The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-02-08
Minneapolis, Mimi, Jan, %, 1870

MIR. EDITOR -
Though | like to read, dc
not like TO furnish material for others ia
read yet the desire to object to an asser.
ton made without showing why
the correctness OF which is by many
questioned, is so strong as sometimes to
overcome that unwillingncss and make il
rather agreeable than otherwise to do So
BY the kindness of friend in Middle
bury, | received, to-day, your issue of the
l1th, in which is letter from a mutual
friend, who uses the following language
"The tariff question is being consider.
ably agitated with various results. The
farmers cannot sell their wheat, and at.
tribute the low price of produce generally
to the high tariff. This, in reality, ac.
counts for it about as much as the blow.
ing of the wind, and not any more. Sc
long as they persist in raising wheat, and
nothing else, they must expect OCCASION
ally to get unmcrcifully pinched, and this
will be so, tariff or no tariff"
These assertions are made in speaking
Of Minnesota farmers, by Minnesota
man, and for whose opinion and sound
judgment entertain the highest regard
and whose honesty none will question, MOI
is it my intention to dispute his assertions
The question Of tariff is an important one
and there are two sides to that a,
well as to most questions, and without
siding with, or against my friend, | may
be allowed to submit few facts and sug
gestions, which perplex some honest
minds, though they may not his.
70 diversity crops is advised Now
all will admit that no farmer should buy
poultry, meat, grain, wool, butter or egg
from the market, for his family; these
should be raised and were he willing tC
live from "hand to mouth" as the saying
is, these would be all he would want, anC
they are about all the primitive farmer
= has, but they are not all the farmer o
!. our day and State desire, nor are they
all he is entitled to. Farming is busi
ness, may and should be made profitable
: and not merely afford scanty living
This admitted, what shall be the source o
profit to the Minnesota farmer? Eacl
climate, soil and country has its own pc
culiar adoption to this or that kind o
product. Illinois has its corn, the special
ity Of South Carolina is cotton, of othc
> localities, tobacco, of others, sugar anc
so on through the lists of products cacl
is found in its own locality in abundance
and in those localities it is the source o
profit to the producer while the othe
products are cultivated only for his owl
consumption, as matter of convenience
as neccssaries, and not as a matter o
profit. Tho speciality of Minnesota i
wheat, and as well might you say to
southern planter, raise wheat, or to
> northern farmer raise Bananas, as to
Minnesota farmer to diversity his crops
as source of profit; he came here t.
raise wheat We can compete with tn,
world in wheat raising, with an equa
,, chance. About so much wheat must b,
had every year, and somebody is going t.
raise it, and he who can cultivate it t.
the best advantage, in the largest quaint
ties and best quality has right to cult
vatc it, and expect his profit. So mucl
for diversitying crops; now as to price
and demand.
Why is wheat low and sales small
appears that England, the maclstrom, in
to which our wheat has heretofore beer
poured, is now being supplied from othe
graineries than ours, viz from those il
the countries in which she has greater
commercial trade the result is perfect
natural, inevitable. England will pur
chase this year 75,000,000 Bushels o
OF wheat, where will she get it; she vii
take it in exchange from those countries
with which she trades ofcoursc for wher
she sends her exports to a country hci
vessels return laden with whatever tha
country has, which England wants; i
that country has wheat or can by any
effort cultivate wheat the ships return
to England heavy with that articlc,whicl
Of course makes the wheat market goo,
in that country and increases its proluc
tions, now let us see whether that coun
try is ours or whose it is. In 1851 W,
shipped to England 21,765,0S7 cwt. o
grain in 1898 only 6,753,3S9 cwt. an,
in 1854 we sold wheat for $3.50
bushel, and now it is fifly-cents a bushcl. Ii
1867 we furniscd England but about on
twenty-sixth of her wheat and flour, will
in 1862 quite one quarter of all she used
The reason was, that in 1862 our com
mercial relations with England wcr