The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-24
FACTS AND ADVICE FROM AN AU-
THORITY UPON AGRICULTURAL DE-
DRnasEnH

OF production in this country, he
declares, even more rapid than the in
crement of population. The staple pro-
ducts of agriculture, by increase of farms
and by railroad building and land settle
ment and the increase of agricultural
implements, are grown to excess, while
other products, with which our farmers
are not familiar, are neglected and left
to foreign labor to produce, while our
own rural labor is only partially en-
ployed, or else is crOwding production of
these old staples and still further lower
ing prices and intensifying dissatisfac-
ton with the results of agricultural eff
fort.
The statements of Mr.. Dodge and his
advice are worth giving in detail. This
is what he says: 1t is futile to attempt to
defy the law of supply and demand. So
long as farmers insist on growing only
the bread grains, cotton, tobacco and
cattle, and to neglect other products
which are needed, which we import at a
cost of more than $500, 900 annually,
lust so long will the lamentatiOn over
low prices continue. Diversification is
essential to agricultural salvation. Most
of the agricultural importation should be
produced here; in fact, there is little on
the list, except tea and coffee, that
should be imported. There are many
plants yielding fruits, dyes, medicines,
and other products useful in the arts or
for food that could be profitable grown
after suitable experiment. for the supply
of demand already existing or to be
created, and utilizing rural labor and in
creasing the wealth of the country.
There is further cause of low prices,
which farmers should understand, very
difficult to remedy, demanding serious
consideration and wise action. 1t is
found in the combination of carriers and
middlemen to absorb large share of the
proceeds of the sale of farm products.
Beeves are sold by growers for seven
tenths to three-fourths of the prices of a
few years ago, and the meat is sold to
consumers in the retail markets at little
if any reduction from the highest prices
| of the last twenty years. For instance,
prime rib roasts have been sold in Wash
ington during that period for 20 cents
per pound, and sirloin steaks for the
same. There has been little variation, as
general rule, in the prices of the less
valuable cuts. The same complaint
comes from consumers in other cities.
Another aspect of the case bears upon
the inexperienced buyer. The meat that
is bought at $3.50 to 81 per hundred live
weight is sold to the consumer at practi
cally the same prices as that which cost
$3.50 to IS. Rarely is there a difference
made in the selling prices of cuts from
beeves of different quality. If such diff
ference is ever observed it is more fire.
quently made in regard to meat which {
| good Judge of beef would hesitate to buy
at all. Unfortunately there are thou
sands of people who do not know the
difference between good and poor qualit!
and they are the most easily imposed
upon. The increasing swarm of dealeri
in regular markets and provision store'
show that numbers of people are living
| off the difference between wholesale anC
retail beef
All kinds of meats, vegetables ant
fruits furnish simply subsistence II
armies of middlemen. Milk is bOugh
from farms for the supply of New York
for less than three cents per quart, an'
sold to customers for eight cents. TIL
hucksters of city markets often get a
much for handling product in singh
day as the grower obtained for prOduc
ing it during seasons growth. TIL
contrast between the price of fruit on tn
farm and in the city market is a sugges
ton of greed and extortion. In man
markets the price of variable product
are fixed for the day at early dawn, no
with reference to the cost, but in view o
the comparative quality, to squeeze fror
the buyer the last cent that his patienc
will endure without declining purchase
The poor are robbed still further, whe
commodity costs % cents a peck, by
charge of Is cents for half peck, whic
is a clear penalty of 20 per cent. for buy
ing in small quantities. Thus by ever
imaginable trick of trade the cost of buy
ing is increased, while the producer get
less and less for his products.
The army of dealers in futures who be
upon the price of grain in the comm
months, and bend their energies {
shape prices to suit their deals, do othC
injury than merely to prey on eac
other; they disturb the natural flow {
trade and check expectation by ten
porary rise in values, which leads inevi
ably to lower prices later and create
fluctuations, which are the meat and lif
of this class and the bane of the farmer
market for wheat. The actual buyer {
grain, if a Spectator and not merely
commission merchant and fOrwarde,
may scheme to depress prices while bu,
ing and to boom them in selling, to til
great injury of the grower. The hone'
and legitimate business of receiving an
forwarding grain, or that of the buyC
who is a conscientious merchant and NJ
professional manipulation of price,
helps rather than hurts the farmer; BIT
the others play games of chance disguise
as business are the enemies of grove
and consumer and of every man VIII
gains livelihood by the sweat of hi
brow. This class is so large in the var
Gus marts of trade, that its aggregat
gain absorbs an essential part of the pre-
ducts of national industry.
There are too many nOn-producers VIII
absorb the products of the farmer in til
distribution to the consumer. PerhaI
the only remedy may be combinatio
of the farmers to retail their own fruit
and vegetables in cities, sell their Ow
meats and manufacture their own flOul
Something must be done to reduce tn
numbers and modify the greed of Ion
line of leeches that are fattenIng on til
industry of the country, who neither to-
on the farms nor spin in the factories
and yet they are absorbing the wealth O
the country by combina don without cor
science and service without equity, Will
the producers are relegated to the rea
and left to enjoy their pittance as the
may.
There may be minor causes of depres
sion which have not been considered, bu
they are impotent and unimportant il
comparison with those outlined. TIL
main difficulty is, there is OverprOduC
ton of few staples and quite too lin
tied list of rural products. There i
too much hog and hominy and marrow
range of delicacies that are so eagerl,
sought by the buyer and so profitable t,
the producer. There is too much rura
labor unemployed and too much me
chanical and manufacturing labor idle il
both cases for lack Of sufficient variety
and because $500, 900 or 5000, 900, 90
are spent in foreign countries for pro
ducts that could better be made here.
All the worsted woods and all the car
pet woods that can be woven in this con
can readily be produced in the South
Only the invention of an. effective decor
industry, supplementing rather thar
rivaling cotton, and jute and man,
native and foreign fibres should swell
the list of raw materials. And ther,
should be no more need of going to Ital,
or Japan for raw silk than there is &
India for raw cotton. Further, ther,
should be just as little need of going t
Cuba for sugar. Nine-tenths, at least, o
all the raw materials required for textile
metallic, mechanical, chemical, oleagi
nous or other manufacture can be pro
duced primarily by our farmers, divert
ing their labor to profitable channels, anC
swelling the value of their products
steadying the prices of the food staples
and insuring prosperity and comfort t.
all. No other panacea will cure hare
| timas. a nrnfitahle outlet nv divarsifica