The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-09-25

not be done by any single lndlVldual,
no more than single banker could
compile and publish the reports OF the
comptroller of currency, sent out
annually and without which the busi-
ness would be cropping in the dark.
As before stated, it is only twenty
eight years sine the government be-
gan to collect agricultural stats tics,
and l desire now to point out the ef-
feet of this policy on the agricultural
interests of the country as already
manifested and to anticipate the still
greater benefits to recrue from it in
the future.
1t has lifted farmers out of the old
ruts and put them to thinking. Before
they had nothing in tangible shape to
think about and farm life consisted Of
a ceaseless repetition of the same daily
labor, performed for no other reason
than that it had always been done
chat way.
There is hope for man when he
begins to think and study and strike
out original lines Of thought for him
self, and at no period in the history OF
our country have the farmers been
so earnestly and persistently striving
to solve the problems involved in free
ing agriculture from the letters that
bind it down. The statistics relating
10 the condition of the agricultural
classes and the acreage and total
value of the crops produced and the
methods of production collected by
the department at Washington have
called public attention to the compar-
atively small profits of farming and
suggested the idea of cooperation
among farmers by which the expenses
OF the farmer could be reduced.
1T has shown that the average
profits CT the farm amounted to only
3 per cent, while the rate of interest
paid by farmers at supply stores and
banks ranged from 10 to % per cent.
Hence the Grange with its plan OF CO.
operative stores and later the Alliance
and similar organizations intended to
organize the farming classes for SELL
protection and preservation. Relief
to the farmer cannot, however, come
alone by economizing, reducing
expenses and even dispensing with
the services of the "middle man, y
simply because there is a point be-
yond which expenses cannot be re-
juced and farmers had been driven TO it
long before the organization Of either
of these two orders"
AS the rush of the cotton season
will soon be over and farmers will
nave a short slack season, wouldn't it
DC good idea for the Travis county
Alliance to organize an institute for
some convenient day in October? The
suggestion is respectfully submitted
CROP REPORT.
A synopsis of the forthcoming
september report OF department OF
agriculture is before me. 1t shows
chat the injury 10 the corn crop re-,
ported last month has been intensified
" continuance of drought during
August. In few OF the Atlantic
states there has been a slightimprove,
ment. In Michigan, Wisconsin, Indi-
INA, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and
Texas the condition is unchanged, but
decided dec inc has occurred in New
York, Ohio, Illinois, and all the north,
western States. The average condi-
ton of the corn is now 7u.l to 1913
last month. The report i!
less favorable for cotton
han in August. On the Atlantic
coast rains following season oil
lrouth has caused rust and shedding
OF leaves and fruit.
The impairment of condition has
oeen eight points in South Carolina
ind Georgia and nine in Alabama
The report from Tennessee is favor
.ble. The general average condition
If the cotton crop is reduced from
1913 in August to So 5 in September
which is fraction lower than the
record of September, 1889.