Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-04-09
DECLINE OF THE FARM
Largo Falling Off In Agricultural
Production.


Tho Importance OF the agricultural
interests Of the United States Is such
that every influence detrimental to the
best success Of agriculture becomes at
once vital question.
That agricultural progress has not
kept paco with commercial and manu-
featuring advancement ii does not re-
quiro statistics to show. rs II is patent
TO every eye. That there is an abso-
lutte decline in the products OF the soil
is not, however. so generally admitted
because we become accustomed to look
ing at aggregates. and II the totals arc
satisfactory, VIC do not stop to inquire
about details. II the aggregate wheat
crop OF this year Is greater than last
we are content, no matter how many
million moro acres OF land were re-
quired to produce 1t. But sooner or
later the possibility OF vast increases
In acreage year after year will cease,
and then the constant diminution Of
each acres yield will tell upon the ag-
grogate very unplea3antly.
In the past twenty years the yield OF
wheat decreased In the State OF New
York from IS bushels per acre to 1913
bushels per acre, and tho corn yield
from 80 8 to % bushels per acre. TAX
ing the Southern States for period OF
ten years last past, we find that in
North Carolina the wheat yield de-
creased from bushels to 80 bushels
per acre. corn from 1874 to ll.5. oats
from 1919 to 81. In Georgia the wheat
yield decreased from rs TO 3 bushels
per acre. corn from Ill to 81,
oats from 1912 TO 3. In Missis-
sippl. wheat from 80 TO 5. corn
from 1873 TO 1875. oats from ll5
TO ll.5 In Texas wheat decreased
from L. 3 TO S.J bushels per acro. corn
from ~ TO 1876. oats from 27.2 10 22.8.
Kentucky. between 1864 and reg
listers decrease in wheat yield from
1912 TO ~ bushels per acre; corn from
2S.5 TO u; oats from 24.2 to 1868 per
acre. In Indiana the decrease in the
wheat yield was from las bushels per
acre to 1914 bushels per acre; corn
from 20 to q. In Illinois wheat went
down from l43 10 10, and corn from
SO TO % bushels per acre. 1t is true
that there is not an absolute uniformi-
ty Of diminution, yet the general dim
mutton OF average yields is unmistak-
able. Taking an average OF the three
years, 1868. Ca and '65 on the one
hand, and 1882. 'S3 and 'Sl on the
other, we shall find that there has
been very marked decrease In the
products per acre of all the staple
crops.
To the farmer himself there is an
other feature OF the question fully as
interesting and more important than
the decreased yield. More important
because he is powerless to checkmate
It. BY his own labor he can restore
the soil TO its primitive vigor, but
against price dcteriorations he is
powerless.
Tho report OF the Agricultural De-
partment for 1873. probably states
this phase OF the problem as strongly
as II has been stated. 1t says:
The average price obtained by tho farmers
fallen on two thirds in fifteen years. Corn
being "a 1.lO cents per bushe In 1885, and 81 In
1873 Tho crop Of 1873, though greater by a6,'
UOO0 bushels than the crop Of 1871. fell short oil
1t in aggregate value $4,000 O. The average
value OF each acres yield hiss fallen to the un'
precedcntedly low figure OF tS3 In 1873 In
1864 II amounted TO 1870. Without stopping "a
discuss the rart that currency fluctuations may
have played In producing this result ut that
time. let us look Ut results since currency nuct-
uatlons consed To be n fnctor in monetary com
putatlons In 1883 there were planted in corn
in the United States o. 9nl. $50 acres, tho nggre
gate yield being b5i Gj sos bushels OF corn, for
which the farmers received e6SOol, ,4Si, or t96l
per acre. In 1881, 6o,6Sl.Ts0 acres OF corn were
planted, yielding l,'05 is bushels, being
over 24,4 5000 bushels more than the aggregate
OF the year previous; yet the money received
by the farmers was but 1910 $50, or tie1Oo0ol
less than was received for the smaller crop o'
1883. The price per acre IN 1891 was elio IL
1895 there were $500 O acres more planted In
corn than in 1884, the yield OF IS exceeded thai
| OF 1881 In the aggregate 2N,OS).O10 bushels yet
| tho aggregate amount received by the farmcr'
was sY,iO,OnO less than that received for the
crop OF 1891, and amounted 10 $40 per acre.
| In 1885 the acreage was increased by over two
million acres, being 1A,GD, i51 acres; the aggre
gate yield was considerably reduced over thai
Of 1875, the yield per acre being but ~ bushels
but tho aggregate amount received by th'
| farmers in cash was reduced worry much mort
proportionately, being but s5l0,OOO,Ooo, or $50
per ncrc In short, the farmers OF the Unitet
| Stntcs received slS.0jl,i 49, less for raising ~,
I G30.1,O acres OF corn IN 1896 than they did FOL
raising Gs 0i $50 acres Ia lsS3 though the forme
crop exccctod the latior, by 10, o. o. bushels
and the returns TO the farmer per acre decreased
| from S0.0] in iss3 to ,SO5 In 1895 In wheat th'
same general result obtains In 1889 sd,i55. 80
acres yielded 4al go, 100 bushels OF wheat fo
which the raisers received s}Ss, ,0ip,2,s, or sic.b
per acre. In 1891 80, z ,s3j acres produced 5ie,
| iOl,OOl bushels OF wheat, upon which tho farm
| ers realized but S33 ,s6i.eJJ nearly $4,000
| less than for the smaller crop OF tho previou
year, the price per acre being reduced 10 IS 8
| as against the fl059 received In 1897. In 1888
The price per acre for the wheat Yield was re
! daecd to $40. Tho ont crop OF 1888 broagh
eD27 per acre; that Of 1880, s7.s7. Tho sam,
condition OF increasing ncreagc with increasing
ngpregate Yield and decreasing receipts. pro
4 vailed In oats, hly and potatoes that we havl
observed In corn and wheat There were owe
| one million acres more OF oats in 1881 than II
1888, producing L., ,S9d, 400 bushels more; and We
ee6, 10000 less money was paid for II, Thes'
! are some OF the facts concerning price deterio