The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-19

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pudistiok OF national fsitb. a.
In the Indiana Farmer of this week Mr.. j.
j. w. Billingsey, gives some facts that de-
serve careful attention. Mr.. Billingsley has
| been engaged during the past winter in a
business which has brought the facts stated
to his attention, and enabled him to write
with accuracy. The point of his statement
is in this passage:
During the past winter we have sold more
onions. shipped from Liverpool-grown upon
Thousand miles by water and thousand by
iand-than we nave sold OF onions 2 own in our
Soooo barrels of onions AT an average OF $50 Der
barrel, il makes the sum of SlO0VO. Potatoes
we shall probably consume this year l5O,OoO
bushels more than We have grown, at aveI-
sSs 1 sNst little sSm per of 0gs5sa o making a4
$4,000; canned corn, probably $500; canned
small berries and tomatoes, Sl0O,UO0; pickles,
butter has been shipped to this state from Ohio
and Michigan, amounting to thousands of
other states-Ohio sending us the most-which
costs at least Sl0OU0O annually, and yet we have
every facility for making butter and cheese.
agencies, frequently not relIahle, say S5U,UO0
more. ~
. Altogether the writer estimates that a
round half million has left the state for food
products, which can be raised in Indiana as
easily as anywhere else in the world. There
is, no lack of soil and should be no
want Of labor when so many people
are asking every day for employment,
even in positions which offer but small
compensation. To the facts presented
O.; similar ones, some localities might offer
explanatory answers. The Southern farm
ers buy corn and meat grown in the North
to feed their families because they can make
more money by raising cotton. AT least,
they think so, and in many cases it is true,
though the policy is admitted to be bad. 1t
is not assumed that Indiana does not pro-
duce food sufficient to support her popula-
ton. She does, and in addition large sur
plus for expectation. She sells corn, wheat,
pork and some beef The money received
for these is paid out for the lighter articles
named, and some of it, as appears to the
reproach of the United States, goes to Eng
land for onions. There are two aspects of
the case. In the first place, it can be very
Indiana are the most profitable of all crops
to raise. 1t is no fable that in the eastern
states $500 net profit has been realized from
single acre of onions. All the articles
named are more profitable than corn, wheat
or hogs, especially for small farmers. But
this question is not the more important.
1t does not matter that our farmers run to
the great staples. The main point is that
there are idle lands and idle hands enough
in the state 20 have produced all the half
million dollars worth of food named, and
thus kept the money at home, sell
ing Just as much of the leading
products as we have. Take the agents, COM
mission brokers, spectators, the unsuc
cessful ones only, idle sons OF rich
farmers, city loafers, chronic Office seek
ers, and all the drones of society who
are the real cause of public poverty and
be rd times, and they could have kept this
half million i'm the state and some of it from
leaving the American shores. But suppose
the class named won't work-and they cer-
tsinly won't If they can avoid it-those who
do would find it to their advantage to meet
the demands of home consumption in veg
etables and dairy products. There is GER
tainly something to be learned in the man
ner of directing farm industry that will be
not only ofindividual advantage, but great
benefit to Indiana as a state.
Concerning a sewing machine trick.