The record-union., 1895-02-05

condition the ability to acquire and hold
iand, as given under our National Con-
stltutlon, will be participated in by the
few.
=, Did the trainers of that great document
Ihlhk OF this condition of affairs ever eX-
listing? We are confident they did not.
Shuef their protecting guidance. as laid
uoWn III that instrument, we were, for
all tlme to come, to be a free and indie
pendent people. Alas, the trainers knew
hot OF com Dines and trusts, or of eco
hoinlc changes in other countries which
would so seriously affect out interests.
They knew of the oppressive hand OF mon
archlcal government, and sought to for
ever Tree us from that, believing in our
ability to meet all other contingencies as
tney arose. Are we equal to the occa-
sion? II so, our intellects must soon
snow 1t, If we are TO save the producers
OF this great country.
The estimated wheat yield for the
United States for the year 1894 is 45O, 267, =
40 bushels, as against 396, l3I, 725 bushels
Tor the preceding year, still continuing 10
fall about 1000, 900 bushels belowthe aver
age crop OF the four years. The price per
bushel for wheat has declined with the
yield until the farm price per bushel for
1871 was but 49.l as against 53.S in 1893.
The crop OF 1884 will furnish US with a
surplus OF about 60.000 200 bushels, which,
ginning of the harvest, gives us Ia, 4,000,
wv bushels for export. Limiting our
opinion as TO what would be in the i'm
mediate interest OF our State we must
REDUCE THE ACREAGE
AT least 70 per cent, using this proper
ton of our lands for other purposes. This
reduction will leave but little surplus
each season, and will permit any availa-
Die land Tor more profitable productions
such as dairy products and prepared
meats. These products could be exported
to such countries as Congress may be
forced (by the demands of the producers
to enact reciprocal laws with, and which
are, or may become, consumers Of our
products.
The wheat-growers of California must
follow the example set some years ago by
the commonwealth Of Illinois. Not long
since the wheat-growers of that State took
account OF stock and found they were
growing wheat at a loss. They despaired,
hesltated as ito what source to look for
lnelr relief but determined to try wheat
another season, but with the same result.
1t occurred 10 them that they coulG pro-
duce some of the necessaries of life that
were being shipped to them from New
1ork, Pennsylvania and other States,
and they tried dairy products. which
from the beginning brought good returns,
and this interest has been continued until
Illinois is now one of the leading States
OF the Union in dairy products.
THE WHEAT ACREAGE
In that State for 1889 was 2, ,237, ,S61 acres.
with yield of 1881 .0Sl bushels. ranking
the third wheat-producing State in the
Union. Her acreage of wheat in 1893 was
but l,34S, ,462, with a yield OF l5,5O7, ,3I3
bushels, thus moving her position to
tenth in the list of wheat-producing
States. In 1889 her corn acreage was
7,S6O.9l7, with yield of 9.629, 705 BUSH
els. In 1893 her corn acreage was but
6,249, 100, with yield of 16O, $50. 40 BUSH
els, all of which shows that the wheat
acreage did not go TO corn. The decrease
III acreage and in production of these
staple cereals is quite noticea BILE; but the
increase of production in dairy products
in that State is still more marked. Her
yield of milk III 1879 was but 45, 900, 600
gallons, while in 1898 the COWS of that
great State gave over 500, 900, 900 gallons of
milk, from which an output of butter
amounting to 2O,000,000 pounds was mar
keted.
California must use % per cent. of her
wheat mixed with alfalfa and increase
her output OF dairy products, which we
are purchasing every year from other
States. 1t Is Just as reasonable for the
farmer to buy hay and grain for his live
stock as TOR the people OF California to go
elsewhere Tor the necessaries of life. Our
capabilities are unlimited. What we need
is the energy aud will to make use of
them, and thereby aid in the solution of
the question OF supply and demand of
wheat. 1t is great question for the
economists to solve.
SOMETHING WRONG.
There is likewise something most radi-
cally wrong in the management of our
trnVnTnnant ic
variance with the commonest laws of
economy. Action has been taken in aid
OF our manufacturing interests for pro-
tecting American labor Some of the
greatest minds OF the age have advocated
ana urged upon the American people the
necessity OF such measures as would in
sure the great protection now accorded
the manufacturing interests of America
What has been done, we ask, for the
farmer? What have the same great
minds advocated for the producer of ag-
ricultural staples? He has simply been
left TO purchase his necessities and pay
Tor his labor In protected market, and
to sell his products III a market open to
the world. and by reason of which our
agricultural products are now being sold
at nome and abroad at or below the cost
OF production. Should these conditions
continue, and we see but little chance at
this time for Government action there is
nothing left but for the producers to solve
the question themselves, as far as it is u
their power SO to do, by changing their
entire system of farming.
CHEAP LABOR COMPETITION,
In the immediate past, by the use of
improved machinery in both planting
and harvesting, we have been able to Off
set The cheap labor of other countries in
the production of wheat and other cereals.
but now that these competitors are reach
ing out Tor the same Implements used by
us, anG are, 10y reason of their use ex-
tending the acreage of their country in a
great part virgin soil susceptible OF great
yield, and with much cheaper labor, we
cannot but hope, with the exhaustion of
the producing power OF our lands and
with the much higher cost for necessities
and labor, to Keep apace with the cheap
land and labor OF Russia, Argentina and
Indian countries. The yield of wheat
in the Argentina alone for 1893 was al
most double that of the preceding year.
Her production IN 1892 amounted to 30
100000 bushels, while that for 1898 was
81, 900, 00g.
Statistics show that in 1893 there was
exported from the United States to Ar
geutina agricultural machinery to the
value OF 81 go, 40, and from Great Britain
the same year the following machinery:
implements, $50, ,4}6; agricultural steam
engines, 2!,l'i,O-S; other agricultural
machinery, S19l,O2O, making "a total of
s., sd, l14
Negotiations were pending in this State
last season and may sLIIl be pendiug) for
the sale and transferring of one of our
large combined harvester and manu-
!acturlng plants TO that same republic
10 California Wheat-growerS this is a
most precarious situation. They are
aware, after Two seasons like 1893 and
1891, that there is but little or no chance
Tor reyiviticatiOu OF prices that will war
rant the vast acreage OF wheat heretofore
nlanted. So why not FOLLOW in tho OK