Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-04-23
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Farming.


The decline in the agricultural popu-
lation Of England, is indicated by the
last census (for 1879, as very sugges-
tive. Tho interest belongs chiefly, of
course, to England, and the decline is
due chiefly to the conditions of land
ownership in that country. But the
decline Of production there involves an
increased demand npon the agricultnr-
NJ countries, and SO has significance
for us, and ut the same time some of
the minor features of the decline repro
luce themselves in this country, and
are indicative of a tendancy of the age.
The total English population is given
Mt p, Up ,266, and the corrected aggre-
gate of agricultural laborers, male and
female is given at 1890, 903. That is,
about eight per cent. of the population
are agriculturists. In this country,
with population of about rty-eight
and half millions, We have nearly
six million s,or fifteen per cent.
agricultusists, and numerical superb
GRITTY of more than 3,O0O,O 600 in the
agriculturists of the United States over
those Of Great Britain, -s--,s~,qe,
The noticeable feature, however, is
not our greater numbers; for our terri
tory is vastly greater to accommodate,
but it is the actual decline that is TAX
ing place in England in the numbers
so engaged. In 1851 all agriculturists
were 2,OS4, 153 in 1861, 900, 454 and
in 1871 1890, 9O3-showing q decline
by decades of 73, 500, and 1850, or in
twenty years, $3.50! Such figures,
marking the decline of farm work, by
consequence illustrate the increase Of
the application of labor to mining and
manufactures. In connection with the
decline it is interesting to notice it's
distribution among the various classes
during these years. The farmers or
graziers have kept almost the same
number all the time, and the farm
bailiffs have increased more than fifty
per cent. but the farmers son, grand
son, brothers or nephews decline more
than 81, 900, of whom 16, 600 were in the
last decade, while during the same de-
cade the females, occupying the correl.
alive position to the males enumerated,
increased more than 5000 in number.
This is thefeature ofespecial interest.
The men, the young men, are deserving
the farm and entering the other occu.
pations-those secondary to the sup.
port Of life and pertaining to manufac.
ture; while the women to whom equal.
ity in such labor is denied by man and
nature both are becoming of more value
on the farm or else stay there for lacl
of elsewhere: to go. This emigration K
the cities is evident here in America a,
truly as in England, but perhaps for
different reason. The farmers BIO,
with us who would rather measure tap
than corn is, one might almost say, tn
rule and not the exception. It is al
era of cities, and their subtle and ques
tionably beneficial attractions are draw
ing off the young blood from the farms
and diffusing it through factories, of
fees and shops. With us the deman,
for farm labor is great, but those VIII
supply it are not the sons of the farm
ers but the emigrants, and it is Difficult
to persuade them often from the be
guilements of city haunts and idlenes
to fields of usefulness. If the system
inaugurated in some cities this white
of distributing food free to all appli
cants shall be continued too long. j
will be still more difficult to persuad
the previously needy that there is any
thing higher in life for them than
free lunch and free loafing. The effec
upon the labor market is already sai,
to be manifest in the decline of appli
cations and the increase of pay demand
ed, instead of q decline to balance tn
cost of the food thus saved.
1t is possibility of the "farmer
movement" that it will cultivate sen
timent which shall make the rising far
mer not content merely, but proud t,
be such, and that shall maintain an,
elevate the standard of agriculture
purity and thrift of life. It woul,
certainly be a commendable result.