The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-12-12

Secretary Henry 1. Budd read his an
nual report.
, The first question for discussion WA
{ ''Why does farm property decline instead
of advance in price, when for the past two
years most farm products have sold, at al
average, as high as when land brough
500 to SIPS per acre ?" George Wildes
of New Egypt, and George w. Jessup, o
Cinnaminison, were assigned to answer
this question.
Mr.. Wildes thought his remarks would
be very crude at the best. The answer tc
this question must be speculative. II
must be admitted at the outset, that land
has deprecated in price, at least 81 pei
acre per year for the past % years. The
first answer that is generally advanced il
that there is so much western land. But
if the farm products are bringing as good
prices as when farm land brought 500 pei
acre, the western land explanation falls.
Others say that farmers drive around too
much, and do not "buckle" down to bust
ness This, too, falls to the ground, and is
generally advanced by persons who know
nothing of farming. The want of efficient
labor, and the high price of what is
secured is the primal cause of depression
in the price of farm land. Mr.. Wildes
said that he was, of course, speaking from
experiences in his own locality. The
kind of labor that he had knowledge OF
RoI b, 81 60 l. ~,
any other cause. 1t was all the same
with indoor help as with outside. He re-
called the case of gentleman who was
brought up farmer and who was thor
was compelled to give up on account of in
ability to get help. The increase of ave-
nues for investment, took plenty of capital
from the farming localities, while the
railroads that were built In the west, and
other sources of investment and chances
! to procure a livelihood attracted the
young men and took them from the farm
Mr. Jessup thought the reasons for de-
clinatlon of property very obscure, and
beyond the comprehension of Farmers
Institute. High interest was the bane of a
farmers life; expenses are too high and
cannot be reduced; there are too few
buyers for farm lands; the average earn
ing of farmer is three per cent. hence
the impossibility to pay six per cent. in
terest. 1t must be borne in mind that
prices have been steadily decreasing since
1870, and it was unreasonable to expect
them to suddenly jump back into good
rates. One thing would be necessary and
that is to raise crops that could be sold at
ratesthat would compete with the products
of cheaper lands
S. G. Decou thought that an inexpen-
sive house on farm where farm hand
might board himself would be an advan-
tage and would go great way toward
securing help. Then there would not be
a hesitancy in engaging people who were
not desirable as house companions.
Henry C. Lippincott said that if more
beef and pork was raised on Burlington
county lands it would change matters
some.
DIR. William G. Parry thought that
every man would have his theory on this
question. He thought there was more
need of looking after cure than discuss
ing the cause. Men of means who want to
invest in farming do not care to put the
amount of labor in the business that Is
necessary for success, for there is no
doubt that the New Jersey farmer labors
as hard as does man in a foundry or a
machine shop. Farmers send their boys
out into the world to get easter livings,
and then try to get something easier
themselves. There is not much doubt
that farming would pay as well as any
other business, if the work is put in it.
William R. Lippincott, of Fellowship,
read paper on advantages of education
in farming" II was no doubt true that
many of our best farmers were men with
out education, but the advantages now
offered to young men would give them
chances to learn many things that their
fathers gained knowledge of by main
strength. The manufacturer with the
best machinery, the merchant who
studies the markets, the doctor who con-
tinually watches every turn of science
are the useful men. Farming covers more
ground than any other business, and IN
the farmers composition there should be
an immense amount of philosophy that
will enable him to make the best use Of
every available means to succeed in his
occupation and then to be contented with
his lot.
There must be discovered more
economical way to fertilize farms. Fer
tilizers are now hauled from cities by cars
and teams and it is question if the in
creased demand for fertilizers will not so
advance the cost of chemicals as to still
futher reduce the profit in farm products
Education might be used to advantage in
discovering new methods of preserving
fruits, and it could be also be made bene
fetal by training the farmer to purchase
his supplies without giving long time
notes, the:lnterest of which eat up the
profits.
Oranges and all other agricultural socie
ties are for the farmers intellectual as
we'll as his financial gain, and it should
be one of the main objects of these insti
tutions to encourage the young tillers o
the soil and impress upon them the I'M
portance of intellectual culture so that IL
the course of human progress the farmers
of the United States will not be classec
in the lower ranks of society but bt
worthy to hold position among thu
princes of the earth.
Clayton Conrow thought that there Ii
no doubt of the need of more intellectual
improvement among farmers. Farms
that we're years ago occupied by the own
ers are now titled by strangers. Tit
cities are growing, the gain being to the
detriment, of the country which seems tt
be losing its attractions.
Robert M. Brock spoke good word TO
the newspapers. He had secured mucf
of his education from that source. Some
men are boO lazy w "oAA " w. f
to beg, They should be given lessor
such as the elder Fisk gave his son James
The latter pleaded his inability to clear
out the stables. His father promised hin
dollar to do the work. The effect was
magical and the boy soon did the job
Then the father told James that as he ha'
so surely proven his ability to work h
could do the job daily gratis The boy
should be made to work. 1t was onl,
lately that it had been discovered tina
farming was hard work. The boys nova
days complained that it was too har'
: work to labor on farm all day, but the
never complained once about the hardshi
i .....;..,. o-o,nd Tho conntrv oil niohi