Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-04-28

-" 49, AAA ID inc Di0IAL
70 the farmer. To increase this profit,
then, II is necessary either to lower the
cost of production or raise the market
value. II does not lie in the power of
the farmer 10 raise the market value;
he must therefore depend upon the de.
creased cost of production for his in
creased profits. In this lies the farm
er's success or failure.
Why does not farming pay as ii
should? is question often asked, and
may be answered as resulting mainly
from two causes: First want Of just
legislation; second, want OF skill on
the part of the farmer himself
The farmer is slow TO perceive the in
fuence which the condition OF the high
ways has upon his individual prosper
ity. AS he rides and drives over them
he Is heard 70 heap violent abuse upon
their terrible condition, but he never
weighs in his mind the effect they have
upon the success OF his business. He
doesn't enjoy the ruts and hollows. mud
sinks and sloughs, but he only thinks
Of them as affecting his happiness and
Is too apt to regard q smooth we'll kept
road as an extravaganza which only the
rich can afford.
A little careful thought however,
upon the subject, will clearly show
him that good roads are a benefit TO
him financially, and must increase the
profits OF the farm and thereby add 10
the actual value Of his holdings Most
farmers ship their produce in the fall
and spring. After the expense of har-
vesting the farmer is usually short
lie needs money 10 pay off his extra
help and 10 meet his coming tax, and,
worse Than all, money for interest ON
his ever abiding mortgage. All these
demands come in the fall, when the
roads are bad, But he cannot delay
the money must be ready At any sacri-
fee. The roads are hardly passable
and lac must therefore content himself
with small loads slow transit. extra
teams and help. All this means great
additional expense, and an increased
cost Of production, which in many in
stances reduces his margin Of profit 10
almost nothing in the spring the
same thing must be repeated lie has
a small surplus after winteriug his
stock, which must be sent 10 market
before :hc spring work begins An
other siege OF mud At another extra
cost II is an old saying that 1T IS
the last straw that breaks the camel's
back. and these misera bic roads often
become the fatal straw that breaks the
farmers back. Between unjust taxa
ton, exorbitant freight rates poor
farming and impossible roads, the un-
fortunate farmer often sinks into ire
tricyablc bankruptcy.
To illustrate more fully this cost OF
poor roads TO the farmer we will sup
pose that hc Is in possession Of farm
OF one hundred and twenty acres To-
Gated at least three miles from the mar.
ket On good road he can draw four
loads Of ono ton and half each. or six
tons TO market daily. ON the average
poor road he can draw but two loads
and only little more than half the
weight for each load or only two tons
per day. II would then require three
teams and three men to do the same
amount OF hauling ON the poor road
that one man and one team could do on
the good road. a farmer should ship
from farm of one hundred and twenty
acres under good state of cultivation,
at least one hundred and fifty tons an
nnally. To haul this produce from the
farm TO market on good road would
REQUIRE. at six tons a day, twenty-five
DAYS Allowing three dollars day for
the team and man the cost 81 this trans
portation would be seyenty-tive dollars.
Upon an average poor road II would
take scvcnty-iive days for one team and
n man To haul this produce, which at
three dollars day would amount to
two hundred and twenty five dollars.
IL would. then, cost one hundred and
fifty dollars more TO carry the annual
products of this farm over poor road
than over good read. Here is where
the money goes The good road, there
fore. saves the farmer just that amount,
which would pay the interest on an in
debtedncss OF over three thousand dol
lars ts3 no0l az five per cent; or in other
words Il would add $4,000 TO the value
OF his farm Poor roads, then, are in
strumental In decreasing the farmers
profits This amount is an actual loss.
which should be guarded against, and
which can be prevented by proper
consideration OF the needs OF the nigh
ways.
The social effect of good roads upon
country life cannot be ovcr-estimated
The Improvement of our highways
would do away with much of the diff
Guilty OF visiting in our rural districts
bad roads often render social inter
course almost nnpphsluls' AuV evening"
is dark, there are no side paths or lamp
posts along the way, the roads are
almost impossible with mud OF drifted
show. and as the family look out to-
ward the light in the window of their
neighbours house, the gush of social
life that moment before was moving
in fun tide is now checked by these
many difficulties, Life in the country,
otherwise full of happiness, now sinks
into tame existence, all for the want
OF pleasant highway connecting the
homes OF adjoining neighbors
There can be no doubt that poor
roads have much to do with the small
attendance at our public schools The
country boy and girl obtain the greater
mart OF their education in early life,
After the age of fifteen the children
are busily engaged in the care OF the
fnrm or dairy, During the late fall /
and winter when the work on the farm
rs nj n standstill, there is an opportu-
nitv given for school attendance But
this Is at the time when our highways |
are MT their worst and the two or