The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-07-09
weeds is conducive to the development

weeds is conducive to the development
of the crop.
Weed killing is cultivation, and the
earlier and and more frequent the
stirring of the soil, if not done too
deeply, the thriftier will plant growth
be.
1t is possible in some cases to Guilt
vate|too much, but that extreme is
seldom reached, and never when the
cultivation is shallow enough. w
have just entered on our usual sum-
mer dry spell. The season has been
propitious for the cultivation of the
soil and cotton fields never looked
cleaner, and the farmer is tempted to
discontinue cultivation, as there is no
grass or weeds to kill and it is more
pleasant to stay in the shade than
roast in the sun behind sweep and
contrary mule. But weed or no weed,
the surface soil should be kept loose or
the crop will suffer.
WHAT is FREE COINAGE?
The cry has gone forth for free coin
age, and has been taken up and passed
along the line, and is still passing and
gaining in volume as it speeds along
The idea has become popular with the
people, because in some mysterious
way they expect to get some personal
benefit by the change Just how that
benefit is to reach them they don't
profess to know, but they are sure it
must be good thing. Perhaps it
may, but it is a good plan to know
what you expect to get before going
fn &c b
venture to say that not one in a
thousand clamoring for free coinage"
knows what is meant by that term.
This is how the director of the mint
defines it: 1.-The term free and I'm
limited coinage of silver means the
comforting of the right upon individ
uals to take silver of any kind to the
minis and have e,ery 372 pure grains
of it stamped, free of charge, into a
dollar, which is a full legal tender
for its face value in the payment
OF debts and obligations of all
kinds in the states"
Putting it in other works, says an
exchange, an ounce of silver, 49,
grains, which is worth in the open
market SO cents, will pass, under the
operation of the free coinage bill,
should it become law, for ST.
Thus a speculator who bought 100
ounces for sos wonld get from the
government $l29 in national currency
making a clean profit of $31 by the
transaction. Or, for $75.79 worth OF
silver bullion he would get 100 silver
dollars or silver certificates.
This would be great trade for the
holder of silver bullion, or the specu-
lator who bought it, but the govern
ment would lose what the individual
gained. The question now before the
country is, whether it would be good
policy, whether the greater good would
accrue to the greater or smaller num-
Der.
Farmers before accepting this new
creed should consider it we'll and salts
fly themselves, that it is for the good OF
the people. They are the people.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS.
The album of agricultural graphics,
just issued by authority of the United
States secretary of agriculture, gives
the average rate Of yield per acre for
ten years in connection with averages
of value per acre on corn, wheat, oats,
rye, barley, buckwheat, potatoes,
tobacco and hay, an examination of
national averages of ten consecutive
crops show wide range of values per
acre. Tobacco has the highest aver
age value, $61.50. Potatoes $3S 81.
Cotton $l5.69. Hay $l1,OS. The GER
cal fall below $40 per acre excepting
barley which is not raised in sufficient
quantities to meet the requirements Of
consump ton and outrages $l2.75 pei
acre. The average of corn is $9.47
Rye 1927. Buckwheat 1924. Oats
$S.16.
The extremes in value per acre of
corn are $24.32 and 5000. Eighteen
states and territories average above
$15; when prices are lowest there is
either an excessive production or a
very low rate of yield. 1t requires
nearly four acres in South Carolina to
equal the value of one in New Hamp-
shire, though the soil of the former is
superior to that of the latter; and it
requires more tnan three acres in Ne
braska, which makes the highest aver
age rate of yield to produce the value
of one in the Granite state. These
different results depend far more on
inequalities in distribution, and es-
pecially in the ratio of consumers to
producers then upon climate or soil.
The tabulations of the rate of yield
per acre make the following national
average for ten years, which are stated
in connection with the average of value
per acre.
Corn. bushels ,......$ 9 AT PAL
Wheat, bushels. .......... 995 1910
Oats, bushels. $40 266