Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-06-11
Farm and Household.
The Farmers and Large OF
Small Crops.

| s<A@ ~4SH6.
Some observations in the Ga
sette ON the initiation of the crops
as being the kind of initiation
that is needed, drew from several
farmers letters demonstrating ne
against this, and arguing that the
less the farmers raised the higher
the price would get, so that they
would receive as much for a small
crop as large, and thereby would
save a great deal of work. This
is strange doctrine. Even if If
were true the natural desire OF
man to get on in the world would
lead everyone to raise full crops
himself, while preaching the doc
trine to his neighbors. But it can
easily be shown that it is not
true, and that the farmer who re
duces his production will reduce
his income in proportion.
The production of the staple
farm crops is not limited to any
country or any section thereof
it is spread over the world.
Should our farmers reduce their
crops, the rest of the world would
not, and it would profit for their
self sacrifice. The United States
produce a large surplus OF bread
stufis. These require a foreign
market, and the demand made by
the foreign market governs the
price in this country. Perhaps
there are some that think Europe,
or at least Great Britain, depend
ent on the United States for food,
and therefore that we can force
her to our prices by restricting
our production. But Great Brit
ain draws onlya a fractional part
of her breadstuffs from the Unit
ed States,a ,and if we should reduce
our supply, other countries would
profit by our loss.
We have before us an official
document of the British govern
ment, giving statistics of the
trade of the United Kingdom for
a series of years I'D to 1871.
From this it appears that the
whole amount of wheat, and of
flour reduced to its equivalent in
wheat, imported into the King
dom in 1871 was 44,362, ,227 cwts.
OF this only 15,625,331 cwts.
came from the United States.
Russia alone sent as much, being
15,6S9,943 cwts. The other sour
ces, in the order of their import
ance, are Germany, British North
America, Egypt, the Austrian
territories, Turkey, the Turkish
provinces, Chill, Denmark, France,
Sweden, Spain, Holland, and
1928 cwts. from other count
ries not named.
OF barley the imports were s.
569.012 cwts., of " hich the Unit
ed States furnished but G0,132
cwts.; Of oats 1922 ,204 cwts., of
which the United States furnish
ed but 20,010 cwts.
Nor does the United States hold
the monopoly of the supply of
maize. The imports were 16,S20,-
223 cwts., of which the United
States furnished 7,319,246 cwts.
Of the lesser articles such as rye,
peas, beans, and buckwheat, the
proportion furnished by the Unit
ed States is small.
By this it will be seen that in |
order that the policy Of reducing
production to raise prices may
be successful, the agreement must |
be made with all these countries,
Dr. at least with that one which
furnishes to Great Britain as
much of her bread as we do, and
with the other countries from
which important portions of her
supplies come. Unless this can
be secured, all curtailing of pro-
iuction by our farmers will only
,urtail their own income. This
statement of the numerous andA
vast sources of supply Of the
country, whose market governs
he market price of our bread
'tuffs, would seem to be sufficient
o put TO rest any theory that our
may gain by reducing
heir products.
There are but two products ofIE
he United States as to which
here can be any reasonable
probability that a shortening Of
PRODUCTION will be made up by
n increase in price. These are
otton and petroleum. In these
will work only temporarily or
t intervals. The shortening of
he cotton product by the war
timulated the production in 9th
I parts of the world, which i'm
aired permanently the monopoly {
le United States had held. The
ource of petroleum seems TO be
mere absolute monopoly of a
mall section; but the attempts
restrict production were sue
essiul, SO as to greatly raise the
rice, 1t is likely that substitutes n
'ould be resorted to, and thus
ne consumption permanently re-
uced.
Energy and intelligence in farm
lg will bring proportionate re-
ards. Farmers can do much tol