, 1873-02-11
AGRICULTURE.
Tho Wisconsin State Agricultural
Convention.
Address Of Professor Parkinson on
tsProduction and Consumption,
Demand and Supply"


The Btnte Agricultural Convention held at
Madison thia wook, undor tho auspicoa Of tho
Wisconsin 8tnto Agricultural 6ocioty, Was do
voted mainly to tho dicusBion Of purely agricul-
trrat subjects. Its ollcia: action in tho way Of
passing resolutions, otc, was quito brief. A
resolution commanding Governor Washburns
recommendation that Doard OF Railway Com
missionora bo appointed, WAS unanimously
adopted; also, ono recommending farmera to or
ganizo in Clubs, Grangos etc., md to buy ma
chinery Of thoso manufaoturers who agreo to
troat with tho representative Of the Club on tho
Bamo torms aa with other agents.
Although engaged In an animated aRallroad
War" tho 11so Of the Assembly Chamber WAS
ohoerfully granted for two evening msotiugs,
In tho main, the papers road and discussions
woro .usoful and practical; stook-Raisin1g
Dairying, Grain EARNING, Fruit Culture, Fish
Propagation, Objects Of Agricultural Societies,
etc. woro quite tuly discussed q TIE address by
University, was out Of the ordinary line Of
addresses at such meetings, dealing with broad,
general principles, instead Of with tho narrow
or isolated facts upon which farmers 80 often
q uomewhnt full synopsis worth roading. 1twas
entitled .......
PRODUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION; DEMAND AND Sup
Tho moving imprlso IN tho economic; World i'd
human wants, tho alternate object is to satisfy
those wants. md tho absolute intervening CON
dition to this end ia human toll. h1on IN their
business relations aro aotuntcd by self-intorcst.
arc essentially distinct. Tho ono treats Of right,
the other Of gain. Tho basis Of tho ono il on
lightened aenso OF duty; Of tho other enlightened
solf-lovo.
non,to circle. Tho flrpt constitute tho bpringsot
wealth, tho moving impulse: Dut 1t Is written;
TN the Bweat Of thy faco shalt thou eat bread."
Toll, too, Ia irkBome. Honco to mnumtzo pain
and discomfort III tho problem OF economy. To
this ond men soon learned to exchange scTvices
The full benefits Of exchange thoy soem slow to
recognize, It involves tho who'll subject of di-
vision Of labor and tile distribution Of ta frrts
Prejudice hero e apt to creep In and disttrb dor.
rect thinking and acting: Tho different partica
In produotons must bo recoEnlzod. What is It
to produce, and who aro producers2 In tho
broadost sonHo OF tho term, ho who rondera
sorvlcs for which something ia domantea 81, md
rendered is tho product md the act Of rendor~
ing it, is production. Naturo, with hor agencies,
stands ready to minister to the wants Of man
labor is necessary to control and uso them.
Material production is simply imparting to ma-
torial objects qualitios which Ct thom to satisfy
human doBiro. Utility Ia the thing produced,
not mattor. Man cannot create, can only offoot
changes in matter. These arc Of three kinds;
form, change Of place. Honco the threo great
departments Of industry agriculture, mec1ani~
ca, and commercial. To classify labor IN ono
Of these departments as productive. aud another
as unproductiye, iB to lose sight OF the nature OF
No product ia complete until 1t 1a ready to DO
nut to itH final uao. Agriculture forms tho base
Of the pyramid Of production, but not tho whole
| OF tho pyramid.
All production Implies consumption. Ono Id
the direct opposite Of the other. II the first con-
sBts III fitting objeeta to Batsfy aesiro, tho lat
| tor consists in unhtting them to do 30. Con.
sumption for the most part is for the purpose Of
| reproducing. The comforts Of life arc kept In
| store not by saving sbut by perpetual roprodue~
| tion. All mon arc conBumors and must be Buch.
| Most mon GRO producorB to somo o1tont. No
man in civilized life produces oil that be con-
/ Humcs. BY choice ho engages In particular in
tlustry without choice he consumes tho pro-
ducts Of thousand. The real difficulty soems
to lie in neorring proper distribution Of tho re-"
wards Of labor. II every man ondoayored to sat-
| iBfy llia own wants, through his oTn efforts
| directly thore would be no chance for tho opo.
ration Of tho multiplied checks and balances
which now govern In exchange. But as olyiliza-
ton advances individuals and sections learn that
true Independence comes Of tho complotest In
tordopondonco. They produce not to satisfy an
immediate and doflnito demand, but in antioipa-
tion Of o general indefinite ono. Demand and
supply now become terms Of tho highest sfgnif-
icnncs.
Their real import lioa in their more restricted
Bonso. In this aouBo donanl ia desire coupled
with ability TO purchase, and supply u limited to
products in tho mn1lot-for sale. In common.
| cial language, money ready to ha paid out for
oomr1odities constitute demand, and commodi.
tics ready to DO exchanged for money mako
snpRly;; s ;. y, m,r,,ot nr,cop II TIM oo,,n.on q,
demand and supply Whoa those are ,I1 eqn1a'lzod
Exohangablo commodities may DO roughly
divided into three olassos: 1st-thoBo Of which
the supply can, bo reaaily md indefinitely In
lutoly limited; 3a-thoao which oan only be
Increased. with difficulty, or aftor considerable
lapse Of timo. In tho first clnss, cost Of pro-
lnet!on operates to regulate tho average price,
only. These temporary influences operate by
beautiful do.blc-aoEing law. ANY excosa or DO
flcionoy in domaul not only tendH to check ltHol1
but to 10 checked through, Its Influence upo1
supply, 30 on tho othor hand any oxcess or DC
Nctency Of supply 1neota double oheuk.
Tho pyico or articles In tho second class mon
toned il wholly determined by tho competition
OF purchasers. Tho third CLASS IL avcry import
ant ono. In it falls tho granH aad othor product
Of tho earth.
Tho price OF any commodity aeldom rises IL
tho exact ratio Of tho increased demand or th
diminished supply. DomatNl not only aotb upol
price but prico roaots upon demand; ~ onr mot mos
IL better thnn surfoit ANY excess or doiicteno
OF tho common articles of food tells rapidly upo
tho price. Holders aud epeculators do much t
| prevent excessive fluctuations. ..
In regard to tho complaints Of excessive rate
of transportation, competition only can o1loott,
ally romoly tlo ovi This 1t eeon,s difficult t
. secure. fho opportunities for, combinatio
al,tl consolidation now afforded railroads stun
n,uol, In tile wny. More porfoct wator oommun
caIlon with tho Atlantic would do much in sc
curing competition liz the carrying trade. Moan
while much may bo done to disspato or to ooun
teract tho ills which we suffer. 10 this end t
farmers organizo In oyory township and count
] In tim III fntu mt fnr tia n1I1OEG OF making WI
upon railroads, but to prevent these and ever
other industrial intorost from mailing war upo
them,--not war direct and positive, but that
> tho indirect and negatiye,-tllat which comes
I upon tho "situatlou."