The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-05-02
|RUSK ON FARMING,
Causes of Agricultural De-
preston as Stated by
Sec. Rusk.
Depreciation of the Productive
Power of Land Due to Care
less Culture

less Culture.
WAsalNaroN,-Specia Telegram. -Secreta-
~ Rusk of the Agricultural Department,
in answer to numerous inquiries asking
about the cause of agricultural depression,
has written letter lfor publication, in the
course of which he says:
The present agricultural depression, It
seems to me, can bs traced to q combination
ofmany causes, so many that probably no
one man can snumerate them all. will on
~ endeavor TO point out some which seem to
me more directly responsible They may be
divided into two classes: /. Those causes
inherent to tho farmers themselves, and for
which they alone can provide possible rem
edy. 2. Those over which the farmer him
self has no direct control, and the remedy
for which must be provided as far az remedy
Is possible by law. and for such legislation
the responsibility dsvolves upon the legisla.
tive bodies of the States and of the Nation.
What the farmer must do, will confine my
self to mere enumeration Of the first class
of causes indicated. On many farms, regret
to say, We find depreciation of the produc.
tive power of the land due to careless culture.
We find want to often of business-like
methods, due to the fact that in earlier
times Business training was not re-
garded as an essential preparation for
the farmers work whereas to-day,
with altered conditions, when every penny,
and may say every moment of time, has to
be proftably accounted for, and in the face of
worldwide competition, a successful farmer
must be as we'll trained and careful in bust
ness as the storekeeper, and his equal in in
telligence and general education. Nor are
the important questions of supply and de-
mand of market prices studied with the vigi-
lance which characterizes the methods of our
merchants and manufacturers. These last,
moreover, have the advantage oftransacting
their business in immediate proximity to
trade centers, where the widest information
in reference thereto is readily obtainable.
Our farmers organizations are wisely seeking
to supplement this want for the farmer; tho
agricultural press is earnestly working in the
same direction, and one of the most impor-
tant duties devolvjng upon this department
consists in gathering and promptly distrib-
uting reliable information on all those subjects
which are essentially interesting to the farmer.
It remains for him to avail himself to the in
ton not only against over-supply OF certain
products but against possible over-reaching
on the part of purchasers The farmer must
look with suspicion upon any attempts to
abridge the sources of his information His
advantage will always be in the fullest
knowledge of the facts. He must
carefully study the character and
mere quantity, and always bear in mind that
whether prices are high or low it is always
the best goods at the best obtainable prices
that are the most readily sold. Many of our
farmers have been land-greedy and find them
selves the owners of more land than they can
properly care for in view of the comparative.
" high price oflabor in tho rural districts
ton of mankind. comparatively, can profit
ably control the labor of Others. The pru.
dent farmer will limit his efforts to that which
he can efficiently perform. Again. more at
tention must he given, especially on our
Western farms, to the raising by the farmer,
for his own use, everything that may be uti.
lized by himself and his household, 30 far az
climate will permit.
have passed over these various causes
briefly. lido not deem it necessary to dwell
upon them at length, but will merely reiter-
ate the fact, that for them the remedy il FEAST
bic, and it depends upon the farmers them.
selves to provide it. No one can r~lieve them
Of this responsibility. but ara thankful to
say, that owing partly to their own efforts.
there exist to-day in many States, valuable
instrumentalities capable of materially aid
ing them in their work, and to-day. in this
country, no farmer need be without all the
aid that knowledge and science can impart
Farm mortgages.
The burden of mortgages upon farms,
homes and lands is unquestionably discour-
aging in the extreme, and while in some cases
~ In ho~~,
~ assumed, still in the majority of cases, the
mortgage has been the result of necessity. l
except, of course, such mortgages asrepresent
balances of purchase money, which are rath-
er evidences of the farmers ambition and en-
terprise than of his poverty. On the other
hand those mortgages with which land has
been encountered from the necessities of it's
owner, drawing high rates of interest, often
taxed in addition with q heavy commission,
have to-day, in the face of continued depres-
sion in the prices Of staple products. become
very irksome and in many cases threaten the
farmer with loss of home and land. It ia q
question Of great difficulty to oil those who
seek to remedy the ills from which our farm
ers are suffering At present prices the farmer
dollar wherewith to pay back the dollar he
borrowed than it did when he borrowed it.
The interest accumulates, while payment OF
tho principal seems utterly hopeless, and the
very depression which we are discussing
makes the renewal Of the mortgage most dif-
fcult. Many people are disposed to associ-
ate this phase Of the subject with the ques-
ton Of an undue limitation Of our curren.
cy. Many carry this line of argument to
extremes, but it is by no means impossible
that these subjects are correlated. However,
the question of currency 10 now receiving
special attention from another branch OF
the government; legislation on the subject
10 now pending before Congress-: and We can
no doubt look for an early and satisfactory
solution of this vexed problem.
After discussing the question of transpor.
tation, gambling in farm products, combine
consideration of protection for the farmer.
Inow come to the consideration of one oil
the gravest causes in my opinion of the pres
emit agricultural depression. but which am
happy to state can be efectually and directly
dealt with through national legislation.
Eax neonle rAalizA that nur imnnrfa Of a orr.