The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-10-08

MILWAUKEE,, SEPTEMBER 10, 1874, BY
w. W. DANIELLsM. S. PROFESSOR OF AG-
RICULTURE AND ANALYTICAL CHEMIs-
TRY IN UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.
The resulting hard times then are large
ly the effect of persistent violation, on al
unusual scale of u law of political econ
omy as interchangeable as she laws of the
Modes and Persians. that the demand for
any commodity must regulate he supply.
The present condition of Western farmers
was long ago predicted, if they ccntin-
ued TO depend upon the production of
corn and wheat for their revenue.
In 1874, the superintendent Of the GEN.
sus said agriculture Of The u S, census
1850 p. 42)"For some time before the war
our Western farmers were beginning TO
complain that wheat growing was not
profitable, that the CO st of transportation
left hem barely enough TO meet the cost
production-and it was argued wisely
as we think, that it would be more profit
able to grow less wheat and raise more
cattle, pork and wool, etc, the cost of
transporting which, in proportion to value
is much less than that Of q more bulky
produce. When things return TO their
natuau! channel there Can be but little
doubt that the West will find 1t more pro-
fitab G to produce meat and wool, than to
grow wheat. It was so for some years pre-
sIons to the war, and will he so again
W hen the war ends"
a gain he says. "Tbe Western farmer for
q year or two has been receveing high
prices for his produce. He aoould do oell
fully to understand the causes sohich haU
led to this result. They are by DO means
permanent.
SfeakIng of the increase demand for
wheat then existing he says it will for
come years probably Keep prices high
enough ts, make wheat growing in the
West exceedingly profitable. The time
must be expected, however, when the
Western farmer will ecan find the cost Of
sending heat to the Eastern cities, and
to Europe, so high as to leave him barely
margin enough to pay the cost of pr, :
ductlou"
These were timely words Of wisdom.
No one could to-day tell more surely what
has become sad reality in the West than
these words, written ten years ago, fore
told would come to pas, should the
course them pursued by farmer be persist
ed in.
What is the remedy for this unfortunate
condition of affairs? Primarily, it may be
stated in & few words Let the produce Of
every farm be raised with view to some
sufficient market. Six years ago. Wiscon-
ain took costly less N in over pr oduction
in her hop-ralsing. Practically, she is
now paying for another lesson of the same
kind. There is only this difference. Then
there was an absolute over-productior of
hops, while to-day the production of
bread ,stuffs only relates to an available
market. The effect however, upon the
producer is the same.
There must then be rad ical change in
Western agriculture before there can be
permanent prosperity here. The products
of the West mast be changed to those that
will meet with constant and ready de-
mand. They must be as varied in their
nature as are the wants of the market,th
when one commodity fails to remunerate
him, the producers only support will not
! be taken away,
AS the West is now situated, having
few men and little capital engaged in
manufacturing, and hence little home de.
mand for her produce it is absolutely
necessary for the greatest profit, that her
products be marked in the most concen.
trated form, that the cost of transporta-
ton may be but small per cent. of their
value. Corn can be raised with profit for
one cent pound, hence transportation
that costs five cents bushel. adds nearly
ten per cent to the cost of the corn. But
it takes no more grain to make pound
of meat, cheese or wool in the West than
in the East, while the cost of transporta-
ton when converted into these product
is much less than of.the raw material
This is one reason why til eah greatr