Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-10-17
A Farmers Letter.
nATAvrA Towo 0cf q

BATAVIA, lOW6, OCL. u. 1901.
EDITORS CouRIER.-In the latest is.
sue of the Weekly COURIER noticed
an article taken from the american
Agricu2turdlist, entitled "Non Pro-.
ductive Farming" The writer starts
out by saying that, "If q store-keep.
err, blacksmith or any other business
man or mechanic, were to open his
shop for one or two hours each day
and spend the remainder of his time
in some unproductive employment or
recreation he would soon shut up his
shop altogether"
suppose the above is very true,
but presume that the writer would
imply that farmers idle away a great
portion Of their time, and as a rule
such a proposition is as absurd rs any
assertion can be; it is an easily ascer-
tanned fact, to those who care to
watch the daily avocation of the far
mcr, his monotonous rounds ofdutics
from day to day, week in and week
out, from day light to dark, in heat
and cold, that as rule he does not
geta fair compensation for his labor.
If q mechanic should give the same
diligence to his labor, confine him
self to his shop early and late, deny
himself the pleasures Of society, as
farmers do, he surely would become
rich. Farmers as mass cannot even
spare the time to inform themselves
upon the important events of the day
indeed they may possibly take ali
hour to read the newspaper on Sun
day if they only have "76 acres" OF
land, limited amount of stock. lie
can scarcely take the time to go to
church, il some silly merchant has
trusted him for suit of clothes good
enough to wear among the we'll dress.
ed blacksmiths, storekeepers and me.
chanics.
The writer leaves us uniformed a!
to the precise New England state
from which he bases his argument
possibly it is mountainous country
where extensive agriculture is impos
sible; but we are very certain tina
his calculations are not applicable t.
this portion of the country. The on
ly trouble in this respect is that farm
ers reach too far, try to farm too man,
acres and try to raise too much stool
and in consequence have none TO ma
ture as they should do if fewer il
numbers and better fed.
| No, Mr.. Editor, farmers are gettins
tired of this continual reproach from
quill drivers, who claim to have tn
whole theory and practice of farming
stamped on their slippers, but if pn
on SO acres of land without any othel
resource, but to make their living b,
farming, the Same would starve t,
death. The transcendent, sublim,
beauties of farming and its noble in
dependence as described by thos'
knowing nothing about it, must mel
away when we consider the prcsen
Indebtedness of farmers all over GU
country and the lands under mort
gage. am personally acquainte,
with farmers who are now keepin,
their families on borrowed capital
and good industrious farmers the,
are too. We have economical unit
economy became the word for rag
gedness and restitution. We thin
We have right to desire our occupa
ton to bring us respectable living
and clothing for our families as goo,
as the clothing of our agriculture
teachers who are continually preach
ing economy to us, but who woul
scOrn to live as we live; but I vii
conclude. Yours &C.,
i A FARMER.