The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-08-11
Farming to the Front,

Never before have there been SO
many people Of all classes taking
strong. direct, personal interest i'm the
agricultural situation and prospects.
business men, bankers, capitalists, stock
brokers, merchants, mechanics, manu-
facturers. operatives. and day labOrers
even, are watching the daily bulletins
and reports Of the weather, with especial
reference as to how it is affecting the
growing wheat, corn, and oats. and the
further planting Of corn. Never before
have they seen so clearly that farming
is the real basis of all other business, and
that upon it rests the prosperity Of the
country. They now comprehend the
fact that it was the good crops of 1879,
1880 and 1881, from the export Of which
we received SO many hundreds of
millions of dollars from other lands,
which changed the financial depression
of 1873, and the years following, into a
prosperous activity extending through
all branches of trade and manufacture.
Every extra bushel Of wheat or corn, or
pound of meat, cheese and butter that
went to market helped turn the scale.
The hundreds of millions of bushels Of
grain that came from the interior To the
seabOard, gave profitable employment
to the railroads. These bought and
used more cars, more iron, more steel,
and the makers of these, from head di-
rector to the lowest labOrcr, received
more wages and more constant employ
ment, and they purchased more freely
those articles that go to supply the ne
oaSoitiaS anH on,,fnrfo If 1ax lifa
This stimulated and increased the mer-
camille trade, and made heavier demands
upon all kinds of manufactured COM
modities. The farmers who received
the proceeds were able to reduce debts
upon their farms; to buy more and bet
ter implements; TO pay up their store
debts, and to buy more freely from the
merchants. The merchants and shop
keepers were in turn able to pay up
their debts to wholesale houses, brokers
in manufactures, and importers, and TO
buy larger stocks of goods for cash or
on short credits. The carrying of these
goods increased the transportation bust
ness, and stimulated the building of
roads per year.
This brief glance at some leading
points shows the great and far-reaching
influence Of prosperity to farmers. On
the other hand, the unfavorable winter
and spring and summer drouths of 1881
cut down the surplus wheat and corn
and meat and dairy products and cotton
many score millions in value. This of
course diminished export, and has start
ell gold abroad; it has decreased the
ability of farmers, and all classes of work.
ers, to buy goods and manufactures.
The decline in the demand for iron and
steel, and the fall in prices, prevent the
payment of the wages asked for, and
there is now prevailing one of the
greatest strikes ever known in this
country, of laborers who demand higher
pay to meet the increased cost of living,
due in part to the advance in bread
stuffs. consequent upon the lessened
crops of last year. Is it any wonder
that this state Of things has opened the
eyes and enlightened the understanding
of that half Of the people who are not
engaged in agriculture, and who have
hitherto been inclined to look upon
farming as Of inferior importance, and
suited for clodhOppers? Farming has
come to the front. and it is going to
stay there. July american Agricat-
kuriSt,