Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-09-27
THE MARKETING OF PRODUCE

Extract from the Address of Mai. a. 7,
Brooks'at the Annual Fair OF the Monroe Co.
Ag. Society in 1865
After all the cares, lsbors and anxieties of
raising crop, comes the still greater trouble
of selling it. When, where, and tor how much
shall We SELF is apuzzle and perplexityl We
take what We can get-we ask for more-we
are unanimous in that SO far SO well. But
do we always get what we ought to have2 Do
we generally get what we ought to have2 /
answer emphatically, No.
We ought TO sell our produce Tor enough to
cover the expense of seed, all the labor OF rails
ing, harvesting, marketing, the interest on the
value OF the land, aud enough besides to pur-
chase or provide manure sufficient to restore TO
the soil all it has lost in growing the crop.
rms suggests q consideration for which sus-
pect we are very poorly prepared. Who knows
the amount of mineral and other elements
which crop takes from the soil and the cost
OF restoring them2 This, however We all do
know that il we should 60 into the markets
70 purchase guano, bone dust lime ashes, pas.
ter animal manure, and whatever 10 meet ssary
to restore impoverished land to a high state OF
fertility the expense would be enormous. As
body our farmers have made no estimate OF
their annual loss through the depreciation of
the soil. If they should now bring up their
land to its original productiveness they would
incur an expense which few would be able to
meet. 1t would probably cost TO day as much
as our cultivated fields are worth to restore tn
mineral elements alone that have been alb.
stracted from them. of course this remark
| applies to lands that have been several years
under cultivation.
| should like to ask the farmers of Monroe
and all other farmers how many crops With il
the last forty years have paid profit, after re =
storing TO the soil all the elements abstracted
and paying all other expenses2 Not one crop
n fam in I.
We have been farming at a loss. Farmers have
worked hard, and much OF the time they have
worked for nothing True, they fancy they
have been growing rich-really, they have been
growing poor. The nominal value oftheir land
has greatly increased they bought it at II
dollar and quarter, FIVE, ten, twenty, thirty
dollars per acre; and can now sell it ut forty,
SIXTY, eighty, and hundred dollars per acre.
This is partly owing to the irhation OF prices
since the advent OF paper money ard banking
Institutions, and partly TO the increased demanu
Tor land from the increase oil our population
While the pIice has been going up, the fertility
aud . nEequently the intrinsic value OF the
land, has been going down. | would much
rather have the lands OF Western New y otk, as
the bears and Indians lett them, than to take
them to-day with all your b0a.ted improve
ments, ! do not hesitate 10 say, that il u ma
joriy of farmers who purchased land fort,
years ago and paid tor it, had worked out Tor
the board aud clothing OF themselves and fam
| mes, and let their lard remain in the state OF
nature, they would be worth more to. day than
they are now. | tell you that while farmers
have worked early and late while they have
grown pretnaturely old through exhsustiug,
uayi agonizing labors their returns have
been meagre aud inadequate High as pr,ees
ARE to the consumer OF agricultural pro lucts the
iarnei 5 share has been in the main paltry ill.,
deed. Occasional high prices have Deeu bal
| huced by DhEhls, Insects, irosts, drouths and
| other contingencies that lett him nothing 10
sell, while Wholesale and retail dealers, SHIP
pers and bankers-partieularly the latter-ab.
sorb the PROFITS, aud leave tue great majority
| OF larmere unable to improve their farms, their
| stock, educate their families, aud indulge in
the social pleasures that ought to reward their
lives OF toll.
What ia the remedy? 1t would take good
while to answer that question. A partial rem
edy will suggest. Crop lesel II prices are
not satisfactory, diminish the supply; that will
never fail to raise prices l speak with con
hdence when say that II farmers had grown
lees wheat, corr aud pork, they would have re
ceVed more money Tor what they did raise
They seem 10 assume that their profits are
measured by the amount produced, and Sc
they will crop, and crop, till crops will grow
no l0ngeri--they will crop from the mer,
force OF habit when cropping is dead loss
thry Will crop when produce is high, they vii
, crop When they don't get pay tor their labo
IN sowing aud harvesting Resolve on this -
that you will mover put in crop for sale un
! less you can do it in good time, in ii good nau
uer, with a tair prospect OF good return ever,
: way. II you must be poor. don't make you
: land poor tor nothing Work out by tn
. 'uonth, take jobs on the public works, adop
: rigid economy, and never sell produce Jules
. you eau get pay tor your labor and pric
: enough TO purchase manure for anothe
. crop.-[ Rural New Yorker.
/ Supn wuu.r lao., Na,nx, .