Smyrna times., 1855-05-16
Remedy for High Prices.

AS agricultural conventions are becoming
customary in several States, it may not be amss
to ascertain, if possible, whether the high price
Of breadstuffs is TO be perpetuated. The cause
is apparent to the most casual obseryer--its
remedy is equally plain. The fact is, that the
agricultural interest in the United States, is
miserably behind the age, in regard to the en-:
terprise exhibited in every other industrial pur-
suit. The business of farming is not popular,
and hence its pursuit is oon6ded to the few,
and, in general, conducted with limited resour-
ces, both as to the investment of capital and
hired labor. The present actuating principle
of farming appears to be to produce the largest
crops by the smallest outlay of capital. The
farmer deems it necessary to work himself har-
der than any other class of propretors; Injured
~ toll from his youth, when he parforms the
labor upon his fathers farm, he knows that be-
yond the mistaken idea that upon his own al
most unaided exertions depends his success
1t is well known fact that the sons of farmers
generally, become disguised with the drudgery
of farming. prefer to crowd our cities and towns
as clerks, than to remain upon the homestead.
On the other hand, if we look at the farmers
of England, where, as general rule, they hire
their farms, far different state of things ex-
lists. An English farmer understands that the
produce of his farm depends upon the amount
of capital he expends upon it in manure and
labor, and unless he resorts to every means
within his power to enrich his land that his
profits will be inadequate TO the revenue re-
quired for the support of his family, the pay
ment of taxes and rent, which form no mean
items of the expenses. .........
In the United States, on the contrary, nearly
all farmers own their land, and, with some few
exceptions, so long as they can extract from
the soil sufficient for the support of the family
and current expenses, and in prosperous year:
lay little by at the years. end to invest in the
hank or sideboard drawer, they are contert.-
But the time has arrived when the public gen.
orally have become interested. The population
increases much more rapidly than heretofore
whilst the quality of produce remains in stat,
ono. and as mouths must be fed, it behooves III
pg Wudb Cdu pttstHb eFt
of high prices be remedied We answer, b,
increasing the quantity and calibrc of farmers
and the natural extension of cultivation. |
we look for example to the planters in tn,
South, who are farmers de .facio. how differen
in extent is the capital and labor employed OF
the plantation, compared with the farmers o
grain; and as a result, whilst the market O
England is closed Sgainst the high priced fiou
and grain Of this country, the planters are do
ing prosperous business in cotton. The cas-
seems to require some kind of legislative aid
either by Congress or the several States. w
have an extensive uncultivated area of land
the richest soil in the United States. and
large and rapidly increasing amount of unem
ployed labor, arising from emigration, in all {
our principal cities, and yet -four is at the enol
nous price of $40 to S12 per barrel after
plentiful harvest-potatoes, &C., in relativ
proportion. II is true we have few agricu
tural teachers and several newspapers wh
profess to enlighten the farmers, but so far q
we have seen of them. we observe the imperi
tive necessity of an increase of capital ar
labor as essential to success, entirely kept OF
Of sight, although its necessity is as evident
every section of the couatry as "the sun
MONDAY" '-a ...s. 'a g.. g..