Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-04-15
2OO.OOO.OOO BREAKFASTS.

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Secretary Risk Says We Are Ap.
preaching the Golden Era OF Agri.
culture.
A correspondent recently asked the
Secretary OF Agriculture whether the
American farmers would always be
able to supply the people Of the
United States with food if they con.
tinued to increase as they do now.
Uncle Jerry replied at once in this
wise: "Always is long time, but l
think can speak for a good many
years to come. We have hardly be-
gun to tap the great agricultural
wealth of the United States. 1t is
true that the day must soon come
when all the good public lands will
be taken np-the best are gone now
but after the modern invention will
turn toward our vast areas of desert
and swamp. The first will be irri-
gated and the latter will be drained.
The swamp lands OF the South will
be reclaimed and diked. We will
have q second Holland along some
parts of the Gulf Of Mexico and the
golden age of farming will be at hand.
AS this goes on farms will steadily
increase in value. They arc now q
large part Of the aggregate wealth Of
the country. Twelve years ago our
FIVE million farms were worth &c.
600, 100000 and they produce yearly
crops worth more than 81 600. coo. 900.
We talk of the poverty OF the farmer,
but by the census of 1880 the stock
on the farms alone was worth over
81 100000 and by STATISTICS hich
we have over at my department to.
day our live stock is worth nearly
twice as much now. We know how
to prevent diseases of stock and we
have gained also in better breeding
and better feeding. To. day our best
beef is sold at two years old. 1t was
not many years since beef was not
thought to be beef unless the animal
was at least four years old, and yet
the meat of the two. year.old beeves of
to- day is of the finest quality and it
surpasses in weight that OF the average
four year-old OF twenty years ago.
where beeves can be turned off in
half the time man can raise twice as
many off the same land, and the early
maturity OF our mutton and swine is
to-day marked as that OF our beef.
alt is the same in all branches of
farming, and believe that the pros.
porous era of the farmer is just begin.
ming. The people of this world have
got to be fed, AMI their food must
come from the soil. We have 65,>
100000 people here to-day. Twenty
years from now we will have 100000.
900, and in less than two generations
2OO,O00,0OO Americans will wake up
every morning in these United States
and cry to the farmers for breakfasts. :"
FARMERS IN POLITICS.
"Ths new organ ization of the ia, M
ers," says Secretary Rusk, "are an in.
dication Of the growth of their intel.
lectual lie. They are thinking for
themselves and their ideas show that
they are awake and that they are study.
ing their own interests. am glad to
see it. think the country is to be
congratulated upon the awakening
interest Whiea they have in political
affairs, and believe that they are,
by their numbers and their peculiar
position, especially we'll fitted to serve
as balance wheel in political matters.
Extremists may be found in their
ranks as in the ranks of all other
classes, but in our future the capital
list will learn to trust the farmer as a
man who owns property aud can neve,
he communist; and, on the other
hand, the laborer will never become
} monopolist. | do not apprehend
that the farmers will ever be q
political party of themselves in the
United States Their interests are
wrapped up in those of the rest of the
country. and their success forms the
foundation Of the success of all classe.
and all industries. They will continue
to support such great idess and pub
lie questions as come before the coun
try, and the differences of opinion
will be as great among them as among
the members II the other classes. The,
are the most conservative element o
the United States. They do NOR,
honest thinking than the people o
the towns. They generate publ,
sentiment, and the majority OF then