The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-07-09
Iowa and the Other Corn States are
Prosperous.

Prosperous.
Mr.. Albert Head, president of the
Iowa Agricultural Society, has writ
ten to the Chicago Infer Ocean let
ter, in which he takes Governor
Boies, of his own State, severely to
task for his assertion at the New
York Reform Club dinner that Iowa
farmers are in dire distress, and that
they actually have been growing
corn at loss.
Mr. Head says:
And now, notwithstanding the fl
rancial depression of 1873 and the
heavy drain Of interest from the
State, almost every acre of land in
the State is to day under high state
of cultivation or producing abundant
pasture. Neat and comfortable
schoolhouses have been builded on
every fourth section, and magnificent
school buildings and colleges in our
towns and cities. Expensive church
es of beautiful architectural design
adorn every village, town and city.
Our State is checkered by rail-
roads, with beautiful towns and cit
les all along the iron way. Hand
some homes, with commodious barns,
convenient outbuildings and we'll
filled granaries, adorn the well-tilled
farms where twenty five years ago
virgin soil was untouched by the
hand of civilized man. Creameries,
cheese and other factories have been
established all over the State. I'm
ported horses, cattle and hogs of the
best breeds have been brought into
the State, and are rapidly replacing
common stock on the farms Mil
lions have been expended in these
industries and invested in the i'm
provement of our stock, while mil
lions on millions have been expend
ed in making highways, thing,
building schoolhouses, churches,
hospitals, court houses and other
public buildings, while the cost of
the Improvement on the farms can
not De computed.
Nearly all this vast amount Of
money, invested and expended, has
been produced by the farmers Of
Iowa during the last quarter of a
century.
Iowa is one of the States specially
singled out by performers" as fur
nishing an example of poverty
stricken agricultural population. Yet
Mr.. Head shows that she produces
enormously of corn and other
grains, live stock and dairy prod
ucts, and disposes Of the whole yield
at good prices. The other corn
States-Missouri, Illinois and Indi-
ana-are no less prosperous. With
nearly 100000 acres Of tillable
land, its price has steadily advanced
during the last five years. He says
that "the farmers have been reduc-
ing their debts, improving their
farms and stock, sending their chill
dren to colleges, buying buggies and
carriages, and enjoying more luxu-
ries than in former years, while they
have been able to pay better wages
to hands, which is proof as strong as
Holy Writ that corn has not been
produced at a loss during the past
five years, and that, with an equal
amount Of money invested, no in
dustry yields larger or surer profit
than farming"
So far from admitting the truth of
Governor Boies's statement that
Iowa farmers are growing their corn
at loss, the president of the Agri-
cultural Society lis "hrmly of the
opinion that during the past twenty
five years corn has been raised at a
profit, over and above all expenses
of cultivation, of more than S. per
acre to the average Iowa farmer;
and if fed to stock, and the increased
value OF land considered, it would
amount to at least S. an acre FER
annum, and he believes that the
people of the great corn belt are
'sthe most prosperous people on the
face Of the earth
"What, asks the New York Sun,
''sav the Free Traders and the Far
mers' Alliance men Of Iowa to Mr..
| Heads assertions -