The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-05
From the Halifax Record.l
CITY and Country.

SlAE ttHU
S,in, as in the days oil Horace. the farmer
praises the city, complains OF hard times,
short crops, bad seasons, and scarcity OF
money, while the denizen Of the over
crowded city envies the happy and prosper
Gus farmer. AL things considered, the ad-
vsntage appears to be with the farmer. Ac.
eording TO DR.. Holland, the farmers OF the
West have their pockets fuii OF money,
while the tradcsmen OF the CITY are starving.
How is IL with the farmers OF the south
How is It with our tobacco. planters! NOT
so we'll, if one may Judge from Their COM
plants l,ut, then, farmers are proveroai tor
their croakfng. Tobacco has been command
ing high prices, and notwithstanding the
Temporary lu!l in the market the man Is for
tunate who still has good lot OF it on hand.
We clip from IScrtbney's for April the fol.
lowing observations of DR.. Holland con-
trasling the advantages of country life over
that in the oyer.crowded cities:
.sThefe is hardly city in the United
States which does not contain more people
than can get fair, honest living, by labor
or trade, in the best iimes. When times OF
business depression come, like those through
which we have passed and are passing, there
is q large class that must be helped 10 keep
them from cruel suffering. Still, the cities
grow, while whole regions Of the country
especially its older portions-are depopula-
ted year by year. Yet the fact is patent
today that the only prosperous class Is the
agricultural. We have now the anomaly OF
thrifty farmers and starving tradcsmen. The
agricultural classes Of The West are prosper
Gus. They had good crop last year, and
have received good prices for all their pre-
ducts ); and while the cities are in trouble and
manufactures arc running on hslf-time, or
not running atiall, the Western farmer has
money in Ills pocket and ready market for
everything he has TO sell. The country
must be fed, and be feeds 1t. The city
family may DO without new clothes aud u
thousand luxurious appliances, but II mu't
have bread and meat. There is nothing that
can prevent the steady prosperity Of the
American farmer but the combinations and
.corners "Cf lniddIc-meD, that force unnat-
llral conditions upon the finances and mar
kcts OF the country.
"The farmer is demonstraby better off
than the worker of the city. He is more in.
dependent: has more command OF his own
time; iafes better at table: lodges better;
and ge,s better return tor his labor. What
is the reason, then, that the farmers boy
runs TO the city the first chance he can get,
and remains il he can possibly find there the
means Of lief
1t can only be found, we believe, in the
social lcanness, or social starvation, Of Amc-
rican agricultural life. What is the
remedy? How Shall farmers manage to
keep their children near them: How can
we discourage the influx Of unnecessary
nay, burdensomc- populations into the
cities! Wcanswcr: BY masking agriculture!
society attractive. Fill the Garm.houses with
periodicals and books. Establish central
r,ading-rooms or ncighbbrhood clubs. En-
courage the SOCIAL meetings If the yourg.
HIVE concerts, lectures, amateur dramatic
associations. Establish bright. active, so.
cia' HE. that >b4Il give some Significance TO
I,,or. above all, build us far AS possible in
villages"