National Republican., 1879-12-30
MISCELLANEOUS.


II. z. Hedges, County Judge Of Suffolk
county and practical farmer in letter TO q
friend In this city on tho present discomfort
existing, especially among Eastern farmers,
remarks rs follows
The high prices Of agricultural produce
during aud for some years after the war in
duced extravngance and discomfort among
farmers in place of compulsory economy, TO-
dustry and content. Ii Is hard for any class
to oconOmize after enjoying exemption thoIe-
from, and MS hard for farmers as other classes.
Onehalf Of the complaints of the farming
community are founded In the disappointment
experienced by the shrinkago OF values, COM
pclling the curtailing Of luxuries, and affect
ing equally all industrial classes, This shrink
age was inevitable, and not the fault of Gov
ernment combinations, corporations, railroads
or capitalists, although one or all might bo
blamed rs the guilty cause.
have no doubt that middlcmen, interposing
between the producer and the consumer by
freights, commissions, &C. gobble up three
fourths of the net profits Of the farmer. i
think the tendency of the times Is 30 aggre-
gate capital aud large landed estates in tho
West where single crop or product-hay,
| cattle sheep, corn or wheat-is raised oxclus-
lively, or nearly so, because unskillcd labor
can produce one Of these better than all. At
the East, farms are smaller than they were
. ii,is..y or twenty-five years ago, because mixed
ldIHllDR mere pTeNullh anu L luinN -
and Is safe, and judge more profitable than
attention to q single crop. In time, the West
will be less productive, and then, requiring
fertilizers, mixed farming will become neces-
sity. The productive spontaneity of the West
is partly due to its newness, and will be ex-
hausted just ms that at the East has been.
! wholly differ from tho idea that at the
| East large farms are more profitable than
| small ones My experience Is the reverse.
'Thprp Nyoc mayor "a time Nvlton a fart,n pnuI1
be titled with so little drudgery as now be-
cause machinery aud improved tools aud ap-
plianCes abound beyond any former reriod.
Tho causes now operating to produce dis
satisfaction among farmers IN the East grew
out Of the conditions of the past induced by
the war, and arc temporary. Such causes now
tending TO produce great farming estates aro
temporary oven in the West, and cannot long
continue to operate TO great or prejudicial
extent.
The superior gains of commerce, trade, man
uiactures and the arts during aud after the
war; and the subsequent shrinkage of values
by which the young and others were drawn
from farms TO cities, aud subsequently farmers
made dscoutented, arc likewise temporary
and exceptional.
Capital on a farm, well managed, of mode,
rate size, will go farther to support family
than the Same amount invested in any other
way. think l can give my family more
from the product of the farm than from inter-
est Of the money, and the farm will support
more persons than interest on the capital, good
management being always assumed.
Bulky articCs-potatoes, fruits, hay, straw
milk vegetables, butter-will not bear trans
portation for long lines or long timo. Hence,
cities build up agriculture within limited
area, but not until after the country is drained
Of population to form the city. Then tho
| country enjoys tho profits of the city.
Tl,nt nol Of o,,I
| vagabonds added to those of native and inn
ported origin. During the time required to
| franc laws TO meet these new conditions of
society, they sHrad confusion, discomfort, and
| added oXtra burdens to those bearing heavily
Oh the country. This trouble regard as tenn
porary. Olt of it stringent laws will make
| the tramp work and add to the wealth of the
State.