Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-01-17
AGRICULTURAL.
The Prospects of Western Farmers.
From the Prairie Earmer.

diton CT the Industrious farmers Of the
West We love to reflect upon the newt
able results of we'll directed labor in agri-
culture upon the prairies. The merchant,
| lawyer, doctor &c. fill The chief places ;but
here 1t is to be the farmer. He is to be the
man Of wealth, influence and independence
the gentleman. This is no enthusiastic
! speculatlon; 1t is the sober truth, easily de-
monstrated. = We wish the farmers 10 feel
1t; to take pride in their high calling; and
by the cultivation of their own minds and
those OF their children, be prepared to sus
! tam the character of the entire West. If
the West have any character worth pos
sesslng ten years hence, it will be Of the
farmers making; and they should under
stand, that whether it be- good or bad. upon
them will rest the responsibility Of its for
nation.
For tire, II is true, some may labor
hard under adverse circumstances. Some
are in debt, and we fear too many from
having purchased several times as much
land as they needed. We know it is temp
ting, very tempting, to have a beautiful
prairie lot adjoining one, which can be OBJ
tanned atgovcrnment price ;and the thought
that by and by it will be wanted, when ii
may cost q large sum, is a strong induce
ment to get II now, even by borrowing the
money at a high interest. But in many
instances it would be better For the farmer
to content himself with smaller tract, land
remain free O. debt. These unfortunate
cases, however, only form exceptions to
the general rule. few years Of industry
and economy will relieve the great mass Of
the farming population from debt, and 10
every sense they will be free and indie
pended men.
How can it be otherwise' The possess
or Of 100 to 5000 or more broad acres, fer
! tile as any the sun ever shone upon with
! hocks and herds Of stock Of all kinds 10
! proportion, owing "no man any thing but
| iovc;" who is 10 dictate or rule over him!
! Knowing his rights. and Of the class in So
ciety outnumbering all others united, what
can be done to his permanent injury!-
| One sided legislation or any other public
grievance will be quickly corrected at the
! ballot box. What il there be fora time such
a super-abundance Of agricultural produc-
tons? 1t matters little: in few years this
will be regulated, and an opening will be
! found for all our surplus Other branches
Of industry will be entered upon, and present
producers will become consumers. We
! know it IS difficult to raise money now from
the sale of produces; that load Of wheat,
oats, or pork, is hardly worth bringing so
miles to market, even if it were given to
one; and that consequently those having
debts, or land to pay for, who have no
means provided, are in very straitened Cir
Gums rances. But they are well off COM
pared with those at the East in similar
condition. All that come here from the
East, say our farmers know nothing about
hard rimcs-that for the past two years
| farming there has not paid lis expenses.
There is no mistake about it: if money
! is to be made any where by farming, it is
10 be here, where the best land, with an al
most incXhaustibe soil. is obtained at 81.
% per acre; where crops OF all kinds are
raised with the greatest case: where cate,
sheep, hogs, horses, and all the various
domestic animals thrive well, fat;enlng
themselves on the native grass: where, in
short, all the great agricultural stap!es,eX-
ce2t cotton, are produced with the least
possible expenditure oiIabor and money
Surely, if eastern farmers, laborIng under
so many disadvantages compared with
their western brethren, having not a single
advantage except their nearnessto market,
If they can make Hring, oar farmers
must accumulate fortunes.
And that agriculture is one of the most
certain means of acquiring competency,
is evident from past experience. Notwlth-
standing all the disadvantages under which
the early settlers Of Western New York
and Ohio commenced their operations, they
! have steadily progressed to independence.
! In locking back to New England, it will be
found the son who inherited the paternal
acres, and continued their cultivation, has
more generally preserved his property,
than those who have tried other means of
making money. Some have made more,
but others have lost more. Those in 9TH
or branches OF business may occasionally,
or even frequently, outstrip the farmer in
the accumulation OF wealth; but there is not
the certainty Of ever having an Independent
livelihood. that almost invariably attends
the agriculturst.
But we have no intention of giving our
opinion merely as TO success IN western
( farming; the following productions we con-
slider the basis Of the prosperity, and taat
they most abundantly insure it.
Corn. This is to be one Of our most I'M
portant staples, Notthat such large guam
titles Of 1t will! be exported; though we
think ere long kiln-drying will become
common, and then it will be shipped both
TO the East and South 10 great extent;
but its superior value in rearing and fat
tenins animals, gives that region most easl-
" producing it, great advantage over 9TH
ers. Col. Taylor, who has acquired such
note as an agricultural writer under the
fictitious signature Of "Arator," says of it,
49, i our meat. meal and manure" and