Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-05-13
why Have We to Pay
Extravagant Prices for
Country Produce?

The system of farming pursued i'm
Iowa, especially contiguous to our
larger towns and cities, is not such as
TO pay the best. So little attention is
given TO what is esteemed by our
farmers small matters, such as the
. production Of fruits, butter, cheese,
vegetables, poultry, etc, that there is
often so great scarcity of some one,
and frequently all of these articles,
AS to advance prices to such point
"a to make the average cost of living
in our Western towns equal, and
sometimes above that i'm our eastern
cities. With the exception of the pro-
duction of wheat and meats the wants
of the animal creation, excepting
man, are amply provided for, but man
wh"se wants are varied, and who
pays best for all he needs, is required
to seek foreign markets for much OF
that which he consumes, and which
can profitably be produced at home.
If our farmers, who have easy access
TO home markets, would look 10 their
best interests, they must produce
sufficient to literally supply the needs
of all within their reach, rather than
producing so much of that not need
ed at home, and which they are com
PEELED to sell 10 be sent hundreds Of
miles 10 seek foreign market, being
thus compelled To pay an enormous
tax thereon as freight. If the home
demand for all kinds OF farm produce
tions was properly attended to there
would not be such an cutlery about
freight bills, etc, as we hear from all
parts of our State. This thing of
calling upon our Legislatures to com
pei our railroads to reduce their
tariffs has not the sympathy of those
who see that our farmers have a
remedy i'm their own hands, by using
which they will not only benefit
themselves pecuuiarily but make liv-
ing at home so much cheaper as TO in
cure the influx of more consumers.
But, says the farmer:
why urge us to produce these ar.
ticles, which if we all entered into,
would soon glut the home market?n
Better to glut the market with but
ter and cheese than with wheat, bes.
cause these will always pay their
way to an other market, and wheat
will not without adding as much as
IL costs to produce it. No, the mar
bet can never be glutted with either
butter, cheese, eggs, honey, poultry,
or fruit, because they will he sought
for to export before the prices reach
point that will not pay TO prodace
them.
Another cause for the high rates
which country produce generally
commands, in the Des Moines mar
ket especially, is the vast territory of
unoccupled land lying within an
area of ten miles around our city, in
amount not less than $4,000 acres. In
fact the town has outstripped the
country. All the produce that reach
es Des MOines. within area, of ten
miles, is brought in by wagon, and
when the roads ale bad, the market
soon becomes bare of these too fire..
quentfy considered SWdH articles.
As a large portion of these unoccu
pred lands lie directly upon the lines
Of our railroads, we know of no bet
ter localities for those farmers who
will devote themselves to supplying
the neglected needs Of our sometimes
suffering citizens.
On inquiry we find that, excepting
within a couple OF miles of the city,
these lands can I've purchased at an
average Of from Sl2 to SIS per acre
There is not a better opportunity ia
the ro-Iutrv than il ileTe presented t.
good common sgu~e farmers. to make
Elonty, and our wonder il that So
mAny of the immigrants fail to take
advantage of it. In ten years. it IL
possible for u man to make himself
comfortable for life,~on any forty
acres that he may choose to select
within ten miles of Des MOines. -
lOlCu Homestead.