No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 471 



vention and discovery, it is doubtful, if in any other branch of in- 

 dustry, greater advance will be found to have been made than in 

 agriculture. True, what has been done does not wear that aspect of 

 the sensational, as for instance attaches to Marconi's brilliant 

 achievement in wireless telegraphy, yet even of larger moment of 

 the world have been some of the advance steps taken in agriculture. 



We are told, ''still waters run deep." Agriculture lies deep at 

 the foundation of things that relate to the material life of the world 

 and its vast processes go forward like the movements of the heaven- 

 ly constellations in silence. But when the account is taken, when 

 we reckon up what all we have witnessed means, it is found difficult 

 to express in words or figures what the changes brought about 

 actually represents in the life and welfare of the world. 



Consider how short a time it has been since the thought of the 

 scientific world was turned to agriculture at all. Count your fingers 

 and you will have fingers enough to express the number of years 

 since sufficient numbers of trained instructors could be had to man 

 the agricultural colleges of the country. 



We have not yet attained to perfection; but what has been done 

 in that short time is a promise of a future roseate and full of cheer 

 to the men and women who love the soil and find their greatest 

 pleasure in remaining close to it. 



The possibilities of an acre are as yet unknown. Allow me to 

 quote a few of Secretary Wilson's figures for the year of 1904. 

 Abundant prosperity has been enjoyed by the American agriculturist 

 during the year of 1904. It is true a few exceptions may be noted to 

 this general condition, but these exceptions are few in number and 

 trifling in importance. 



The corn growers have had good crops and fair to large prices. 

 The cotton growers who sold early realized handsomely. The cattle 

 growers have not had their full share of prosperity. They are not 

 getting fair prices when we compare what they obtain for the cattle 

 with the cost of meats to the consumer. There is something radi 

 cally wrong somewhere and a readjustment is due. 



Nineteen hundred and four has been a greater financial success to 

 the farmers than 1903. One conspicuous item that has contributed 

 to this abundant prosperity is the corn crop. Nearly reaching the 

 high-water mark of 1902, the corn crop closely approached two and 

 one half billion bushels, and with the high prices of this year this 

 crop alone has a value to the farmers far exceeding $1,000,000,000. 



The cotton crop ranks second in point of value to the farmer, 

 realizing |750,000,000. Wheat and hay fought for third place; the 

 two crops reached nearly as much as the corn crop. Potatoes and 

 barley reached their highest production in 1904. 



The oat crop was never so large by 60,000,000 bushels except in 

 1902. More rice was produced than in any previous year, by ap- 

 proximating 300,000,000 pounds. This list could be continued to 

 emphasize the prosperity of 1904, but will now confine myself to 

 the report of this State as I understand them from points gathered 

 from observation, correspondence, paper reports, etc. 



The season has been rather a varied one for the cereal crops of 

 Pennsylvania. The weather at the time of seeding wheat in the 

 fall of 1903 was very unfavorable in many sections. It being ex- 

 cessively wet and much of the seeding was retarded until October, 



