The Van Buren press., 1875-06-15
To the Farmers.

MIR. EDiToh-
With your permission desire to address
few lines to the farmers in general of Craw-
ford county and to the members Of the
Grange ia particular.
At the risk of being thought pres csumptuous,
| trust will be allowed to allude to the fact
that, in good gladiator parlance, the farmers
have many Of them of late had 10 throw up
the sponge" and cry out for help, from any
quarter calculated to furnish the same, This
most unfortunate state of things has cause,
and while all admit that last summers
drought had its influence and injuriou. effect,
it is equally true that men who plowed deep
in spring worked hard and traded scant after
wards, are and have been nearly Independent
generally.
| Whilst it is an admissible fact that different
causes helped to produce the very low state
OF our finances, smoke-houses and c0rn-clibs'
| desire to call your attention nor TO one
practice which had very much to do with
bringing about this disastrous predicamens.
from which, thanks be to Heavens King t.
good crop of wheat and Il few more provi-
dent neighbors than many Of us could only
save us. The practice referred to, is that of
throwing upon the market our produce at
rates below the price of production. Already
We see our farmers negotiating for supplies
mot few of which they have been doing
withouU and promising to pay in wheat at
fifty and seventy-live cents per bushel. Now
will every man who thinks he can thus sell
his wheat sit down few minutes. just long
enough to count up what that wheat cost
him. If so, he will when he gets up, see that
people of some other calling will have to con-
linue feeding tho farmers families. Let US
see how this matter is. In Washington coun-
ty, supposed to be BY many better for wheat
than Crawford. (though think differently
the writer has been told by different parties
that six bushels is 4 full average crop of
wheat per acre, taking the crops of ten years
together Well, this amount OF wheat at 80
cents per bushel is equal to SO 90 per acre.
while IS cents per bushel equals 81 80 per
acre. Now, what does it cost lis to produce
that 50 90 worth of wheat?
First, the seed that sowed the acre
cost us at least 10 cents or 81 90
Secondly II put Ia properly it cost . 90
Thirdly, reaping, binding, stacking, etc. 90
Fourthly, thrashing, toll, trouble and
expense 90
Total cost Of labor and seed, Sc 90
Filthy. land rents at from $40 in the bot
tom To SO on the ridge, average rent Sc, so.
This added to the labor and price of seed az
gregates Sl2,5O as the actual worth of one
acre ofland sowed in whcat-and when times
are good so that remunerative prices can be
paid for labor. it will more often cost more
| than less than the above amount Thus it is
that every acre sowed in wheat and the pro-
duet sold at 80 cents per bu,hel we realize "A
net loss OF $3.50. Is it Il wonder that others
! have us to iced?
But hear ono say, You contradict the
oft repeated argument that rotation in crops
| Is proHtaOle, and wheat sowing actually nee
cssary to our success and comfort - But not
so. The fault is not in the fact of sowing
wheat but in that OF selling 1t below what it
costs 10 produce II. The people of Washing
ton county say they can only make a scaut
living selling Hour at $3.50 per hundred at
home, ana that Is about equal to Sl,25 per
bushcl. willie the farmers OF Illinois is show II
by the United States census realize over that
price usually for their wheat. and vet they
complain as much OF hard times as ourselves
But another and fan more difficult pro blem
comes up, aud. one which have not room in
this sc;ibblc to more than allude to and suu-
sest the solution OF, which is How are the
farmers of our CoGnty to manage in order to
procure the WORTH OF their produce" | an
swcr, let them work together. as others do
We can surely live ,at home and upon hom,
fare rs long as n-producing class can
and 3s We do not II pcct Others TO sell us theil
goods for less than actual cost and fair re-
muneration for their labor and time, so we
have perfect right TO demand of them living
prices ior our produce. Nor will they refuse
to pay it, for other classes are often more dis
posed to respect our rights than we are to re-
Quire the same to be done.
We can better afford to sell corn at 30 cents
per bushcl than wheat at 81 90. Whyy Be
cause, we can more easily produce 35 bushel:
of corn than i of wheat, and the help fur
nisheG the land is not by sowing wheat but
by blowing under the green sward and stub
bic in the fall and ii 80 cents for corn is equal
to Sl,00 for wheat. Is cents for the former Is
equivalent to 80 cents for the latter.
Then why may not every farmer who has
wheat potatoes. etc, etc. to sell, Jointly select
an agent,-say in Van Buren-and pay him to
take their grain, etc. and sell it at such rate
as they may direct, and hold on to it until
such rate can be,obtaincd Remember what v on
are now pay ing for -four furnished by others
81 per hundred, making wheat worth from
SlI5 Ia $500. And thJn don't forget TO re
member what many of you sold your corn AT
la>t ldi'' anu aIso Nilat many oi tllOse same
Zen have been paying for bread-stuff this
spring
And want to make a request of you all
which is this: have studied out plan to get
rich next spring, if | live, and ! want you all
not to blame me for getting rich and say
eXtort off poor folks, etc. am going to bor-
row about S4oO at 30 per cent to buy wheat
with and sell the wheat II xt spring at $50 per
cent. upon cost And | would make one
other request. to-wit | would ask all who
sell at % to 10 cents not to call on me for any
wheat next sprng,-but | fear won't find
sale tor all my wheat without their trade
SO come, dear friends. and contribute to max
ing me rich. And oblige yours,