The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-02-09
The next Cr6p.

The inducements held out to farmers
to plant large spring crop were never
more Aattering than at the present time
Wheat is higher this day than ever known
before in New Y York, and so of other grain.
And these large prices are not entirely
the result of speculation, based upon Eu-
ropcan war news. Independent Of the
war demand, there is scarcity Of bread
stuffs abroad, which has already drawn
off the surplus Of our crops, until the
price is affected BY the natural law of de-
mand and supply. The supply having
become exhausted, and the great Amerl-
can granary, in measure emptied, the
world calls upon the farmers to refill it,
There is another demand for grain be-
sides the foreign one, which will prevent
prices from receding below the paying
point for several years to come, and that
is for the immense number of hands en-
ployed in building railroads. These works
cannot be suddenly stopped, no matter
what the pressure may be upon the money
or grain market, because to stop them
would be ruin to the capitalists When
current once forms channel, it is diff
fcult to turn its course. The products Of
the American farmer have lately fallen
into channel, where the current of trade
is sweeping them onward to marts be-
fore unknown, producing prices before
unthought of. We therefore counsel our
country friends to prepare for great
spring crop. Let them SOW all the oats
they can get into the ground in good or
der, in proper season; then plant corn
upon every acre in good condition which
can be devoted to that crop. Let them
also SOW buckwheat, turnips, and corn for
fodder, so that they can sell a large por-
ton of all the grain produced.
At the West, and particularly in South
ern Michigan, Northern Indiana and H.
linois, spring wheat is more extensively
sown than the winter variety. Farmers
in that region should not neglect the
present opportunity to make paying
crop of this grain. Spring wheat sown
early, rarely fails upon a prairie farm,
where winter wheat is very uncertain
If possible, it should be swon in Februa-
ry; at any rate March should not pass
before this crop is put in, even if it is ne
cessary to wade over shoes in mud to do
it. We have seen forty-fve bushels per
acre of spring wheat, though the usual
crop is far below that, mainly owing to
the very bad treatment it receives at the
hands of the farmer.
Beans and peas, it will be seen, are
quoted at 81 so to 50 so per bushel.--
Both of those are spring crops, and may
be grown with profit upon almost any
farm in the country. Lastly, look at the
price of potatoes, which are now selling
for SO 80 per barrel--more per bushel
than corn, and more than wheat in ordin-
airy years, With grain high, as it GER
tainly will be next season, potatoes will
continue to sell at high rates after the
next crop comes to perfection. Farmers
should make a note Of this in time for
spring operations. Let them plant large
ly. The crop will be paying one. We
add, that they should not plant or SOW
anything, especially in any part of the
Eastern States, without manure. If a
farmer has not enough upon his own farm,
let him buy guano, super-phosphate, of
lime, ground bones, salt, nitrate of soda,
poudrette, or some of the concentrated
fertilizers which are sold now as COM
monty as the seeds to be planted
One of the greatest wants of this coun-
try at this moment is capital, to employ
in producing food and raw materials of
manufacture from American soil. No
branch of business suffers so much for the
lack of capital as farming. Farmers
complain of the poor compensation they
get for their labor. They say that they
work harder, live coarser, and enjoy
fewer of the luxuries and refnements of
life, than any other class of men-all of
which We are all willing to concede, while |
we insist that it is because they do not
employ capital They only work to live
work with their own hands, and not,
like the manufacturer, with machinery,
and means furnished by the power of cap
ital. 1t is equally true that many men
own large tracts of land, lying compara-
lively idle and waste, because they can
not cultivate them alone, and do not see
the advantage of employing others to do it
for them. 1t is this class that we more
particularly desire to wake up to their
own interests, by showing them that the
prices of farm products will not fall below
their present level until after the produc-
ton of another crop. Therefore, we re
peat the counsel -Plow early sow early
and plant largely next spring IN Y.
Tribune.