Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-12-22
BAD ECONOMY.

itorials on farming. especially upon
questions involved, about which we
havo had neither practical experience
or observation. We have done some
farming in our day and during all our
life from boyhood up have been an iu-
terested observer of good and i'll sue
cess of farmers, and have considered
the causes for both. In the first place
We assume that farmer has under his
control, either as owner or lessee, good
productive farm Of l60 acres, or even
moro. We assume further, that the
proprietor is on industrious, abls-bod-
led man and has family of one or
moro who are equally able and willing
to work in any department Of farm bus
mess suited to their condition. The
first purpose Of their exertions should
be to plan their farm business so as to
be sure to produce from that farm all
the necessaries Of family living each
year, of which the farm is capable of
producing, instead of being compelled
to purchase from others what they
could a. we'll and even better procure
from their own farm. This will give
TO them nearly all the nscessaries for
family living during each and every
year. In the next place they should
be sure to produce enough surplus of
some farm product to sell in payment
for what necessaries of living the farm
is incapable of producing. II this be
done, no farmer will come out at the
end Of the yesr indebted to anyone and
he will feel himself an independent in
gredient Of society and man who can
hold up his head in any community and
bid defiance to lawyers. courts, juries
and sherifisby whlstling YankeeDoodle,
or any other lively tune. His sleep
will be sound and refreshing and his
Asighbors will pay him and bis family
marked respect But the farmer says
hs desires to do more than keep even
in tho world, he desires to accum ulate.
His chances to accumulate depend much
upon, not only the capacity Of, his farm
to produce and his energy and ability
TO operate the same, but also upon his
situation in relation to a market and
means Of taking his surplus produces
10 that market. Aside from what we call
. home market, the farmers of all this
section Of country are remote from any
general market for any product they
can raise, and at the present the means
Of transportation are very costly, So
that for the farmer to realize net
profit over cost of production and trans
portation, tho general market price
must be high for the article of produc
ton to be sold. In this condition Of
affairs, it requires much judgmeat in
the farmer to select the character of the
products be will raise for surplus to
seh and the proportiona.e quantity Of
each and anyone product. Wheat is
the great staple Of the whole country
and the soil Of this whole region of
country is spleodidly adapted to wheat.
But what is the use of producing wheat
more than for home consumption and
. home market. unles. one can trans
port 1t to market aud make q profit
upon II. There arc few localit es
along tho line Of transportation routes
whore small profit can be made upon
wheat by sending it to market at pres.
ont prices Of transportation. But mos,
persons removed from these lines oil
transportation can make no profit above
cost Of production and transportation
In these cases the farmer should
turn his attention to raising fol
. surplus something besides wheat
Cattle and horses may be raised and
driven to . market at small expense, il
there ere no buyers to purchase them
at tho farm. Hogs may be raised and
httensd on the wheat product and
converted into bacon and lard, and
shipped to market at far less pro-
portionate expense than can wheat
Even At the present state of the market
when wheat is worth ffty cents pei
bushel At tho farm and hogs are worth
Scents per pound on foot, there j.
moro money in raising the hogs BY
converting the wheat into heg feed
than in selling the whe.t at fifty cents
Per tushel. But certain it is bad econ.