REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 23 



After a long time the new land that was fit for agriculture and 

 could be acquired diminished, agricultural land values increased, 

 the immigrants changed in description and were not inclined to agri- 

 culture, and the farmers' sons went to town and city. So National 

 consumption increased in the later time in a greater degree than 

 agricultural production did. 



This is the broad, general view of the matter, although there have 

 been many variations and readjustments in particular instances; and, 

 in consequence of the new order of affairs, the exports of agricul- 

 tural products have diminished in quantity because the National sur- 

 plus has become less. They have increased in value because prices 

 have risen. 



Not all products have diminished in exports. Improved agricul- 

 ture and the ability and disposition of farmers to produce for the 

 foreign market have increased the National surplus of some products 

 and indicate potentialities that will be beyond the requirements of 

 National sustenance for an indefinite time. 



EXAMINATION OF PRODUCTS. 



A detailed examination of the export statistics of the Department 

 of Commerce and Labor discovers what the trend has been in the 

 quantities of the National surplus of agricultural products. Let the 

 exports of the 10 years 1900-1909 stand for 100, and the exports of 

 each year or group of years can be related to 100 for a simple and 

 easily understood comparison. 



The cattle exports of the 10 years 1900-1909 being 100, those of 

 1870-1879 were 12.4. The index number rose to 85.3 in 1890-1899 and 

 to 102.6 in the five years 1900-1904, from which time the decline was 

 to 34.3 in the single year 1911. 



The exports of horses, mules, and sheep reached their highest figure 

 in 1900-1904. Swine eventually met adverse legislation on the 

 continent of Europe, and their exports declined from 236.5 in 1870- 

 1879 to 31.7 in 1911. 



Butter exports were highest in 1880-1889, for which period they 

 are represented by 141.7, and fell to 35 in 1911. Cheese exports de- 

 clined enormously from the highest figure, 494.8, in 1880-1889, to 

 47.8 in 1911. On the contrary, eggs have displayed a climbing tend- 

 ency and have risen from 0.8 in 1870-1879 to 127 in the five years 

 1905-1909, and to 199.9 in 1911. 



All beef and its products have been combined as far as they are 

 ascertainable in pounds, and then it appears that the period of highest 

 exports was the five years 1900-1904, the index number being 103. 

 It was 43 in 1911. Canned beef was highest at 135.8 in 1890-1899 

 and fell to 21.9 in 1911 ; fresh beef dropped from 116.1 in 1900-1904 



