Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-04-23
Hes tho Government Neglected til
interests Of the Farmers?


Ooc of the first Objects OF "a gooc
government is a careful regard FOL
tie general interests Of the people
Under despotism the interests o.
the sapreme roller are Of the first and
usually tho only Importance, aud his
power is exercised outside Of any
control oy men, constitution, or laws
A limited monarchy controls the
head of the government by consti.
triton or fund tmentai laws yet the
intel ests OF the masses are held il
snbordination, and the rights of the
ruled are gained only by piecemeal
after constant struggling and occa-
sionsl revolution on the part Of the
people. Eblghtend republicanism
recognizes. first If all, and to the
folesl extent, the duty f providing
Laws under the administration Of
which impartial Justice will be ex-
tended all classes of the peol le a.
heir collective end Individual in
erests Such are the fundamental
principles Of the 9 Institution Of the
Tn, ed States and % the laws fran ed
M atminist cred under : provisions.
La The present paper II 10 propose :
20 examine of y one class OF Interests
those Of the farmer AN from 1"
G nt9nuibl t.ndpoint take ret o.
-poctIv8 view Of what has been ut :
.compliohed from period cotcmpo
rAneous VITA the foundation If he
Cover ment up TO the present time.
And as the remark is not unfreqner-
II made by pers rs who have given
he subject mule or no thought or
investigation, that the Govern ment
nas neglected and even sacrificed ;he
interest of the farmer wo shall note
a. we proceed, the bearing OF FEEDER
al glslali0n upon tho agriculture
progress of the country The gradual
development Of thus most important
ministry will be examined with the
sole view OF arriving at the facts. and
presenting them IN the simplest and
oriefest possible form, FIR the consid-
Grafton Of those most deeply interest,"
ed IN the result.
ORIGIN AND INCREASE OF DOMESTIC
ANIMALS.
Going back beyond the Revolution
10 the early days of colonial exp-t-
fence, we find that previous to 1907
there was not cow, or horse, or
hog, or sheep on tho northern portion
If the continent. In 1910 several
COWS were landed in Virginia for the
james River G, lony, 70 which an ad-
dition Of bur dred more was made
during he following year. But mnhy
years elapsed before the luxury Of .
steak or roasb OF beef could be en-
ioYrd for an order was issued, ac~
cording 10 al iii authority, 'torbid-
dlng tie destruction of domestic an
mails on pain of death to The priuoi-
pal, branding tho hand and cropping
tho ears Of an accessory, and a sound
whipping for the conoealer OF the
facts
The frat cattle were brought to
New England in 1924, and consisted
Of three heifers and bull. Theae
were soon followed by az importa-
zion Of one hundred and three ca'tle
and horses to New York from Hol-
land, and by other importations by
tho several colonies. The stock at
that period and down to the Revold-
ton was meager in weight and quail
ty, compared with the improved
breeds of the present day. Then the
neat cattle did not exceed $40 pounds
average gross weight, while the sheep
averaged twenty-eight pounds. No"
the average weight of the former is
over eight hundred pounds AID OF
the latter over eighty pounds. The
im provement is due mainly to Federal
md State aid in improving the stock
foil wed mp by untiripg individuals
en- rprise.
DuIiug be period of The Rovou-
ion ii The available male pOpula-
ION Was lied into the war; tbe
farmiI G interests were i most wholly
neglected. and it required years 10
+, cover Gradusl y efforts wcra
"a do y revive the interest 10 agrl
culture, and year after " ar agricul-
ural eocletcs increased and a grow
/. @ interest was felt in the advance
nont Of that important industry.
a was extended by Congressional
enactment, AID be nun Der aud quail
ry OF agrlcul ural live stock showed
cided Improvement. The first az
,icul uraI exhibition ever held in the
ountry took place in Georgetown,
u. c.. in 1910 with the Offer Of pre-
NUNS for sneep raising.
From 'hese smsl begiRnings what
i now the resul IN reference to the
Increase OF ! SO stock The follow
ing are the fiji returns under the
c .usus of 1870:
Number Of horses. ..... 7145 $40
Number of mules and asses. $500. l,l25,415
Nember of cows. -. s 935 1872
Number of oxen ....... ........ l.Sl9.27
Number of other cattle. ..........l3, So, 005
Number of sheep. .2S,477, 95I
Number OF swine. ....... rs, 1874, 669
The value Of which was returned
Ut 81 ,525, 276 457
BY reference to the census we find
that in 1870 the value of animals
slaughtered or sold for slaughter
amounted 10 3 fraction under S40) .
600 900, an increase Of nearly $780,
000 900 in ten years. The quantity
OF WOO produced was 10000 387
pounds.
Bot the increase 10 numbers has
not exceeded the improvement in
quality Of our horses for the farm or
for speed, OF cattle for beef and the
dairy, or of sheep for mutton and
the superiority of their wool. Con.
gress and congressman hare erer mads
this a fostering Interest. and states.
men have themselves made the CALL
i hou rable, by adopting it 10 ma y
instances as speciality. Daniel
Webster, the farmer bog ana Has
trious statesman, did much TO i'm
nrove the breed of farm stock by