Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-05-17
A Few Facts for Farmers.

And it may be as well for few other class
es to learn the same facts; and first, the great
fact that of all trades and occupations, the
farmers is the only one that never suffers by
hard times, commercial Distress great fall
of stocks, or any other of the Thousand and
one terms that tell of ruin to many of the dem
liens of the city.
1t is great fact that the farmers, as class,
are now the only class that is prosperous,
while all other classes are groaning under the
evils of depression in business, and want of
employment of those who labor to live, and
are dependent upon daily toll for daily bread.
At this very moment, while the laborers of
the city are suffering for food, the farmer is
realizing the highest prices he has received
for many years, for every description of farm
produce Think of whole droves of bullocks
selling for over 500 each. What price for
beef 1t is ii 10 III l-2 cents for every pound
of meat in the four quarters, and the present
week it is even higher than that.
Sheep that will dress less than Sc pounds,
have sold in droves at S5 and Sc per head.
Then we pay five or six cents a pound for
-four. and we butter our bread at % to "a cents
per pound. Potaioes-that indispensable nee
essary of an American table-are still dearer
than bread or meat for human food.
In short, it is fact that every product of
American soil is selling at price more re-
munerating to the laborer than any other la
borious employment, and yet the earth lies
untitled.
Thousands and tens of thousands of acres of
rich soil, offered for sale at trifing price, are
lying as idle as they were thousand years
ago. Why is it spl Why do not these la
borers raise their own bread and meat! Why
do not farmers stick TO their trade, and why
do not others fall into that occupation!
We think we can answer.
The first grand reason is because there is a
most abominably foolish opinion prevailing
that any other employment is more respecta-
Bile than that of a farmer This false impress
sion is quite as much owing to those engaged
in the business as to those who are not
Children are taught from early ages, by mis-
taken parents, 10 look for some other means of
livelihood than the dirty business of their
fathers.
There is a continual longing to escape from
the prison-house of the farm.
The enaturalconsequenc is, that all other oc-
equations are full, and all in them, in their
turn, are taught to look with contempt upon
the farmer and his occupation.
The great evil is sant of pride of caste on
the part of those who should hold the first
rank in society-land cutivators.
1t does not follow that because man is
farmer that he should be fool, or even la
bOrious drudge None but fool need be that.
There is Just as much room for leisure, study
and Improvement on the farm as in the store,
office, or mechanics shop.
If we csuld only contrive to elevate the
character ard standing of all who cultivate
American SOIL we should have not only a
more numerous, but more happy class of
farmers. The difficulty now is, they are
ashamed of their calling, and do not try to i'm
prove their condition and therefore, sink
down into drndges, working like cari-horses
for their daily allowance of fodder.
This is the cause of scarcity of farm labor,
and that scarcity produces the present high
prices, without producing corresponding
profit to the cullivator. Why! Because he
has TO pay an extra price to induce labor TO
flow into that channel. He is in constant
struggle TO keep up appearances, and rival his
speculating neighbor, who is Aourishing upon
borrowed capital, and generally does break
whether rhe ought to or not. His children are
bound to be young ladies and gentlemen =
that is. idle and useless incuubrances upon
the farmland TO ''espise their home, instead
of loving and clinging to ii forever.
Traced directly home to that cause can be
the sad history of many who are now suffering
famine in the city al this moment.
There is another cause-another great fact
for our farmers-the most of them are as ig-
norant of the first principles of their business
as Hoitentots. They dig and delye in the
same path that their antiquated grandfather
trod in the previous century. without ever
thinking whether ii is right or wrong.
Beside our own native ignorance that still
persists in blowing the surface of land only
two inches deep, 50 that it is drowned at one
season, and burnt to dust at another, we are
constantly importing ship-loads of people more
| ignorant still than ourselves. With this ma
tive and imported ignorance, with only about
one-half the hands that should be employed
upon the farm, we are trying 10 grow food
enough to feed the workers and idlers, and
make large annual profits to invest in stock
other than farm-stock.
With the present high prices, stock in a
good farm should be the best stock in she
world. That it is not, the fault is in the
farmers themselves. There is certainly a
screw loose in some of the machinery of So
ciety that needs a little tightening.
If it be fact that the price of cattle which
is now prevailing throughout the United
States is in consequence of an insufficient num-
ser in the country, it is fact which ought TO
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