The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-12-13
A FARMERS DUTY TO HIMSELF
AND To HIS NEIGRBURS
BY WM. S. POWELL.

Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN
From the title of my remarks l am afraid
you will think that have given up the yo-
cation of farmer and turned Evangelist.
Such is not the case. assure you, but agri-
culture as a means oflivelihood has gotten
to be so uncertain that it seems to me it is
proper time to look around to find out
the cause of our troubles, and if success
full we will not only be doing our duty to
ourselves, but also good turn to our neigh
bors
When a manufacturer undertakes to
make an article. his first consideration is
its cost, and there is always a goodly al
lowance for unforeseen things which are
sure to occur How many farmers take
this precaution? From inquiry, l should
say very few; therefore claim that a farm
ers first duty to himself is to know in ad-
vance of planting what his crops will cost
to raise, basing his calculation upon the
average production of his section. 1t is
haphazard laying of crops that brings dis
asters fully as well as bad seasons, bad mar
kets and bad cultivation. In this connec-
ton would say that in this section, max
ing no allowance for interest or wear and
tear, it cost about $40 an acre to furnish
the seed, cultivate and house and market
either wheat, corn or oats; $50 an acre for
cabbages; $40 an acre for Irish potatoes;
$75 an acre for sweet potatoes, $50 for su
gar corn; little peas sown in rows $26 an
acre; large peas, $50 an acre; small peas,
broadcasted, $5S an acre; Strawberries, up
to their second crop, $50 an acre; tomatoes,
$13 an acre. suppose need not tell you
what the yields are, but generally speaking
26 bushels of wheat, 8 barrels of corn, 20
bushels of oats, 100 bushels of potatoes, 100
barrels of sweet potatoes, $500 heads OF
cabbage, $50 barrels of tomatoes, 1000
quarts of straw berries, IS bushes of small
peas and 100 bushels of large peas are about
the averages. With the exception of po-
tatoes, corn and oats, this season the 9TH
er crops are fully 25 per cent. short of the
average, but even on this shortage. prices
declined more than 40 per cent. from those
of former years; SO had we made full crops
everything would have Deen on a par with
corn at $1.75 per barrel, potatoes 20 cents
per bushel and oats 1S cents per bushel;
duty to himself to find out why, even when
making short crops he is obliged to sell
them at much less than the cost of produc-
ton Need l tell you that there are peo-
pie enough, who are nearly half starved
for the necessaries of life, to eat up all your
luscious fruits and fresh vegetable and pay
you good prices for them if they only had
the money, or to direct your attention to
the many apparently half fed horses used
in business in the cities, who would rea-
sonably eat up all our corn, oats and hay,
| and then not have more than nature de-
mands for health and strength if their own.
ers could afford to provide these for them:
You naturally expect of me il solution OF
this problem and am sorry l can not give
| it to you but without Socialist tendencies
lay out the suggestion that many of the
|
lation in futures of food products, and the
unfairness of legislation in the interests OF
corporations and trusts.
think man is entitled to all he can ac
cumulate that does not defraud his fellow
man of the share that Divine Providence
intended for him, but who ever heard OF
any one but those interested in trusts OIL
corporations giving six million dollars fol
a Duke for son-in-law, or five millions tt
college. or in panic showing seventy
eight millions of assets. There are a great
many more farmers than those following
other vocations, but did you ever hear of {
farmer who could give his daughter as s
dowry more than comfortable home, his
church over $500 or show down in clear
cash over $4,000? Now is it not the duty
of the farmer to watch over legislation:
Here in Maryland corporations and trusts
have "a capital of 500 000, 600 and only pay
$S6 900 of the State taxes while real estate