Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-07
AN AaRIouLrURA1 coNrrAsr.

AN AGRICULTURAL CONTRAST.
In mastery essay on the "present
Depression in Trade, Its Causes and
Remedies" written by Edwin Goadby Of
New York, the writer devotes consider
able space TO the losses sustained by En-
gland from numerous failures in crops, of
recent years The essay, which was
written from British standpoint, cap
tured the prize of 100 guineas offered by
Miss Peares, and was read before the
British Association for the Advancement
of Science, at Aberdeen, Scotland. It is
OF peculiar interest to American readers,
in that 1t deals with a subject of vital
Interest, and affords that large element of
our population, on which The country is
chiefly dependent for its prosperity, to
Judge by contrast, how much advantage
the American farmer has over his brother
in the mother country.
Among other discouraging facts he
says, referring to agriculture in England
"Wheat growing has not paid since 1854
and the fact is eloquently expressed in the
reduction of the wheat acreage from :.
100000 acres in ls49 to 1858, 900 in 1882
The barley crop has been similarly unfor.
tunate, having been satisfactory in but
three years out of ten. Oats are only
credited with two good yields In the same
period. Beans do not seem to flourish in
this country as they did in old tlmes'' In
conclusion he says: "The farmers
themselves have stopped the pur-
chase of implements, spreading dis
tress over the machine market
they purchase the lower price manures /;
they farm poorly, and they contract all
domestic outlays. Tradesmen have had
to give longer credit and take fewer or
decs, Drainage goes on, but farm build
ings are deterlorating and choked water
courses readily cast fiood-water ON the
land. Failure and emigration complete
the story Of ruin and despair"
1t will be seen from the foregoing that
OF late years the lot Of the English
farmer has not been happy one. It
must be remembered, too, that most of
them are tenants, and have their rents to
pay TO aristocratic landlords, whether the
haryests they reap be good or bad. Is it
any wonder that under such circum.
stances the English farmer should emf.
CRATE to these shores? The only wonder
Is that more of them fail to come.
Turn to Texas for the briefcst glance.
Only few years ago whole area.
greater in extent than England. was
thought to be incapable of producing
graln-ht for nothing but grazing
ground for herds Of long horns. To-day
that same country is producing maguifl.
cent yields of wheat, oats, barley and
other cereals, and such thing as a fail
ure Is almost unknown. What a contrast,
To say nothing of the greater variety Of
productions and the diiferencein the cost
OF lands, the Texas farmer, in the cor
tainty OF reaping liberal haryests 10
blessed to an extent that ought to render
him eminently satisfied. The Englishnar
sows with the gloomy foreboding of n
scant return; the Texas granger hone.
July, for he knows that if one crop should
turn outa failure another will be success.
iul' and SO there win be no suffering. If
nus cotton Is short, corn and wheat are
abundant, andf perchance, everything
should fail he usually has little bunch
OF cattle TO tide him over till more
prosperous year. Nor does he ever have
to heighten his discomfort, to see ,he
ignoble spectacle of a lot of lazy lords
reveling in luxury, squeezing the las,
cent OF rent money from starving ten.
sntry' Taking all this in consideration