Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-02-07
Tho American Farmers Future.

The following sensible article
from the Germantown (Pa.) 2eie-
graph, one Of our most valued OK
changes, is well worthy a careful
reading:
The nation is looking with won
dering gaze at the growth of rail-
roads, mining and manufactures as
the types of prodigious advance in
material development. The farmer
has learned to feel that he has d.
rect interest in all this, because it
gives home markets that render it
necessary for him to depend on the
foreign demand. But the farmer
has not yet learned because the ag.
ricultural interest is not organized
on the same scale as the industriaD
that in all this opening of a higher
and better civilization he has new
aims to look to, new interests to de-
vclop; new importance to under
stand and care for. He has not yet
understood, because it is difficult
for the scattered ans isolated cult
vators to learn these things, that
with the increased variety of manu-
features there come openings for
new crops that he can raise.
The capitnlist can employ chem
lists and scientists to prepare pro-
cesses and adapt raw materials to
the arts. But the farmer has no
chemists ut command and no scien-
fist to advise him Of the method of
utilizing what he wastes for want
Of knowledge. The Agricultural
Department tells him at times of
new crops he can raise for which
there is demand in the home mar
kets, and it distributes seeds far
and wide, some of which are
always sure to fall on congcnial
soil. What is needed is that our
American farmers should exhibit
the same intelligent spirit of enter
prise displayed by the inventors
and manufacturers; that they should
appreciate the new spirit of Ameri-
can civilization, and rush forward
to make agriculture not the mere
follower and servant of manutac-
lures, but the great leading and adj
vancing interest. AS the cotton
crop was vast before we had any
cotton manufactures, so we would
have the farmers drive ahead boldly
with other crops, not waiting mere
ly upon the home market, but push
ing forward to supply the markets
Of the world.
What seems to be wanted is that
that the farmer should not be con-
tent to follow in the beaten track
to do as his father did; to raise the
same crops, and to depend upon the
same markets. The times require
that he should consult his own in
tcrest according to his own best
Judgment; that he should read care.
fully and regularly all the best agri-
cultural periodicals and publca-
tons, and especially be wide awake
for new methods, new machinery,
&c. If this shall be neglected we
shall see the old errors repeated,
one market being overloaded with
peaches, another with grain, a third
with cotton; men casting away
large crop of tomatoes rs useless,
etc.
This seems to be the principal
error of American agriculture. 1t
lacks variety. Go into new State
like Iowa, or Minnesota, and every
body will be found raising grain
Go into another region and all is
corn. SO it goes over the area of
our vast empire. Our farmers
move rs by one multitudinous i'm
pulse. Scarcely one farmer in a
hundred thinks out independently a
course for himself But we believe
a better day is dawning. The best
classes of agricultural publications
find readers and exercise a growing
influence. New crops obtain grad
ually, and if the general press will
only render it's share of the work
and call ont loudly and increasingly
for a greater diversifcation of agri-
culture and for Il more entcrprising
and systematic movement forward,
we are sanguine Of great results
The common farmer stands in great
need of being made to understand
how vast is the future opening be-
fore him, and how largely the real
greatness of the Republic depends
upon the class to which he belongs.
He can really do more to render the
Nation truly Independent and self
reliant than any other class or in
tercst in the community. The ques-
ton to be laid before every farmer
is, will he be able TO rise to the
emergency?