The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-03-10


mense number OF hands employed in build
ing railroads. These works cannot be sud
denly stopped, no matter what the pressure
may be upon the money or grain market, be
cause TO stop them would be ruin to the cap
italists. When current once forms chan
mel, il is difficult TO turn its course. The pro-
duets of the American farmer have lately
fallen into channel, where the current o.
trade is sweeping them onward TO marts be
fore unknown, producing prices before un'
thought Of. We therefore counsel our coun'
try friends to prepare for great spring crop
Let them sow all the oats they can get into
the ground in good order, in proper season
then plant corn upon every acre in good con-
dition which can be devoted to that crop
Let them also SOW buckwheat, tdrnips, and
corn for fodder, so that they can sell large
portion Of all the grain produced
At the West, and particularly in Southern
Michigan, Northern Indiana and Illinois,
spring wheat is more extensively sown than
the winte. variety. Farmers in that region
should not neglect the present opportunity
to make paying crop ofthis grain. Spring
wheat sown early, rarely fails upon q prairie
farm, where winter wheat is very uncertain,
IL possible il should be sown in February
ut any rate March should not pass before
this crop is in, even If il is necessary to wade
over shoes in mud to do it. We have seen
forty live bushels per acre Of spring wheat,
though the crop is far below that, mainly
owing to the very bad treatment it receives
q, the hands of the farmer.
Beans and peas it will be seen, are quot
ed at 81 80 to 50, 80 per bushel. Both o
these are spring crops, and may be grown
with profit upon almos, any farm in the
country. Lastly, look u, the price of pota
toes, which are now selling at S3,5 per bar
rel-m6re per bushell than corn. aud moro
than wheat in ordinary years. With grair
high, rs il certainly will be next season, po
tatoes will continue to sell at high rates af
ter the next crop comes to perfection. Far
mers should make a note OF this in time iOl
spring operations. Let them plant largely
The crop will be paying one. We add
that they should not plant or SOW anything
especially in the Eastern States, without
manure. Ifa farmer has not enough upor
his own farm, Lee him buy guano, superphos
phate' Of lime, ground bones, salt, nitrate o
soda. poudrelte, or some other concentrated
ferilisers which are sold now rs commonly
us the seed to be planted.
One of the greatest wants Of this country
at this moment is capital, to employ in pro
ducing food and raw materials for manutac
ture from American soil. No branch oc bu
siness suffers so much for the lack of capita
as farming. Farmers complain of the poo,
compensation they get for their labor
They say that they work harder, live coarser
and enjoy fewer luxuries and refnemcnts o
life, than any other class of men-ail o
which we are willing to concede, while W,
insist that it is because they do not emplo,
capital. They only work to live-work Will
their own hands, and not like the manufac
turer, with machinery and means furnished
by the power of cnpital- IL il equally trnG
that many men own large tracts of land
lying comparatively idle and waste, because
they cannot ccltivate them alone, and dc
not see the advantage ofcmploying others Il
do it for them. 1t is this class that we more
particularly desire to wake up to their owr
interests, by showing them that The prices
Of far products will not fall below theil
present level until aGer the production o
another crop. Therefore, we repear the
counsel-plyw early. SOW early, and plant
largely this spring!