The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-05-09
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.
WAsHiNaroN,-spscial Tsleg1nm.-Secreta-
~ Rusk Of the Agricultural Department..
In answer to numerous inquiries asking
about the canse OF agricultural depression,
has written lctter Ifor publication, in tile
course Of which he snys:
The present agricultural depression. it
seems to me, cnn he traced to a combination
Of mnny causes, so many that probably no
one man can enumcrate them oil. will on.
~ endeavor TO point ont some which seem to
me more directly responsible. They may be
divided into two classes: l. Those causes
Inherent to the fNrmors themselves. md for
which they alone can provide possible rem
edy. 2. Those over which the farmer him
self has no direct control, and the remedy
Tor which must lie provided ma far az remedy
u possible by law. and for such legislation
tho responsibility devolves upon the legirla.
tive bodies of tho States and ,sf the Nation.
What the farmer must DO. will confino my
self to mere enumeration ofthe arst class
OF causes indicated. On many farms. Iregrct
to say, We find a Depreciation oNthe produc.
tive power Of the land due to cnrelAs culture.
We find want to often of hksiness.like
methods, due to the fact TINT in earlier
times business training was hot re.
garded as an essential preparation for
the farmers work whereas to-day,
with altered conditions, when eveiS penny,
be profitnbly accounted for, and in the iuce of
worldwide competition, n successful farmer
must be as well trained and careful in bust
ness as the storckeeper, and his equal in ill.,
telligence md general education. Nor are
the important questions Of supply and lie
mand of market prices studied with the vigi.
lance which cllaracterizes the methods of our
merchants and manu- 'acturers. These Inst,
moreover, have the advantage oftransacting
their business in immediate proximity to
trade centers where the widest Information
In reference thereto is readily obtanab!e.
Our farmers organizations are wisely seeking
to supplement this want for tho farmer; the
agricultural press is earnestly working in the
same direction, and one of the most impor.
tant duties devolvins upon this department
consists in gathering nnd promptly dstrib.
uting relia ble nfOrma:io ion on all those ubccts
which are essentially interesting to the farmer
1t remains for him to avail himself to the in
formation thus supplied rs his chief protcc-
ton not only against over-suppy Of certnin
products but against possible over.reaching
on the part OF purchasers. The farmer must
look with suspicion upon my attempts to
abrilge the sources Of his information. His
advantage will always be in the fullest
knowledge of the facts. He must
carefully study the character md
the quality OF his products rather than
mere quantity, and always brnr in mind TINT
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 lnndgrecdy and find them
selves the owners OF more land than they can
properly care for in view OF the comparative.
ly high price oflabor in the rural districts
and in view o: the inct that hut small por-
ton Of mankind. comparatively. can profit
dent fnrmer will limit his efforts to thut which
he can efficiently perform. Again. more Mt
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, so far US
climate will permit.
have passed over these various causes
briefly. l. do not deemit necessary to dwell
upon them at length, but will merely rri;cr-
ute the tact, that for them the remedy is fpnsi-
BILE, and it depends upon tho farmers them.
selves to provide it. No one cnn relieve them
Of this responsibility. but nn thankful to
say, that owing partly to their own efforts.
instrumentalities capable of materially aid
ing them in their work. and to-day, in this
country, no farmer need he without all the
aid that knowledge and science can impart.
Farm mortgagcs.
The burden of mortgnCes upon firms,
homes and lnnds is unquestionnbly discour-
aging in the extreme, and whilpin some cuses
no doubt this load may have been too reall-
~ assumed. still in the majority Of cases, the
mortgage has been the result of necessity l
except, of course. such mortgages Hsrepresent
balances of purchase money, which nre rath.
er evidences Of the farmers ambition and en-
terprise than This poverty. On tho 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 a heavy commission,
have to.dny. in the ace Of continued depres-
sion in the prices Of staple products. hecome
very irksOme and in many eases threaten the
farmer with loss home aud land. 1t il n
question ofgrent difficulty to all those who
seek to remedy the ills from which our farm.
ers are suffering. AT present prices the farmer
finds it tnkes more of his products to got a
dollar wherewth topny bnck the dollar he
borrowed than it did when he borrowed it.
The interest nccumulates, while payment Of
the principal seems utterly hopeless. and the
makes the renewal Of the mortgage most diff.
ficult:: Many people are disposed to as-oci-
nte this phase ofthe subject with the uues.
tion of an undue limitation o our curren.
cy. Many carry this line Of argument to
extremes. but it is by no means impossible
that these subjects nra correlated. However,
the question of currency il now receiving
special attention from another branrl, of
the government; legislation on the subject
is now pending before Congress. and We can
no doubt look for IN 6nrly md satisfactory
solution OF this vexcd problem.
After discussing the question of tranapor.
tation, gambling in arm products, combinn-
tiona and middlemen in trade he comes to
consideration OF protection for the furmer
now come to the consideration of one o.
the gravest causes in my opinion of the pres.
ent agricultural depression. but which n,n
happy to state can be effectualy and directly
dealt with through national legislation
Few people realize that our imports Of agri.
cultural products estimated at prices paid
the consumers are about equal to our ngri-
cultural exports estimated Mt prices paid to
the farmer, yet such is the case. Our i'm.
ports Of products sold in competition with
thosc actually produced on our own soil,
amount to nearly $115,OOO,OOO, and as
much more could be produced on our own
soil under favorable conditions. We must
surely conclude that We have here another
cause ofdepreksion. The subject is so vast
that I cannot disniss it briefly. Indeed,
can do no better than to repeat here views
already expressed by mo on this subject. In
ports of agricultural products.
OF oil the wonderful phases of development
Of which the United States furnishes such
striking examples none is. perhaps, more re-
markablo than the wonderful incrcusc-to-
tally disproportionateto to our increase in pop.
ulation-in our imports o: products which
are distinctly agricultural In 1850 the i'm
porte of such products amounted to $40
100000: for the fiscal year ending in 1889
they amounted to the enormous snm o.
$35G, 100000, IN increase of nearly 900 per
cent, while the increase in population during
the corresponding period was considerably
less than 800 per cent This il all the more
remarkable when taken in conjunction with
the fact Tint this In nre. .cminef,fly mn DricuI.