Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-03-23
s...m.. s.e.uiauon.

cAo 8tOSh
moneg to acork wih, there was nothing to
prevent one from gaining in wealth quite
rapidly, we should have accepted the state
ment to represent that farming was at the
present time. really a prosperous business
in his locality; but it seems the real gist
of the statement is speculation upon the
farmer is now paying largely, How this
is to be avoided, except in such cases as
where the farmer is in quite comfortable
circumstance financially, is a question of
no mean Importance, and yet not to be
readily answered. Very often indeed
does the matter of profit in farming seem
to receive a decision upon the ground or
basis of how much will the land rise in
value within a decade of years. Now it
is not in itself an unwise idea to look at
the probable rise of land as a part of the
expected profits of agriculture as a bust
ness, and yet it is simply the union of
farming and speculation which may be
seen to a considerable extent all over our
country. With this view of the case it
were the sheerest folly to declaim against
a desire to connect speculation with farm
ing, aud yet when we look about us and
see how many men are living and even
growing wealthy off the bard earned pro-
ducts of the farmers labor. we feel just
like trying to devise some method by
| which this class of men shall have to earn
a little more of their bread and wealth by
the sweat of their brows, instead of asking
the farmer to do the whole sweating.
1t is only too true flat the general re-
port of those engaged in the art of hus-
bandry throughout the length and breadth
of the land, is that low prices for farm pro-
ducts prevail. Wheat is low, corn is low,
hops are low, hogs and horses and live
stock generally are low, cotton and wool
are low, &C.. &c. Let us look into the
thing a little. Corn is low, but then the
season was more than usually favorable,
and with Il product of a Thousand million
of bushels or over, the price could not be
expected to hold up. And with cotton
| the same thing holds good with three and
a half millions of bales or more, how can
the price of the previous year be upheld ?
Now with live stock, some other and rather
| incidental causes tend to influence the
present market valuc-as short crop of hay
in several sections of the country has ten
ded to cause a considerable increase of an
finals to be thrown upon the market; and
Just here, rather to hurt the thing, an APP
prehension of the spread of the cattle dis
ease prevents the sale of some kinds of
stock very considerably hog cholera in
the West and South, and the cattle disease
appearing again in the Eastern part of our
country and in Canada, discourage from
buving to hold or feed and were this
likely to continue, the line of policy thus
adopted would prove tie be the correct one !;
yet we trust it to be only temporary. and
that by an enlightened course OF treatment
the i'll effects arising therefrom shall be
| rendered quite insignificant i'll extent
Should this prove so to be, then live stock,
to-day, would be just the thing 'or the far
! mer to retain, or to obtain. as largely As
may be consistent with his ability to feed
But will grain be as low in price another
year? Not at all likely. Europe must
needs buy more than double the quantity
from us, and moreove-, next years crops
are very likely to be somewhat less IL
quantity, for years of such great abundance
do not come as often as it is otherwise.
With this view of the probable situation
before us, it would seem wise for those
| who can do so, to hold on to their present
crops of grain. and also keep up their guam
tity of live stock. No doubt Secretary
B~outwell's retrenchment policy has some
thing to do with the lower price of farm
produce than that which reigned two years
ago and quite likely the full tide of
general improvements of q public or semi
public character operate to keep up farm
labor above its relative price with the mar
ket value of farm products: but these are
things that time alone can be expected to
remedy.
How to avoid the s~peculator coming in
between the farmer and the consumer, is
a question now receiving some attention,
and may be solved in part by the genius
of the land but the most salutary check
to this possible plundering, is for the farm
er to communicate as nearly as can be
done with the consumer or the distributor
of last resort. If the farmer must sell as
soon as the product is fit for market, as is
only too often the tease. let him guard
against the rapacity of the speculator.
whose cry islike that of the horse-leech, for
more of the blood of his victim. But how
can this be done? 1t may be asked.
/. Bygrowing a greater variety of crops
you may secure a demand for home con-
sumption to a much larger extent than
heretofore.
2. By growing or producing better ar
ticle, you bring the purchaser to you who
is willing to pay more for such product.
3. By seeking to avoid the periodical
fevers and spasmodic interests that fiji
abroad over the land, drawing in thousands
of farmers into some special line of pro-
duct, for the reason of its having paid 50
very well the year or two previous. 1t
used to be a. common saying not far from
here, some years ago: 'Ifbroom-corn paid
last year. then don't you raise any this
year, for there will be no end to its ex-
tent of planting this season; but if it did
not pay last year. then do you raise all you
can, for there will be next to none plant
ed this season." Now this advice was
good in its day, and is not wholly inappli-
cable to the present time in regard to
some other things. But few men can re-
sist the temptation to take advantage of
those whose necessities COMPEL them to
offer their products in a market where pro-
per competition does not exist and for
this reason the producer should look well
to the matter of a fair compensation on the
part of the buyers.
One source of trouble now lies in the
fact that of our farmers and husbandmen
generally. so many are temporarily such,
and design upon the first good opportuni-
ty to leave the vocation they o follow
for snp,athing with eitber less labor attend