IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, 1904-1915 (Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture) Total, excluding Forest Products..... $461,434 $638,612 $783,457 $815,301 $924,247 $908,185 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS-Continued (Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture) AVERAGE PRICES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, 1904-1915 1 Average farm prices Dec. 1. 2 Average wholesale prices at Boston. 3 Average wholesale prices at New York. Prices per head, Jan. 1. Average wholesale prices of inferior to prime beef per 100 lb. at Chicago, for the year. Average wholesale prices of extra creamery butter at New York. 7 Average wholesale prices of average best fresh eggs at New York. HORSES: crease.... Value of land Total, U. S 17,058 21,040 20,567 20,962 21,195 Value of all property Illinois.. 1,232 1,655 1,482 1,497 1,467 represented in Per Total cent age 878,798,000 46.2 478,452,000 54.5 190,866,000 21.7 209,481,000 23.8 6,361,502 138.1 75.2 13.2 44.8 39.2 2.8 $5,487,161,223 $40,991,450,000 200.5 $28,475,674,000 218.1 $6,325,452,000 177.8 $1,265,150,000 168.7 $4,925,173,000|160.1 910 and bees.. 758 Average value per farm 4,479 Lands and buildings 12.0 All property. $6,444 Alabama. 278 281 only.. $5,471 309 Average value of land Total, U. S 47,321 47,782 61,178 58,933 64,618 3,041 Feed: 2,368,905 $299,839,000 37.2 1,823,032 $114,884,000 28.7 4,771,063 669,556 920,883 among Native white 66.3 Foreign white. 81.4 other 26.2 XVIII THE MINERAL INDUSTRIES MINING AND ORE DRESSING CHARLES E. LOCKE The Mining Industry.-From a dark | pacity, old mines are being reopened outlook for the mining industry early and new mines developed. Lack of in the year 1915, the whole aspect has milling facilities has prevented an entirely changed during the twelve even greater production. The same months, and, strange to say, both conditions exist in other copper disconditions may be ascribed entirely tricts. The Utah Copper Co. at Bingto the European War. It was not ham, Utah, which normally handles generally foreseen in January, 1915, about 20,000 tons per day, has made that the foreign commercial demand records as high as 38,000 tons mined for metals which had decreased to and 32,000 tons milled in 24 hours. practically nil would be equalled and In the new Ajo district of Arizona, even exceeded by the foreign military large deposits of low-grade copper ore demand. This demand, coupled with are being developed for production on the deficit in European production, a large scale. The Chuquicamata mine has been largely met by the United of the Chile Copper Co. is getting States and has resulted in general down to a regular production from higher prices for most metals, and in its leaching plant, after having exalmost unprecedented prices in spe- perienced the difficulties which inevicific cases. Iron and steel were a tably attend the starting of a large little late in getting into line, but scale plant employing a new process. the last half of the year showed a In gold mining, the large enterprises general boom in this branch of the at Juneau, Alaska, have reached the industry. The general feeling is op- stage where one of them is actually timistic, and it is generally believed producing and reported to be obtainthat even though the war should ing resuits even better than had been come to a sudden end, the demand for expected from such low-grade gold metals for reconstruction would still ore. At Mine la Motte, Missouri, maintain prices at a fairly high level. where the lead and zinc deposits have (See also this department, infra; and been worked in a small way in three XIII, Economic Conditions.) centuries, modern methods are now handling ore on a large scale and at a low cost. No real suffering from scarcity of metals has been felt in this country. The fear that some materials would become absolutely unobtainable which existed in 1914, in the early stages of the war, has given way to a belief that native ingenuity will, in some way, develop resources to take the place of foreign supplies. Conditions in Mexico have continued unsatisfactory. The largest operator, the American Smelting and Refining Co., has attempted to work more or less regularly, but in October the white employees were all called out of the country and operations The prosperity of iron mining is practically suspended. Cananea was indicated by the figures of Lake Su- closed down for several months, but perior shipments, which totalled 34,- resumed in the late summer. The 669,556 tons for the nine months end-year closed with a good outlook for ing Sept. 30, 1915, against 26,709,413 peaceful conditions. tons for the same period in 1914. A High prices for metals have meant record of about 25 million pounds per higher wages, and strikes have not month is being made in the Lake Su- been so numerous as in some past perior copper district, where produc- years. One in the southwest Missouri ing mines are being worked to ca-zine district collapsed after a short |