The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-08-14
HONESTY OF FARMERS AND GAR
DENERS.

good opportunity Of seeing what country
people are doing, the way of sending pro-
duce to market, being farmers sen my
self, and having lived upona farm good
share of my life, besides being accustomed
to listen to the speeches of politicians just
before election as we'll as on the Fourth
OF July, wherein we are always reminded
of the immaculate honesty Of the entire
agricultural community, it is not strange
that should take a just pride in belong.
ing to this class. Bus occasionally some
thing turns up to shake my faith in the
honesty of formers and gardeners. as we'll
as Of other people. Last winter / pur
chased o few bales of hay that were sent
down TO our station by one of the honest
farmers OF Rockland Co., N. Y, and after
it was in my barn we uupacked it. The
first thing that attracted my attention
we're the binders Of wood, which were
green beech, two inches square. they not
only being tue heaviest wood that could
pc found but were twice as rye as
necessary, there being twenty pounds OF
this, at two cents per pound, ON every bale.
The hay appeared to be bright, green
timothy outside, but the inside of the
bales wss mainly half rotten clover or
wild lowland hay, come of which no ami
NAL, unless neariy astarved, would touch.
nave never had much experience in pur-
chasing baled hay, but my friends who
have, say that my limited experience is
not different from theirs. But I com.
menced to tell what saw to-day Ia the
store of commission merchant" or. as
usually called of late,a "swindling middle
man" There were crates OF tomatoes, all
the outside specimens that could be seen
were large, ripe and handsome, while the
center of each was filled up with SMALL
wormy, green, worthless trash, that a
policeman would order dumped into the
garbage carts if one Of these "swindling
middlemen" dared to expose them for
sale. These crates Of. tomatoes excited
my curiosity, and asked the privilege of
further investigation, aud it was satisfied
to the fullest extent. Barrels Of potatoes
just received were opened before me; the
top layers down, for six inches or more,
were large and fine, but upon dumping
them out a. least tushel in the center
were rot bigger than walnuts. Barrels
Of green cucumb"rs, filled in the middle
by wilted, half-ripe specimens from dead
vines But had seen enough, and begged
my friend to stop or would feel inclined
TO declare that the "noblest work OF God"
an honest man-had long since depart
ed FROM this earth.
Now, my brother farmers, gardeners
and fruit growers, charity, like honesty,
must begin at home. How can you ex-
pect others to be honest if you are not?
This "cut-throa." game of trying TO take
OF those to whom you sell the
products of your farm is coming back; for
"ehickens usually come home to roost,
and there is no escaping the penalty Of
dishonest dealing with our fellow man,
for any great length of time. l know
full we'll the temptation which besets US,
and that the honest man suffers for the
sins of the dishonest, in spite of all his
efforts. The farmers who send pure grain
to market get but little more for it than
those who send that which is mixed with
cookie, chess and other foul seeds simply
because the best quality is required to
mix with the inferior, to bring up the
standard of the whole. Bat because
others cheat, it is no excuse tor you or me
Men must be mean in the full sense of the
word, even if their purses grow light in
consequence. There are scores of dishon-
est middlemen in our markets, but fear
they have little encouragement to be
otherwise, judging from my twenty years.
acquaintance with the markets and mar
ket men of New York City.-Rural Neto
Yorker.
WEATHER OBSERVATIONS you