The Bossier banner., 1891-02-12
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FARM LAND DEPRECIATION.
The Cause of the General Depreciation of
Farm Lands in Kentucky.

The Cause of the General Depreciation of
Farm Lands in Kentucky.
The recent session of the Kentucky
Farmers Institute at Bardstown, among
other important subjects, discussed
THE Cause Of the General Deprecia-
ton of Farm Lands in Kentucky" 1t
was the sense of those who participated
in the discussion that the Improbable
ness of the business, largely superin-
duced by bad legislation, was the chief,
If not the sole cause.
The writer was a deeply-interested
auditor, and in the main he agrees
with those who spoke on the subject
1t is undeniably true that farming is
not as profitable as it should be, and
that this result is brought about very
largely by legislation against the farm
er and in favor of other classes of citi-
zens.
But in point of profit the case is by
no means as bad as some believe it to
be- Energetic, industrious, Intelligent
| farmers have always and are yet max
ing money about as rapidly as men in
other pursuits which are not aided by
favorable legislation or have not a
monopoly on some article. Every farm
er who attends to his business as close
| ly, as industriously and as intelligently
as the successful merchant, is making
as much money. If a merchant was at
his place of business only during busy
seasons, and spent the remainder of
his time in idleness around some
/ l.. Il l. -
solvent one-half as long as the farm
or. The president of the institute
himself one of the very first farmers
of the State, declared that while he
recognized the fact that the farmer was
ill-used and robbed under the forms of
law, still he found little difficulty in
making money at farming. A Nelson
County farmer told the writer the other
day that he could make more than five
dollars day on his farm.
While all this is true, the fact re-
mains that there is wholesale rush,
especially of the young men, from
the farms to the towns and cities,
Every exchange contains a number
| of farms offered for sale, and in many
cases the owners are willing to sell
them far below their value to get them
off. If unprofitableness is not the sole
cause, what other cause is operating?
The Record believes that by far the
greatest reason is the strong and ever
| growing but false idea that farming p
less respectable than many pursuits
followed in a city or town. Sons OF
wealthy farmers secure inferior places
in stores and offices, and regard it
as an upward step in point OF
respectability. The farmer par.
ent has failed to provide the
home with comforts and attractions
which he is abundantly able to enjoy,
and has made home life unnecessarily
rigorous, consequently the home is
without any attraction whatever.
From earliest infancy false idea oi
respectability has been taught, and nc
attempt is made to impress upon the
young the dignity and Importance Of
their own calling. The son of the farm.
or has imbibed the idea that education
is unnecessary for farming, and that il
educated he is intended for higher e.
calling, and he puts out to town to be
lost in a maelstrom of well-dressed
poverty and dependence. This socia1
trouble is not alone peculiar to the
country, but year by year the number
of boys in towns and cities who are
taught to disrespect honest labor, and
who degenerate into genteel idlers anC
loafers, if not worse, is increasing.
If the homes are made pleasant, the
boys and girls educated especially fol
their work, surrounded by the comforts
of life, like city home. and taught
wholesome respect for honest labor, il
few years the country will be TEEN
ing with an independent, thrifty anC
progressive people that will prove it
salvation. Nelson County (Ky.) Rec
ord.