The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-03-05
FARMERS COLUMN.
Preparing for tHe Crop of lsCs.
rs C. 5 INNS, COLUMBCs, o.

1t is now, high time, that we farmers
should be making our arrangements
for our crops the coming season. All
classes are complaining of dull times
the scarcity of money. This must con-
tinue, and even grow worse, unless our
agriculturists bestir themselves and
raise full old fashioned crop 1t is
more the shame for us; but our State
has absolutely bought rather than sold
bread for the last five years. At this
rate where are we drifting? There is
no other source of wealth, or even
relief for us, but the produce of our
farms and work shops.
We may speculate off of each other,
and few grow richer, but times must
remain hard until we quit importing,
and get to exporting agricultural pro-
ducts. Who would have believed ff-
teen years ago, that Ohio ever would
have bought her bread. Then one Of
the greatest arguments in favor of dis
tilleries, was that they used up some of
our surplus grain. Even wheat, was
then distilled or made into starch.
Anything to get rid Of our super
abundance. Acknowledged evils were
endured to assist us in accomplishing
this, then, desirable end, But where
are we now drifting? Manifestly to
bankruptcy, unless our agricultural and
mechanical products are greatly en-
larged.
Some farmers are pcrchance ready to
say, my lands will no longer produce
good crops Of wheat or other grain.
ANY intelligent farmer should feel
ashamed to make any such assertion.
The fault lays around your stables
and in your barn yards, in the piles Of
rotten manure you have suffered to run
to waste. The richest land will not
always continue to produce heavy crops
and receive nothing in return. But
because your fields did not become
barren at once, you have suffered your
means Of improvement to run sadly TO
waste.
This state Of things cannot much
longer continue; we must enrich our
over-worked farms, or sell them TO some
one who will deal more fairly by them.
There is another great evil During
our flush times, many persons conclud-
ed they could get along without work
or at least, not work very hard. Start
ing with this notion, they have become
slack and yet Stacker, till now they do
not do as much work in a whole day as
might be done in five or six hours
The result of these two causes is we
are buying much of our bread, our
potatoes, our sugar and our horse feed
as well, as our manufactured articles.
This must ultimately drain our State
OF money; we cannot expect to get
money, unless we produce something
with which to buy it.
Now what is the remedy for all these
evils from which we are now suffering
in the tightness Of the money marketi
one or two gsod full crops would do
more to relieve our State and cure these
dull times, than the issuing of millions
on millions of greenbacks. Farmers of
Ohio, bestiryourselves, look about your
farms; take in field here, corner
there; let no available spot lie idle.
Plant everything else you want, and
then fill up with oats and corn. Per-
haps you have an old pasture or other
field you can plow up as fallow land, on
which TO SOW your wheat next Septem-
Der. If every one will but do his best,
we shall have plenty and ean bid hard
times to go to the dogs,
But to effect this every one must do
his part; let US have no sluggards.
The country needs our exertions now
in this direction, full as much as it did
in the field during the war The men
Of Ohio were equal to the emergency
then. Cannot our State rely on the
same strong arms now.
What we want is more energy, more
industry and more perseverance,. With
these all would be well, and we should
soon regain our accustomed prosperity.
--Edrmer'S Chronicle.