Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-31
DISTRESS or FARMERS.
No Fruit, Light Crops, scarcity and
High Cost of Labor.

The condition, financially, of the
farmers of this State is distressing 10
the extreme, and there are no indications
/ giving hope Of any allaYiation. This
year has been particularly unfortunate,
as there is scarcely crop that has re-
turned even fair yield.
To begin with there has not been and
will not be fruit of any kind. Apples,
peaches and pears are an entire failure.
ANY one knowing the extent to which
these fruits are grown in Delaware can
estimate the great loss their absence en-
tails to the land owners.
This wheat crop is light less than two
thirds the average yield q condition that
will entail thousands OF dollars loss in
this State. Hay produced fairly we'll,
but the price at which it is quoted makes
it Of little consequence in computing the
income from farm. The yield of early
potatoes was extremely light, while the
late crop is almost an entire failure.
Corn iR seriously feeling tine effects OF
the drought and its growth and develop.
ment under the most favoring condition
from now until the crop ripens cannot
bring much mGre than half or tWo-thirdB
an average yiuld.
Oats WAS ssIntsd by some peculiar rust
or vermin soon after it came through the
ground in the spring, and it has only
partially recovered from this early blight.
AS q crop it will amount to little or
nothing.
These assartiaas ara based upon the
observations of ona OF the .cogt exsarsiya
farmers ia taib county, who has also
made Inquiries upon th5 sukjaCa IN Kat
and Snsaez c:ino;i9s.
With the Tesy Light yields Of every
crop the farmers sell is added tas hard
ship OF very iow qiicas, sjo tiis revenue
desivaI from tiilinE tho soil eyen by ths
very best and most economical. methods
ia slaell indeed. The grester part cf tbst
is expended in ice hire of labor, which,
at this lima Ia bHs little less tbza was
paid Guting war timss. Egsn At tho
prica paid, good Farm hs,p Ii soarca in
deed, aud exceedingly atiianlt 10 obtain.
ThaEa is absolutely nnttling tha farmers
have to sell which yieids any revenue.
Tho conaitiou ct Tbs farmera ia lndeed
deptorRble. Rsntsra arh yunnisg behiAd
will. iheir payasnta aud without
possibility OF kotf.eYing their fortunes.
phasa owning .la.r properties srs in fact
maki0S no iGeAey and those wnoss lanGs
ara lnotiEalssi sFa mogt severely taxed TO
keep up tseis INTEREST Farm land has
dopfeoiated in valae very materially ana
tins great numtes Of owners who would
give up TIC vocation cannot sell out ex-
capt Rt great sacrifice, Nsither can
they rent at figures to pay anything like
. fair interest ON their Investment, not to
msntion the heavy taxes.
Farmers are bhginning to inquire the
reason for this coadiuon OF inequality in
the returns for capital and labor. The
things they bay for consumption or
machinery fos use are b gh i'll price.
UaIess there is an immediate change
for the tet.er, stated farmer yesterday,
there will be almost collapse of the
farming interests in Delaware. AS il is
the sheriff will be busy selling out farm
ers who are totally unable to meet their
obligations for the next year.