Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-16

NAL products, Is purity and wholesomeness.
Our competition abroad is not confined to
| the natural competition of goods offered for
sale from other countries, but, in part,
grows out OF local jealousies and antagon-
ism, which seek every opportunity to create
prejudice in the minds of consumers against
American products. The only way for us
to fight this spirit successfully is the giving
to our American products character and
guarantee of absolute purity and healthful-
ness.
There is no doubt that, in the matter OF
our dairy products, serious injury has
been done to our export trade by reason OF
the frequent export of inferior goods, and
even of goods containing foreign and some
times deleterious substances. As it is, a
large part of our foreign trade in dairy pro-
ducts has been taken from us, and has gone
to swell that of other countries.
TO RECOVER LOST GROUND.
To recover our lost ground in this respect
fully will be a matter of time and vigilance,
but the prospects Justify the effort. Even
in the matter of form and size of package,
we must learn what will best suit the for
eign consumer. It is we'll understood that
butter should, in all cases, be put up orig
inally in the package in which it will be
sold eventually, thus avoiding the necessity
of rehandling. All these are little things,
but it is by close attention to these little
things that farming can alone be made
profitable. We must in all things seek to
cater to the tastes ofconsumers, whether at
home or abroad, and it is of the first conse-
quence that in foreign countries the name
"American" should be synonymous with
honesty and healthfulness.
Among other needs of American agrlcult-
ure which regard as urgent is thorough
and systematic inquiry into the soil, eli
matte and market conditions of all portions
of our country,s to the end that we may
thoroughly understand to what special crops
or particular line of agriculture each section
is best adapted, and what products will, in
each section, reward the farmer as being the
most readily and proftably disposed of: We
must understand what methods of cultiva-
tion are best adapted to the several locali-
ties, with a view to combining successful
production with economy.
OTHER THINGS NECESSARY.
Other conditions, urgently needed for the
full fruition ofmy anticipations as to the
future of American agriculture undoubted-
ly exist, many of which must necessarily
depend somewhat upon the natural growth
of the country and the various changes,
especially in regard to questions of labor
evitab1y bring about. For instance rela-
lively to the profits of agriculture, farm
labor is far more costly than in many other
industries. The remedy in this particular,
however, cannot be forced, and must await,
necessarily, the change in conditions which
will attend the general progress of the coun-
try.
Somewhat analogous in its condition to
this question of labor is that of capital. At
present it is thought that of all industrial
occupations agriculture offers the least in
ducement to the investment of capital. The
principle remedy for this state of things we
must necessarily look for in the general
tendency of an abatement in the profits of
speculation which time will bring about
In course of time in this country, as in
other and older countries, capital will be
more and more disposed to seek security
rather than high rate of interest. As our
population increases, the amount of cultiva-
BILE lands necessarily remaining stationary,
the ownership of land will naturally be
more greatly desired.
LAND VALUES WILL RISE.
As everybody now has come to under
stand fully, it will not be a great many
years before all land available for agricultu-
raj purposes without special preparation in
volving a very considerable expense will
be in the hands of private owners. just as
soon as that per 4 is reached, we may look
for considerab.o rise in the value of land
throughout the country, this being accom-
ranied, as I opine it will, by a restriction
OF the many opportunities which now exist
for the employment of capital in various
ways afording a comparatively high rate Of
interest
The attention of capitalists will then be
directed more and more to the possibilities
of agriculture, which, though affording a
low rate of interest on the |
money invested, will at the same time, af-
ford, in the ownership of land and its stead
lily increasing value, an element of security
as well as of ultimately increased value of
the original investment
These conditions will undoubtedly also
be accompanied by many others in the
natural development of the country, such
as the extension to country districts of ad-
yantages and facilities now difficult to OBJ |
tain outside of our towns and cities, which |
will remove many of the objections which |
now exist in the minds of many persons to !
in the country.
PROFITS OF AGRICULTURE.
It Is from such convictions as these that I |
am led to call the attention of our American |
youth to agriculture as one of the industries I
most worthy of their attention in consider |
ing their future career. I say unhesitat- |
ingly that the young men of our country |
who will bring to agriculture the education |
and intelligence, the industry and persever-
ance essential to success in every career,
whether mercantile, industrial or pro- |
fessional, will, in the course of the next 20 |
years attain far greater degree of material |
well-being on the average than awaits them
in any other calling.
believe that 20 years from now the now |
almost universal desire of youth resident in |
the country to abandon it for the city will |
be reversed, and that numbers of those |
brought up and trained in city life will look |
forward to life in the country as the most |
uniting the prospect of ample |
with independence, health and |
enjoyment