The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-02-02
Money Tor Farmara.

The moral enforced by the low price of
wheat is an ancient one, which the tlonser
Press has preached to the people, not en-
tirely without effect it is glad to say, for the
last twenty years. 1t Is through diversified
farming that our agricultural interest Ii to
work out its own salvation; and the men
who are suffering because they have ex-
pended all their capital and labor on the
production of wheat which will market for
little above what 1t has cost them, have, to
certain extent, only themselves to blame.
The plain fact is that there is over-produc-
ton of wheat. There Is more wheat raised
In the world than can be marketed, under
give the grower reasonable COM
pensation for his work. This is
natural CONSCIENCE of an unprece-
dented development of the wheat-gro wing
area in tue United States. Under the slim
ulous OF cheap lands and low transporta-
try has increased faster than the world 8 de-
mand, SO that there is steady surplus. II
is sttte of things which will remedy it.
selfin the course of few years; but in the
meantime it is full of hardship for those
whose dependence isupon crop no long
er rated at a.price which gives living profit.
When this state Of affairs comes to pass
in any other business, unless it is known to
be temporary, men do not continue to
put their labor into products that offer no
satisfactory return. They change their in
dustry with surprising swiItness to con-
form to the transitions of the market, and
over-production cures itself by the transfer
OF activity from the field where there is too
much to that where there is a deficit.
Now it is really easier for the
farmer to do this than for any
other man. The MANUFACTURER can
not cease making one product
and engage his men upon another without
extensive changes and considerable loss.
But the fields OF the farmer are, unless eli
matte conditions forbid it, as available for
the gre wing of one product as another. If
he continues to raise wheat and nothing
but wheat when every elevator is full and
all the side-tracks are crowded with cars,
when the price is unsatisfactory and shows
no sign of recovery, he must lay the major
plrt OF the blame for his misfortune upon
himself For he can diversity his industry
when he pleases to do so. The wisdom of
it has been appreciated by great many
farmers Of Minnesota who have escaped
from the thralldom of the single crop idea.
Our great dairying interest has arisen large
ly in response to the demand for diversified
ton. But the whole Northwest is still more
Indifferent than it should be to the advan.
yantages of mixed farming, and especially
to the need of larger attention to the
raising oflive stock.
+ To consider but single item, there has
been now for some years constant de-
mand for more hogs than the market can
furnish, at prices which makes hog-raising
remunerative business. This does not
require the abandonment of other farm in
terests, or any especial changes in the farm
ers programme. The hog is an animal
easily cared for, good forager, and thirty
ing upon the products of the farm and the
raf1Sa pf tho Hairy ThprM ie anlpn6i6
market right here at home. The great
packing industry oil st. Paul is hammered
only by lack OF the raw material. While
thousands of cars oil wheat are waiting on
the tracks for chance to unload, and for
the buyer who does not come the machin-
cry ofthe pork packing establishments can
run only on short time because not enough
hogs can be secured to keep it busy.
There is no trouble with the demand.
1t was satisfactory before, and now the
removal of the embargo placed by for
eign nations upon American hog products
has increased it vastly. The officers OF st
Paul packing institutions say that they
could have used this year more than twice
the number of hogs they haye been able to
buy, although one concern has expended
So, 900, 900 in that time for hogs and cattle
among the farmers of the state. A bushel
of wheat is worth now from 40 to so cents
at the farm, according to the market; which
IL
andsometimes belowit. Agood hog is worth
ftom $19 to 500. There is good money in
breeding them for such a market, aud an
escape from the conditions which have
borne so hardly upon the farming popula-
in the last few years. The future of the
farmer depends upon his ability to conform
his labor to the state ofthe market. When
any manufactured commodity falls so low
in price that there is no money in
making it, the capitalists form combine
and either shut down part of the mills or
engage their machinery in other business
until demand has increased, meantime Sc
curing larger price for the lessened out
put and making themselves whole. That
is the policy for the farmer, and it does not
need an organization or a combine. Let
every farmer in the Northwest give at least
portion of his time of his labor and of
his acreage to the raising of cattle and
hogs for the market. He will get
more money for the wheat that
he raises with the balance than
he does now for greater CROP and
the handsome receipts from these other in
terests will be clear profit. Diversified
farming is more than ever the true gospel
tor the farmer to-day. Those who have
tried it know that there is money in it.
Let US see more of it yet in Minnesota and
the Dakotas, and the pulse of prosperity
will cease to beat high or low with every
fuctuation of the wheat market.