The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-02-16
1881 VS.. 1882
The Old Year and It's Lessons-Nsw
Year Thoughts.

individuality. 1t has been marked
with vicissitudes and calamity. Its
wintry cold nipped the buds of the
great orchards, uprooted the young
wheat plants and froze by tens of
thousands the sheep and cattle of
the great plains and mountain
valleys. The spring was late, cold
and wet, preventing early planting,
limiting crop areas, checking growth
and reducing vitality. The cunny
days of early summer had only be-
gun to create the bloom and beauty
which are the promise of the har-
vest that ever followeth seed time
when drought set in, and in its train
came blight,and insects whose feasts
are the baked meats of the funeral
of fruitsge swarmed upon the scene
of destruction. The boil worm and
caterpillar feasted in the cotton
fields; the chinchbug held sway
scarcely disputed in the great
centres of the cereals; the newly
naturalized cabbage fly had high
carnival until it became necessary
to import cabbage from it's Euro
pean home; and the potato beetle
and myriads of other insect pests
conspired to threaten a famine. 1t
was all in vain. If the corn crop
was diminished 500,000,000 bushels,
enough is left for man and beast,
and such shipments to Europe as
NAV ensure an advance of so per
cent. in price. If fourth, of the
anticipated supply of wheat was cut
off, there is still an abundance for
the home demand, and with 50,000,-
600 bushels of excess in the surplus
of last year all the requirements of
Europe will be met, with the aid of
India and Australia. Though a
fifth Of the cotton product should
be lost, only two previous harvests
will stand much in advance of the
crop of 1881, and the people of
Christendom will still be supplied
mainly with American cottons. 1t
is a year of failure" but not of
famine. The fatness Of our soils,
the great variety in climatic condi-
tions, as well as the productive
energy of our agricultural labor,
will long forefend against such
calamity. The loss has been general,
though not equal in all sections.
The depreciation in cereals has been
heaviest in wheat and corn, yet ali
the others usually comprise but
fifth of the cereal production. Po
tatoes have been cut eff heavily, and
nearly all kinds of vegetables and
fruits. Dairy production has been
reduced by the withering of the
grasses. 1t may prove wholesome
lesson. 1t should be a check upon
the confidence of farmers in con.
tinued abundance under careless
cultivation, misuse of fertilizers and
neglect Of drainage. 1t should teach
the non-producing GLASSES that pros
perity is based on agriculture. 1t
was something more than a coinci
dence that a period of extended
depression followed the poor crop
years of 1873 and 1874. Agri-
cultural scarcity was not the incit
ing cause of the panic, but it added
to its intensity and duration, and sue
ceeding abundance finally brought
confidence and relief. Six seasons
of unprecedented production inter
vened between the short crop years
1874 and 1881. During this period
lean harvests prevailed in Great
Britain and western Europe almost
without an exception. Thus high
prices were ensured for our heavy
surplus, and the extraordinary de
mand stiffened prevailing rates in
home markets. II enabled farmers
to discharge mortgages and make
improvements. This lesson of the
period of lean kline admonishes us
that high prosperity is not perennial,
and darkly hints that a cycle OF dis
aster may follow years of plenty.
This time of forewarning is season
table for efficient forearming. To-
the producer there is a silver lining
TO this cloud that is not visible to
he consumer. Though the loss is
great, it does not all fall on the
farmer. While there may be a re
duction of fourth in quantity OF
crops of the year, it is doubtful If
the depreciation in aggregate values
will be one tenth. In corn and
wheat and potatoes there will be
little difference between their values
in 1880 and 1881. Yet the distribu
tion is unequal The careless
farmer gets little; the skilled a
larger return than in year Of plenty.
There is another aspect of this sub
iect that has much to do with the
future of agriculture-much with
exportation-"American competi-
ton" with European agriculture, SO
much dreaded on the other side OF
the Atlantic. The more lynx eyed
British farmers see its bearing, and
some take courage from the pros
pect. This stripping our harvest OF
their redundancy not only depletes
the surplus, but enhances the prices
Of the remainder, and diminishes
the power of competition with other
sources Of supply. This result IS
| inevitable and has been expected,
being deferred only by a succession
of favorable seasons. Our English
friends are offered so much comfort.
Yet they may rest assured that the
end of competition is not yet; that
a reduction of the margin Of profit
will only prove a stimulus to inVen
ton of labor saving processes and
improved machines, TO move scien-
tific and thorough cultivation, to
avoidance of the shameful waste OF
animal life in winter on the open
plains, to winter feeding for flesh
for market and not for fuel, for gain
in weight more than for protection
against Wintry blasts. Tile drain
ing is also coming in as factor In
this contest. All this involves
money, of which there is no lack,
and the interest will be more than
Offset by the advantage. We de
liberately throw away a larger magin
of profit than we lose by deprecated
/ Weld in such a year as the present
/ And, besides, these improved con
ditions would obviate more than