Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-02-14

lmpIemenlS-at an expenditure OF
six tenths Of one days laboTor count
ing the maH's labor at $1.25 per day,
and the average crop at 30 bushels
per acre, the labor cost-not includ-
ing cost of team, which is rightfully
a part of the farmers capital-will
not exceed q cents per bushel. A
Mr.. Robinson of Butler county, Kan,
who farms several thousands Of acres,
even now says his corn costs him in
the crib but four cents per bushel for
labor. OF course he uses the Lister
and all other Iabor-saving devices
obtainable.
In the potato field the planter and
digger have already reduced, or will
soon reduce, the labor involved in
like ratio, and the labor in the hay
field has certainly been SO reduced by
the use of the mower, tedder, rake,
loader, stacker and carrier. 1t is
these multifarious labor-saving de-
vices which, tightening farm labor
and making it somewhat less weari-
some, has reduced the number re-
quired to produce a given quantity
of agricultural staples Except cOtton)
to one-fourth what would have been
necessary 40 years since. Although
the labor involved in production has
thus been reduced three fourths, there
has not been a like saving in the ulti.
mate cost, as farm laborers' wages
have increased, the hours of work
have been shortened, and the farmer
who has kept abreast of the times has
beed forced to pay high prices for the
machines, which often become worth
less before, half worn out by reason of
the invention Of others much more
efficient. For instance, the hand~
rake-reaper was soon displaced by
the self,rake, and this shortly after
by the wire self-binder, soon to be
followed by the tWine-5elf-binder ;
and his may yet (and probably willy
give place to the straw-self-binder,
that shall save millions annually in
the cost of twihe.
One ry ult has been the continuous
and progressively greater efficiency
Ofthe men employed, thus forcing con-
stantly increasing numbers from the
old farming districts either into the
towns or on to the public lands, tC
which resorted many of those dis
placed in the factory by like pro-
gressive improvement in industrial
appliances, but who can no Longer
avail themselves of such alternative
as there are practically no public
lands worth farming outside the
limited areas of the Indian reserva'
tiOns and the irrigable tracts in the
arid districts. Hence the migration
from farm to town must continue a
an ever-increasing rate, the result in
evitably being that the towns vii
grow with wonderful rapidity, al
making for the profit of those fOrtu
; nate enough to own fertile lands.
, With the continued improvement
of labor saving devices, force equa
to that now employed on the farm
will probably be quite large enough
to cultivate all the land which can b,
, brought into cultivation in the Unitet
States. If this assumption is correct
$ of four sons born on the farm, on
will drop into the fathers place, AM
I the other three must, in the absenc
: of new farms to be opened on tn
j public domain, of necessity go to swel
e the population of village, town an
" city. In other words, the increase i
q the rural districts from births is likel
: to be four times as great as there
S employment for on the farms, an
:. this redundant labor must seek othe
l. employment. With only moderat
/" rate of increase during the next tWer
o ty years, the present rural pOpulatio
o will add about 100000 to the tots
i population, but under existing cond
Is tions it is safe to assume that three
a fOurths of this increase must go
IT swell the towns, where they will con
d pete with the other 100000 to 60
le 100000, an ever>increasing proportio
le of whom will depend upon manu'
u labor for subsistence. How can sue
re an immense force be employed
IL Where can be developed-withi
twenty years-a market for the war
Sc such myriads will produce? Feedir
r these hosts, so far as possible, and
t. being necessary to import part
IA the food then consumed, the farm
Of will command high price for all h
at products (there will then be no abal