River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-04-28
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.


Farming.
The decline in the agricultural popu-
lation of England, is indicated by the
last census (for 1871, as very sugges-
tive. The 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 agricultur-
al countries, and 50 has a significance
for us, and at the same time some of
the minor features of the decline repro
duce themselves in this country, and
are indicative of tendancy of the age.
The total English population is given
at %, III, 266, and the corrected aggre-
gate of agricultural laborers, male and
female is given at 1,S20,903. That is,
about eight per cent. of the population
are agriculturists. In this country,
with population of about thirty-eight
and half millions, we have nearly
six million s,or' fifteen per cent.
agricultusists, and q numerical superb
Ority of more than 3,000,0 in the
agriculturists of the United States over
those of Great Britain.
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 1854, 1913 in 1861, 900, 454 and
IN 1871. 1870, 903-showing a decline
by decades of 1869, and 1SS, 551, or in
twenty years, 263, $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 80, 900, of whom 10000 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 III number.
This is thefeature ofespecialintere
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 lack
of elsewhere to go. This emigration to
the cities is evident here in America ms
truly as in England, but perhaps for a
different reason. The farmers bow
with us who would rather measure tape
than corn is, one might almost say, the
rule and not the exception. IL is an
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 demand
for farm labor is great, but those who
supply it are not the sons of the farm
ers but the emigrants, and ii is difficult
TO persuade them often from the be-
guilements of city haunts and idleness
TO fields of usefulness. If the systems
inaugurated in some cities this winter
of distributing food free TO all appli-
cants shall be continued too long, il
will be still more difficult to persuade
the previously needy that there is any
thing higher in life for them than q
free lunch and free loatng. The effect
upon the labor market is already said
to be manifest in the decline of appli-
cations and the increase Of pay demand
ed, instead of a decline TO balance the
cost of the food thus saved.
II is a possibility of the "farmers
movement" that il will cultivate u sen.
timent which shall make the rising far.
mer not content merely, but proud To
be such, and that shall maintain and
elevate the standard of agricultural
purity and thrift of life. II woulo
certainly be commendable result.