Evening journal., 1890-01-04
HOME MARKET PRICES.

The Farmers Not Satisfied with the Fall
lacy Which Promises Much From Little.
Speciaa Correspondence EVENING JoURsAL.
CHRIsTIANA, Jan. 4-The farmers of
this vicinity are continually complaining
of the low price of grain, and well they
may, for there is little chance that IL will
become much higher. Since your CORE
spondent has shown the decline in farm
ing in this locality, numerous plans or
remedies have been suggested. The sug-
gestions, however, have chiefly been
made by persons who apparently know
no more about farming than Baby Mckee.
They state that Wilmington affords q
valuable home market for butter, milk,
eggs, poultry, fruits and vegetables, and
argue that farmers should raise more OF
this produce and not so much grain.
They fail to understand why farming is
Improbable, while poultry, especially
turkeys, command such hign prices
They also. just as ignorantly, mistake
the cause of the advance in the price OF
poultry. II will be remembered that
there was an unusually wet season, which
made it very difficult to raise poultry
particularly turkeys
Farmers were able to raise scarcely one
half the number of turkeys last season
that they have raised in preceding years
Quite a number were so unfortunate al
TO have very few to sell after selecting
their breeders for next season. Whilt
the wet season was not quite so disas-
trous to other poultry as it was to tur
keys. yet its effect lessened the supply OF
poultry in general.
This is the reason 1t commands h igl
prices. 1t can be clearly seen that there
is no great profit in poultry this season
even at present prices, as the numbers
lost in raising more than over balances
the present advance in price.
In considering the growing of fruit
and vegetables, 1t can be truthfully
said that the farmers have TO compete
also in this produce with the over pro.
duction Of other states. Should they raise
more OF this product for the home mar
ket and grow less grain, the market
would eventually become over stocked
and prices would be comparatively lower
than the price Of grain.
Butter, milk and eggs command high
prices at present, but compared with the
low prices of last spring and early sum.
mer the average is not great.
The farmer IS not only prohibited from
dealing in the foreign market, but is also
taxed for dealing in the home market II
the roads are in bad condition (which
they frequently are), he is compelled to
go in to the Wilmington home market,
as it is called, over the Newport pike.
which is by no means a good road, and
pay a tax Of or 10 cents "a horse each
way. Arriving at the market he is oblig-
ed to pay tax for the privilege, of sell
ing his goods on the sidewalk. Viii
mington calls it a privilege" but it is
surely as great privilege for Whining
ton to have the farmers there as it fol-
the farmers to be there.
The farmers overburdened by taxes
cannot maintain themselves with grain
at its present price. Something must BE-
done, and that quickly, or farming viii
go TO the wal.
IL is useless to preach to them of the
valuable home market, for they know
more about it than those that try to tel
them of its value. A more durable rem
edy than this is required What shall
a. hap