmers of
any other state in the South, and
these Virginia farmers come nearer
feeding themselves and their neigh
bors than do the farmers of any 9th
err state in the Union.
"A brief study of the trend of
crop and livestock production in
Virginia during the past 80 years is
of interest. In 1890 the total pop
ulation of Virginia was 1,655.9S0,
50 per cent of whom were classed as
rural and IS per cent urban. In
1920, the total population of Vir-
ginia had grown to 2,309,1S7, 10
per cent as urban. In spite of this
decline in the percentage of rural
population, we found our farmers
by practising better methods of pro-
duetion and better methods of mar
keting have greatly increased their
food and feed production. Let us
take a few of our leading agricul-
tural products and see what has been
accomplished along these lines.
More Foodstuffs Produced
In 1899, figures secured from
the Division of Agriculture statistics
show that Virginia farmers produced
100000 bushels of white potatoes,
which was only 81 per cent of the
amount needed to feed our own pop
ulation, but in 1919 we find Virginia
farmers producing 1928, 900 bush
els of white potatoes, which is 152
per cent of the amount needed to feed
cur own population. During these
80 years the average yield per acre
has increased from SO bushels to
los bushels. This great increase in
the yields per acre was largely due
to the farmers in our potato section
learning better methods of cultiva-
ton, fertilization and disease and in
sect control. The great increase in
the total production was largely due
to our farmers ON the Eastern Shore
/ learning better methods of market
ing the potatoes after they were pro-
duced
In 1899 the total wheat produc-
ton of Virginia was 100000 BUSH
I els, or 81 per cent of the states re-
quirements In 1919, our Virginia
farmers produced 11,446,0O0 bush
els of wheat, or SO per cent of our
states requirements. During these
80 years the average yield of wheat
per acre increased from ga bushels
to II bushels. Virginia is not class
ed as great wheat state, but our
average yields per acre compare ia
vorably with those of the wheat
states of the West
I'm 1899, our Virginia farmers
produced 50,00O,0O0 pounds of pea
nuts, or AS per cent of the state
requirements. In 1919 they produced
100000 pounds of peanuts, or
1894 per cent of the state require
ments. Peanut production in vir-
ginia could be expanded further if
there were profitable markets, but
due to competition from other states
and foreign countries. peanut produc-
ton cannot be increased probably in
Virginia at this time.
Livestock Increase
In 1899 Virginia farmers pro
: duced S3,O50.0OO pounds of beef
i and veal, which was Ito per cent Of
} the state requirements. In 1915
: Virginia farmers produced 199,150,
900 pounds of beef and veal, which
: was 127 per cent of the state re
) nuiremantc Durino tIic cap,o ,,a,.ic,