REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 19 



SUGAR BEETS. 



The sugar-beet crop, which for several years remained close to 

 $20,000,000 in value, has risen to more than $24,000,000 this year, an 

 increase of 23^ per cent above the five-year average and much above 

 the previous highest value. The production also is the largest and 

 is 23.7 per cent above the five-year average. To the establishment 

 and growth of this crop this department has directed some of its 

 best efforts. 



HOPS. 



No other crop exhibits such a high increase of value over the five- 

 year average as the hop crop does. It is 140 per cent. This is 

 because the price of hops, which has usually been 10 to 20 cents a 

 pound, has risen to about 38 cents. Consequently the total crop value 

 has become $15,500,000. The production, on the other hand, has 

 fallen off by 15 per cent in comparison with the five-year average and 

 has been exceeded many times. 



Nearly one- fourth of the world's exports of hops go from this 

 country, and a little over one-fourth of the world's crop is produced 

 here. 



RICE. 



Rice is one of the five crops that have a production above the 

 five-year average, the percentage being 6.6. The amount, although a 

 little over 1,000,000.000 pounds, has been exceeded twice. The price 

 per barrel has been down until within a verj'^ few weeks, and it is 

 probable that the value of the crop, as finally determined, will be 

 larger than was expected. 



BUCKWHEAT. 



Buckwheat continues to show a disposition to reach its old-time 

 production after many years of decline. The crop of this year is 

 7.3 per cent above the five-year average and has been exceeded by only 

 two crops since the sixties. The total value is the largest since the 

 sixties and is above the five-year average by 13 per cent. The farm 

 price is about 72 cents a bushel, and in only one year since 1883, 

 namely, in 1908, has the price been higher. 



• 



TOTAL OF ALL CEREALS. 



Notwithstanding the considerable differences among the cereals, a 

 comparison of the total of all of them this year with the five-year 

 average will be some sort of a measure of the year's performance in 

 agriculture. The bushels of cereals produced this year number 

 4,622,000,000. This is 3.4 per cent below the five-year average and. 



