Agriculture.
Nothing can more adequately demonstrate the remarkable development of the agricultural industry in the United States than the statement of the value of the exports of the products of agriculture during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900. Impressive as these figures are, it should be borne in mind that they represent the surplus of production over domestic requirements. The total domestic exports aggregated in value $1,370,476,158, and of this total the share of agricultural products was $835,912,952, or 60.99 per cent. of the entire value. In the preceding year the percentage was 65.19; but in 1899-1900 the exports of domestic manufactures increased to an unprecedented extent, and caused a lowering of the agricultural percentage. In the period quoted the export of agricultural implements rose in value to $16,094,886.The following details, covering the calendar year 1899, show still more strikingly the great value of this industry and its most productive crops: Wheat, acreage under cultivation, 44,592,516; production, in bushels, 547,303,846; value, $319,545,259--corn, acreage, 82,108,587; production, 2,078,143,933; value, $629,210,110-oats, acreage, 26,341,380; production, 796,177,713; value, $198,167,975-rye, acreage, 1,659,308; production, 23,961,741; value, $12,214,118--buckwheat, acreage, 670,148; production, 11,094,473; value, $6,183,675--barley, acreage, 2,878,229; production, 73,381,563; value, $29,594,254--potatoes, acreage, 2,581,353; production, 228,783,--232; value, $89,328,832--hay, acreage, 41,328,462; production, in tons, 56,655,756; value, $411,926,187--cotton (1898-99), production, in bales, 11,189,205; value, $305,467,041. Here are nine branches of this great industry, which in a single crop-year yielded products of an aggregate value of $2,001.637,451.
The extent of domestic agricultural operations is still further shown in the reports of the census of 1890. The number of farms exceeding three acres in extent was 4,564,641, aggregating 623,218,619 acres, of which 357,616,755 acres were improved; and the number of farms cultivated by owners was 3,269,728. Farm valuations included land, fences, and buildings, $13,279.252,649, and implements and machinery, $494,247,467. The estimated value of all farm products in the preceding year was $2,460,107,454. It is to be noted here that the value of the nine principal crops in the calendar year 1899 was only $458,470,003 less than the value of all crops in 1889.
In the matter of farm and ranch animals it is difficult to distinguish clearly [71] between those used in strict farming operations and those that would more naturally be included under stock-raising. In its official reports the Department of Agriculture aggregates all such stock. On Jan. 1, 1900, the number and value of these animals were as follows: Horses, 13,537,524; value, $603,969,442--mules, 2,086,027; value, $111,717,092--milch cows, 16,292,360; value, $514,812,106--other cattle, 27,610,054; value, $689,486,260--and sheep, 41,883,065; value, $122,665,913--a total value of $2,042,650,813. It is curious to note here that for several years past the values of the chief crop productions and of the farm and ranch animals have closely approximated each other.
