Arizona republican., 1891-02-01
CULTIVATE FRUIT. NOT GRAIN.

CULTIVATE FRUIT, NOT GRAIN.
 In the October report of the Depart ment of Agriculture the assistant stat istician, speaking of his general obser- vations during nasty trip to the Pacific Coast, intirnated that while the year was one of remarkable prosperity for those engaged in fruit raising, vine growing and kindred branches of rural industry in California, the grain growers of the State would make but little iinan- cial progress as the result of the seasons operations. It was stated that barley, on account of the limited yield and ex- ceptionally high price, would make a paying crop, but that the indications did not favor the realization of any sub stantial profits this year from the wheat fields of the State. In spite of the de- ticiency of the local product and the contraction in the worlds supply, prices failed to materially advance.
 In line with the idea expressed in the report referred to and perhaps suggested by it, the Board of Bank Commissioners of California undertook an investigation into the financial condition of the farmers of the State, and especially as to whether the result of the last season had assisted them in freeing themselves from debt. The inquiry was made through county banks and local financial institutions doing business directly with the farmer, the authority best able to speak accurately and from the facts. The managers of these institutions which advance the farmer money on his crops, furnish the means for handling it and hold large proportion of the farm mortgages recorded in each county, feel closely the rural financial pulse, and their statements, backed by their busi- ness operations, are valuable indications of the general financial position of the agriculture of the Coast.
 The circular from the Board of Bank Commissioners asked in a general way whether the farmers of the county in which the recipient was located were getting out of debt. The responses which have been submitted to the De- partment almost without exception, are in the main gratifying, indicating de- crease of indebtedness, especially dur ing the past year, in almost all lines oi rural industry. Fruit and vine growers have been especially prosperous, cancel ing rapidly obligations heretofore assumed for the purchase and develop, ment of orchards and vineyards, and in vesting still more extensively in their plants. Quite as marked as the pros perity of these branches of industry is the lack of improvement in the condi, tion of grain growers. For several years the margin of profit in wheat growing has been very small in all parts of the State, while in many dis. tricts it is believed that it has been grown at a positive loss. In this inves' tigation the searching and merciless test of the bankers ledger only confirms what TIE REPUBLICAN has long believed and frequently said. Wheat growing at the prices of recent years, for any thing except home consumption, is not a paying occupation for the Arizona farmer. The market of the world is too limited, too easily glutted and too eagerly sought after by the rude and primitive agriculture of other wheat growing countries, whose laborers are satisfied with scale of living far beneath that enjoyed by our rural workmen.