The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-01-18

oe"eS, u~s oc"iSo P"'u MY hheosSoe va iso 'aa-
ne, above the actual support of its owner
for the past three years.
Before searching after the remedy for this
unwelcome condition of our affairs, it will
II they have staying qualities One of the
causes adhcres In the very nature OF farm
ing as business. Agriculture is geners
Gus whole-hearted vocation. She opens a
willing, often a liberal hand, even to the
ignorant and inexperienced of her patrons.
This would seem high praise Of any art, that
the untutored and the novice could knock
at its door, and be fed. We have all seen
the lawyer, doctor and merchant in mature
life 60 onto the farm, and live, perchance
thrive. We have never seen the farmer
as age frosted his locks, go into law OF med
icine except to starye. The farmer who has
just commenced to pillow or SOW or reap, as
one who is all unlearncd, with brain small
and not much used, may raise though not as
much, just as good corn, wheat, or hay, as
the most skillful and learned farmer OF the
land. Thus their products come in comps
titon. The good doctor fears not the quack
nor the astute lawyer the pettifogger, their
wares do not come in competition. There
is never a crowded market of the best pro-
ducts in these professions; hence Webster's
aphorism ''There is always room higher up"
Not so the farm. or the farmers products.
He and his compete with the most humble,
ignorant, and unworthy of his fellow farm
ers. Thus tendancy to over production
and low prices, must always stand between
the farmer and success. 1t is to the honor of
agriculture, that it can be handled, with in
different success at least, by the ignorant
and inexperienced, but this same fact will
ever--must ever-clog the path even of the
best While very probably we would not
have this otherwise, yet in our various
plans and farm operations we do well not to
forget the fact
Another cause for low prices, consequent
upon our production, is the rapid develop
ment of the agriculture of the west. There
acres, and immense crops have
been the rule. Hence cheap grain, cheap
stock, aided by unduly cheap X. r. rates,
have confronted our eastern agriculture
with such fierce competition that many of
us have felt sorely disheartened. This cause,
unlike the other is to be short lived. These
western farmers are Overdrawing the bank
account, which nature has been carefully
augmenting for ages. Very soon an ex-
hausted soil will fail to respond and the
west like the south will lament barren
acreage. Then they will produce hardly
more than enough for home consumption
Our markets will be relieved and our farm
ing again remunerative. / hope none of US
are too severely tempted during these hard
times to follow the ruinous method of our
western farmers, robbing our fields today,
that they may starve us tomorrow. This
surely will be sowing to the wind, that we
may reap the whirlwind.
A third less important cause is unfair tax
alton. The farmers property shows, and
If the assessor does as he is sworn to do, the
farmer must pay tax on all his capital.
Other property is easily concealed and so its
owners If dishonest may escape taxation
wholly or in part. More than this, the
farmer if his farm is mortgaged as it is re-
ported SO many are, owns only part of it, |
yet has to pay taxes on all. This Is surely |
unjust. While for safety and convenience |
he farmer ought to pay it; still the tax |
receipt ought to pay so much of the debt. |
This too would ensure the collection of tax |
rom the money lender whose conscience |
would not oblige him to bring notes and |
Mortgages to light, when he knew the prop
,rty had once paid the tax. OF course this
wrong and injustice will be righted Us farm
rs become better educated and more inhu-
initial, grangers' and farmers clubs are aid
ng rapidly to secure such reforms.
With these several disabilities confront
ng us, Tweed's question to the authorities
n New York What are you going to do
bout it?" is wise and pertinent, and should
Ne answered by each of MS AS tried to
how last spring Mt our first meeting, we
must not farm for today only, but for all
he future. We owe it to ourselves, to our
to our state, to our countyr, to
% till our fields, that each year may give us
'etter returns. If we find the reverse true,
hen we are sinners, and it is to be hoped
hat our conscience will so prick us that we
nay repent, and ut once change our ways AS
urged in the former address there is no way
hat we can feed up our farms to maximum
except to keep all the stock
hat the farm will possibly carry. urge
gain, rs | urged then, that all use the silO
Tins Is not only the cheapest way to harvest
'ur corn crop, but also the cheapest way to
tore our farm products, and by use of the
lilo, as Is now fully demonstrated, we can
Ieep ut least one-third more stock, these not
'nly adding to our immediate profits very
but also augmcnting our pros
,ective returns in more rapidly enriching
he soil, which is and should ever be consid- |
red the most important part of farm man.
lgemcnt.
But ii we are TO increase our stock on the |
arm, as the key To greater fertility, in
creased profits, and higher success, then it |
becomes doubly important, that we increase
he value of the stock, and thus ask your |
Kind indulgence that may urge for your
consideration, for brief space, the great |
Importance of improving our farm stock. |
DR.. Collier Of the New York experimental |
station I'm "A recent adflraca l,ofora tho no;rx,-