The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-09-23
FARMER AND PLANTER.
KEEP a LEVEL HEAD.


KEEP a LEVEL HEAD.
The Farmer should Alvays HAVE ma
Wles Aboae laisn.
The farmer Mt all times should keep
q level head on his shoulders, and un-
der no circumstances be stampedAd or
panic-striclken in carrying on the opeF-
atoms on his farm. He needs paftfcu-
larry q level head at this season Of the
year when, sve regret to say, the COM
munity in general are losing their
heads on the question of finances. We
mention several ways in which farmers
may do an unwise thing, and we fear
many Of them are doing it.
l. Many farmers arc doing them
selves very great injury by losing con-
hdcnce in the financial system of the
country, and especially in the sound
ness of the banks in their neighbor-
hood, and therefore, Withdrawing their
out of the general circulation.
1t is within the power of the farmers
of the United States at any time to
bring on n panic which will affect the
entire coun try, and other countries as
we'll, by simply taking their deposits
out of the banks and keeping them at
home. This involves such violent
contraction of currency that it is felt
in every avenue of business. Farm
ers generally believe that in SO doing
they are making sure of what they
have, acting with supreme conserva.
tism, and as they term it, making
themselves safe.'' There is nothing
they could do that would make them
more unsafe, for the reason that any
thing distur bling public confidence nee
essarily stops business, throws labor
ont of employment, increases crime,
stops production in other lines and
robs him of his own market. If the
laboring men can not get employment
they can not buy farm products, and
a matter of course prices of farm
products must fall and the reaction
comes upon the farmer in full force.
The result of it is stoppage of fac
tories, and throwing labor out of en-
ploymcnt necessarily means exceeding
ly low prices for farm products. Fac
tories must stop when there is vio-
lent contraction of the currency, and
the farming operations being the great
interest of the west, any sudden with
drawal of money from banks destroys
confidence. It takes years to build up
confidence that can be destroyed in
months.
=. We think that farmers are maxi
ing mistake in holding their farm
products in hope of higher prices. We
believe that on their merits every
thing produced on the farm this year
should bring a good price. provided
consumption of farm products go on.
If this stops from any reason prices
must necessarily fall to the limit of
their consumption, and no power can
advance them except for n brief period.
Speculation may depress them for a
brief period below it, but after all the
perma nent range o. prices is deter
mined by the consumption of products.
Anything. therefore. that stops con-
sumption depresses prices and inficts
no end of suffering. We think it spe-
cia1ly unwisc to hold crops for specula-
ton at the close of the season when a
bountiful harvest of almost everything,
with the exception of wheat, is in pros
pect OF course accident may happen
any crop as yet. The exact inca sure of
the crops of the season has not been de-
tcrrnined vet, and some of them will
not be for sixty days. but the present
condition indicates that there will be
no scarcity of anything grown on the
farm. We should therefore expect.
under ordinary circumstances, good
prices. but not excessive, for the reason
that there is no very great surplus of
any one crop. If. however. from any
reason consumption decreases. the price
necessarily decreases. and we there
fore think it good time to be closed
out of last years crops and send them
on the market of the world.
1t is especially hazardous to hold
crops when the farmer is in debt.
Liquidation is now the order of the
day, and the more complete it is the
quicker will be the recovery.
Therefore. if we have any advice to
give our readers it is that when they
have anything that is ready for the
market, sell it. Prices may go higher
after awhile, but unless there be a
speedy restoration of confidence, they
will undoubtedly go lower.
It is good rule to sell any crop on
the farm when it is ready. The man
who adopts the habit of selling hogs,
cattle or whatever else he may have
when they are fit to go, no matter
what the market may be. will usually
come out the best in the long run.
Many men have made money by be-
payment. and, in a word,
forced them to sell their stock. Some
times they have lost. and as a rule will
lose when the stuff is not fit to go.
When it is fit to go, the man who is
to sell is sometimes quite
fortunate.
The man who inagincs that every
thing is going to be bow-wows because
for time there is a stringency in the
money market is making a great mis-
take. Consumption to some extent
must go on. People must eat and must
be clothed. These things can not stop
Production also must go
on. The sun does not cease to shine
because some men are panic-stricl<en.
The pigs, lambs, calves and colts keep
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