The daily gazette., 1877-09-27
From the Ba,t,n,ore sun: a ggE.2 g-pf
FARMING VS.. MERCHANDISING.

~
In these days the man who owns q good
farm unencumbered has got hold Of q good
thing From 1860 to 1857 prices ruled high
and money was made, Az, ebb-tide set in
| afterwards and things are only settling
down to a healthier condition. But through
prosperous or unprosperous times the man
whose busiuess 10 agriculture, and, whose
property is the land he cultivates, finds
himself, If he 10 methodical and thrifty, on
a solid foundation. He may be compelled
to economize. he may have to cut down
bis clothing bill. bis grocery bill, and every
other household expense that will bear
pruning. But, after ali, he can trust to
seed time and harvest and wait. The soil
he owns will still be under his feet. He
| can supply bis table from IL with wholesome
food. &c His woods will give, him fuel. His
| children will have pure air and braeing ex-
| erciss. This is his safety. Though the
| country be shaking with commercial disas-
i ters he can weather the storm, He may
feel the stress aud indirectly suffer somes
what from Ii. But the worst aspect of his
case would be blessing to many a citizen,
many merchant, stock, broker and trader.
This sense OF security when all else seems
fugitive Is equivalent in itself Is to a small
| fortune. ..t..r -... .l Il.
At the Baltimore county farmers re-
union last week Mr.. PiolIet, the head mas
ter Of the Pennsylvania grangers, stated
that the farmer obtained on an average only
three per cent upon his capital. If he
meant that the farmers average net returns
in money were but three per cent. Mr..
Piollet was probably right, and, taken by
itself, everybody will admit that its low
interest. But when we consider that the
farmer gets his -four, meal, meat, milk, but
ter, eggs, fruit, vegetables and fuel from
the farm, and has nothing to pay for
house rent, in addition to this three per
cent. on his capital, his direct aud Indirect
returns from his Investment will be found
to be quite as large as those OF many
| tradesman working with similar capital
and having to pay out OF his profits for
everything he needs or consumes from
rent for the roof that covers him 10 the
water he drinks and the sand that scours
his kitchen utensils Moreover, whilst many
kinds Of commodities when Kept on hand
will depreciate, farm under good manage
ment will increase Ia value.
At the same county meeting Mr.. Waters
| took more desponding view of farmers
condition than Mr.. Poillet. He said The
poor farmer after years OF toll and self
denial will find himself in debt" Taking
his remark not in its sympathetical but in
dustrlal sense 1t Is obvious enough that the
natural tendency of poor farmer is to
drift into debt. 1t is also the tendency ofa
poor merchant to DRIFT into bankruptcy.
Want OF skill, of method, forethought, in.
dustry, lavish expenditure-all these things
make broad and smooth the way. But
where there is one farmer who becomes so
encountered with debt as to be beyond all
hope of extrication there ore hundreds OF
merchants and tradesmen. Even in such
hard times as we have lately passed through
kha al # f,-. ts,.. L. IL.
muchmore slowly than that OF city property 1:
In New York recently, at the Lewis county
agricultural fair, Ex-Governor Seymour
and Senator Conkling made speeches. TIE
latter commenced his address with the pros
| position that our greatest profit as nation
| is and is to be the outcome OF the soil, and
that our position as granary of the world
will grow stronger and stronger as time
goes on and nations increase and countIicJ
| ill up. Governor Seymour elaborated this,
using England as an illustration. He said
$50 to England and consider that Great
Britain is forced to consume all the products
of her soil In feeding her own people, In
England they bring crops from one country,
beef from second and other things from o
third. Here the beef we eat has made greater
journeys than many OF US ever hope to make
before it reaches us our -four CONS from a
great distance. This great country is out-i
! stripping all others in the world in its pro-
ducrs.
| President Hayes also in his speech at
Nashville, touched upon an interesting point
| in the same connection. He said in sub
| stance that the movement of population
westward had brought it at length to the
rainless region, where agriculture for lack
OF water cannot flourish, and that the time
is now approaching when emigration will
| seek the vacant lands of the older States.
VIII such Il growing demand for his pro-
ducts, and such prospects before him, the
farmer who educates his son to be his suc-
cessor does so with the certainty that he
will leave him good heritage, and that,
though his profits may be 'small, his risks
are small also in comparison with those of
the merchant and the trader.