Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-02-20
farmers 4epa.tnlerlt.
From the Farmers Chronicle.
Preparing for the Crop Of 1863
By G. 8. INNS.

BY G. 8. INNS.
1t is now, high time, Mr.. Editor,
that we farmers should be making
our arrangements for our crops the
coming season. All classes are com
planning of dull times-the scarcity
Of money. This must continue, and
even grow worse, unless our agricul-
turists bestir themselves and raise a
full cid 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 scource of wealth, or
even relief for US, but the produce of
our farms or work shops.
We may speculate off, of each 9TH
er, and few grow richer, but times
must remain hard until we quit i'm
porting, and get to exporting agri-
ricultural products. Who would nave
believed fifteen years ago, that ONO
ever would have bought her breadf
Then one of the greatest arguments
in favor of distilleries, was that
they used up some of our surplus
grain. Even wheat, was then distill
ed or made into starch. Anything
to get rid of our superabundance.
Acknowledged evils were endured to
assist us in accomplishing this, then,
desirable end. But where are we
now drifting? Manifestly to bank
ruptcy, unless our agricultural and
mechanical products are greatly en-
larged.
Some farmers are perchance ready
to say, my lands will no longer pro-
duce good crops of wheat or 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 with them.
There is another great evil! During
our flush times, many persons con-
cluded they could get along without
work; or at least.not work very hard,
Starting 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 herse feed as well as our
manufactured articles.
This must ultimately drain our
State of money; we cannot expect to
get money, unless we produce some
thing with which to buy it.
Now what is the remedy for all |
these evils from which we are suffer
ing in the tightness of the money
market? One or two good 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 bestir
yourselves, look about your farms;
take in field here, q corner there;
let no available spot lie idle. Plant
everything else you want, and then
nll up with oats and corn. reruaps
you have an old pasture or other
field you can plow up as fallow land,
on which to sow your wheat early
next September. If every one will
but do his best, we shall have plenty
and can 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 accustom-
ed prosperity.