The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-08-09
Agriculture and National Prosperity.

NONcr Dciorc peTnupS III Jne history
OF the country has greater interest been
taken in the growing crops than at tho
present time The supply Of cereals in
the country is small, meat OF all kinds Is
scarce and high, and almost for the first
time has there been necessity for i'm
porting potatoes, roots, and garden
vegetables. The coming harvest will
find ample room in the now empty bins,
cribs, warehouses, elevators, and cellars.
1t has been remarked that the world Is
ordinarily within less than q year of
starvation, and that hunger can not wait.
we are nearer the realization of this
startling statement than we have been
for many years. We have more people
to feed than we ever had before, and
tho number Is constantly increasing.
Ordinarily some articles of food are
plentiful and cheap, but at present ev-
erything Is dear. Even corn meal, salt
pork, potatoes, and cured fish are high.
Persons can not live cheaply il they de-
sire to. Every article that will help
support life In man or the inferior ami
mails commands good price. At pres
ent every one takes an interest in tho
reports OF condition Of crops and is do.
slrous OF obtaining the latest informa-
ton respecting them. There is anxiety
on every hand in respect 10 the weather
and the extent of the damage by storms
and by the attacks of insects. Dealers
In other articles than grain and prov-
sions are deeply interested in the pro.
ductlon OF these articles. They are
careful to gain the fullest information
possible about the prospect for crops in
every section Of the country before they
sell large bills of goods on credit. The
value Of every day Of sunshine is care
fully estimated in thousand counting
rooms. Tho damage inflicted by severe
and long protracted storm is calculated
in the same way. The worth of sun and
heat is fully appreciated.
A larger proportion of the inhabitants
OF this country are directly engaged in
agriculture than can be found in almost
any country in the world. In tho
great markets where the commerce of
oil nations center we exchange grain,
meat, cotton, and tobacco for manufac-
tured articles. If we do not produce
them in abundance we have nothing with
which we can carry on foreign trade.
Our tariff laws, designed TO build up do
nestle manufacturers to supply local
consumption, have an injurious effect
on the manufacture of articles for cx-
port. The prosperity of nearly all our
manufactures depends on the produc-
ton of raw materials that can be work
ed up. We make cotton cloth from lint
produced from our own fields. Our CT
cars are manufacturcdfrom homegrown
tobacco. The whisky, alcohol, glucose,
and starch we make for home con-
sumption and export are produced from
corn. A shortage in the corn crop re-
suits in the decline of the amount of ar
ticles produced from 1t. We never inn
port corn, and it is difficult to find q
substitute for it in the articles we are
in the habit of manufacturing from it.
The prosperity of our manufacturers
depends indirectly, as well rs directly,
on the prosperity of our agriculture. A
large proportion of our people depend
on the crops they raise for the means to
purchase manufactured goods of every
kind. They must restrict their con-
sumption to their ability to buy
and make payment with the
product of their fields. II crops
are small, only manufactured
articles of necessity can be purchased
by people living in the country. Ii
they are large, they can indulge in ar
ticlcs that conduce to comfort or minis
ter to luxury, People in the country
adapt themselves to their incomes bet
ter than people who live in cities. They
are more secluded, and on that account
can get along better with poor furniture
and articles OF clothing.
The prosperity of all our great trans
portation companies depends on our az
ricultural prosperity. The largest pro-
portion of our freight cars. are built for
carrying grain, live stock, and dairy
products. Many of our leading railroads
were constructed for the transportation
of farm products. Several of them
could not pay the ordinary running
expenses if they relied on passenger
traffic and the carrying of manufactured
goods for support. When crops are
good the trains run on them are many
and long. When crops are poor the
reverse IN both particulars is true.
What is true of railroad transportation
is also true of steamboat and vessel
transportation. The latter, no less
| than the former, were built for the most
part for carrying farm products and
farm supplies. As the country becomes
older its prosperity depends more and
more on agriculture. At one time
large portion of our people were en-
gagged in marketing the natural produc
tons of the country. They killed wilC
animals and sent their skins to market
They cut down forests that were no
planted by the hand of man. The.
washed surface gold out of gulches, AM
became rich chiefly through the opera
tions of nature. Many lived on tn
prod.5t of the chase. They ate the tles
of wild animals and birds, and sold tn
skins of the former. In many parts {
the country civilized men produced tn
articles thcv ate and wore in the sam
way that savages did. The na,uri
products of the country supplied man
of the articles that in most parts
the world are obtained only by conlinl
, Gus and persistent toll. On this accour
, many supported life by hunting an
, fishing. At present it is necessary
/ plant in order to reap, to breed an
feed cattle in order to have meat, to u
q the ground in order TO have crop
y Times are prosperous or the revcr'
e according to the production of cultiva
It cd crops.-Chicago Times.