The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1890-05-03
ON FARMING.
Causes Of Agricultural De-
preston as Stated by
Sec. Rusk.
Depreciation ofthe Productive
Power of Land Due to Care
less Culture.

IOWtI vi LdIlu Uu6 GO CdIt.
less Culture.
WASHINGTON ,-Special Telegram.-Secreta-
~ Rusk of the Agricultural Department.,
in answer to numerous inquiries asking
about the canse of agricultural depression,
has written a letter flor publication, in the
course of which he says:
The present agricultural depression. it
seems to me-, can be traced to a combination
OF many causes, go many that probably no
one man can enumerate them oil. / will on
ly e%ndeavor TO point out some which seem to
me more directly responsible. They may be
divided into two classes: 1. Those causes
inherent to.the farmers themselves. and for
which they alone can provide a possible REM
sdy. 2. Those over which the farmer him
self has no direct control, and the remedy
for which must be provided as far as remedy
is possible by law. and for such legislation
the responsibility devolves upon the legisla-
tive bodies of the States and of the Nation.
What the farmer must do, ] will con6ne N.Y.
self to a mere enumeration of the first class
of causes indicated. On many farms, Iregret
to say, we find q depreciation of the produc.
tive power of the land due to careless culture.
We find a 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 I may say every moment of time, has to
be proatably accounted for, and in the face Of
worldwide competition, q 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 vigil
lance which characterizes the methods of our
merchants and manufacturers. These last,
moreover, have the advantage oftr%ansacting
their business in immediate proximity to
trade c~enters, where the widest information
in reference thereto is readily obtainable.
Our farmers organizations are wisely seeking
to supplement this want for the farmer; the
agricultural press is earnestly working in the
same direction, and one of the most impor-
tant duties devolving 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
thus supplied as his chief protec-
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
will always be in the fullest
knowledge Of the facts. He must
carefully study the character and
the quality OF his products rather than
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
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 the rural districts
and in view Of the fact that but q small por-
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 be given, especially on our
Western farms. to the raising by the farmer,
for his W use, everything that may be uti-
liked by himself and his household, so far as
will permit.
l nave passed over these various causes
do not deem it necessary to dwell
upon them at length, but will'merely reiter-
the fact, that for them the remedy is FEAST
BILE, and it depends upon the farmers them.
selves to provide it. No one can relieve them
this responsibility. but I an thankful to
say, that owing partly to their own efforts.
there exist to-day in many States, valuable
ing them in their work. and to-day, in this
no farmer need be without all the
aid that knowledge and science can impart.
mortgages.
The burden of mortgages upon farms,
homes and lands is unquestionably discour-
aging in the extreme, and while in some cases
no doubt this load may have been too readl-
mortgage has been the result of necessity. ]
of course, such mortgages as represent
balances of purchase money, which are rath-
err evidences of the farmers ambition and en-
than of his poverty. On the other
hand those mortgages with which land has
been C bered from the necessities of it's
owner, drawing high rates of interest, often
taxed in addition with a 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
with loss of home and land. 1t il a
ofgreat difficulty to oil those who
seek to remedy the ills from which our farm
.rs are suffering. At present prices the farmer |
inds it takes more Of his products to get q |
oIo ~ pay UuCA Uu0 uOildG Ic |
borrowed than it did when he borrowed it.
The interest accumulates, while payment of
he principal seems utterly hopeless, and the
very depression which We are discussing
makes the renewal of the mortgage most DIFF
Many people are disposed to associ-
tie this phase Of the subject with the ques-
ion of an undue limitation OF our curren.
y. Many carry this line Of argument to
extremes, but it is by no means impossible
hat these subjects are correlated. However. |
The question of currency ia now receiving
special attention from another branch OF
The government; legislation on the subject
Is now pending before Congress. and we can
no doubt look for an early and satisfactory
of this vexed problem.
After discussing the question of t%ranspor-
tation, gambling in farm products, combine
lions and middlemen in trade he comes to q
OF protection for the farmer.
/ now come to the consideration of one OF
the grayest causes in my opinion OF the pres.
agricultural depression. but which / am
dealt with through national legislation.
Few people realize that our imports OF agri-
products estimated at prices paid
the consumers are about equal to our agri-
exports estimated at prices paid to
tile farmer, yet such is the case. Our i'm.
ports of. products sold in competition with
amount to nearly $115, 900, 900, and as
much more could be produced on our own
soil under favorable conditions, We must
surely conclude that we have here another
cause of depression. The subject is go vast
that l cannot dismiss it briefly. Indeed, L
do no better than to repeat here views
expressed by me on this subject. I'm
ports OF agricultural products.
OF all the wonderful phases of development
Of which the United States furnishes such
examples none lie, perhaps, more re-
tally disproportionate to ourincrcase in pop
our imports of products which
are distinctly agricultural. In 1860 the i'm
ports Of such products amounted to $4O,-
10000; for the fiscal year ending in 1889
they amounted to the enormous sum oi