Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-11-29

Mexico north almost 20 the Canada
line, aud westward from near the
parallel to the Pacific
ocean, including many millions Of
acres III Texas, Kansas, Nebraska,
Dakota. Montana, Colorado. New
Mexico. Utah, Wyoming, Idaho,
Washington, Oregon and California.
1t would be impossible to estimate
correctly the acreage of grazing
country, nor is it necessar" III this
connection, for there is so much OF il
that the number Of cattle and sheep
now being grazed is very small cOm-
pared with what mav be. Tnc
grasses &nd hedge have the quality of
curing as they stand, which (as there
are no summer rains) furnishes All
adequate supply OF winter food.
1t Is often stated that the Western
farms are becoming exhausted by
constant cropping without using
lnanures such impressions evidently
arise from the application Of Il general
principle and are not sustained by
tire facts. Tue surface soil of these
praiTies is composed largely of vcge-
table loan strongly impregnated
Win hDSDEbS .Itllllputt
and other fertilizing properties from
the atmosphere anG Is 50 deep that
fresh fertile soil may be thrown to
the surface from any depth to which
it is possible to plough. There arc
no stones i'll the ground, deep plough
ing is comparatively easy and costs
he farmer very little. by proiita-
bic rotation of crops. AN occasional
deep pl0ughing and 1T most Il crop
| ping with clover once in eight or ten
years, the original fertility is not only
| maintained but increased. The crops
| of these states ter 1877, 1873 aud 1879
| are the largest of any three consccu-
| tive years ever Known, not only on
| the newly but 0u the oldest cultlvat-
ed land. When the iand becomes SO
valuable that it is profitable to use
| fertilizers the yield will be greater;
but before that time the average
production will be largely increased
| through other agencies. farming Is
not SD well done III the United States
| rs in Europe so far as relates TO the
amount of labor expended and care
bestowed in making all the ground
| produce to its utmost capacity and
in saving and turning TO account
every available product; hut il has
been my experience that Scotch,
English and German farmers coming
to the United States soon learn that
the better class of native farmers un-
dcrstand the country best.
There has been some profit from our
gold and silver mines, but the entire
annual product has value less than
half as great as the annual aSricul-
tural products of Illinois alone, aud
| ..,h r,,c tk,rr
the annual net gain i'll Illinois from
agriculture is within 20 per cent. of
rs much as the entire gross produce
ton of gold and silver in the United.
States. But since the panic of 1873
farming has gone Oil as usual, pro-
iuction has steadily increased and
economy, ,retrenchmeuta and reduction
Of cost of producing has been the rule.
Soon after January, 1873, busines
began to show signs of Improvement
thrOugho the country, and during
y that year we imported to the amount
y of Si37 ,O51 1852 and exported to the
amount OF 1864 ,S65, 700, of which Sl4,-
l56,47o was foreign merchandise,
!, SAC, ,574, ,974 was mineral Oil, @72, 124, :
. 294 was manufactured articles and
: lumber, and $780,, ,000, 600 was agricul-
tural products. BY January, 1879,
: there was Il universal feeling that the
:, worst had passed, and that another
u large crop would cause the farmers,
who for several years had been prac-
tising great economy and husbandIng q
{ their resources, to begin making
:, liberal purchases, revive business and
IL establish confidence. The large crops
came, and anticipated results are
= seen in every direction. The farmers
:, had been doing well, but were timid
/, and cautious and disposed to hold
back until perfectly safe ana iude-
- pendent, and the confidence now
~ visible i'll every department of trade
arises from a knowledge that the i'll.
crease of business is to supply de-
mands which are being paid for by
-. accumulated profits, and that al
though the sudden dematId for NOR
- chandise and the Increased carrying
o. trade will lead TO squirt OF specuia.
LiOn from which a reaction is incvi-
~; table, the basis for renewed prosper
20 ily is in the main substantial. These
profits have alot been accumulated
- by tho wage class, manufacturer
merchant or owner of city real estate
:, nor, except in L small way, by the
- !, miner. While other Things have con
tributed to the revival OF business ant
- the return of more prosperous Times
:, unguestiOnably the greatest cnutri
" button has been from the profits o.
., | farmiuV