The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-23
Our Agricultural Imports,

1t is well known to the reading pub.
lie that our exports of agricultural
products amount to from SIX hundred
million to eight hundred million dol
lars annually 1t is not so well known
that our annual import of farm crops
amounts to from three hundred and
fifty to four hundred million of dollars
Could we produce all the agricultural
products that we purchase abroad, it
would leave balance of but TWO TO
four hundred millions of dollars for
these products for annual expectation.
1t is one of the cheering facts of our
agricultural horizon that the value of
agricultural exports is not now increas-
ing. The significant feature associated
with this fact ia our rapidly-increasing
population. This of course means hat
the excess food produced by this coun-
try over and above the annual consume
ton is on the decrease, and is witness
of the dawn of the approaching period
when the production of food sluff3 will
not exceed the consumption IN this
country. When this period arrives the
price of American farm crops will no
loI ger be fixed by boards of trade in
London. 1t will be time when the
output of the farm will be fixed by To-
cal conditions, just as the output of the
shops of the country are fixed by local
competition. When this period ar
rives the farms of the country will be
put upon an equality with the mines,
the looms and the FORCES of the country.
1t is evident that the presence of this
period in the history of American agri-
culture will place it on terms Of equal
ity in the international policy OF the
country with its other fabricatiOus.
Current opinion places this period in
the somewhat dim distance. But the
time is not far away when the influence
of decreased production will have a
manifest bearing on agricultural indus
try. Our expectation of cotton very
nearly bridges the chasm between The
purchases and sales abroad of farm
products, amounting to over two humid
red millions of dollars. In this prod
uct there has been but little COMPETE
ton with the world at arge, so that the
price of cotton has been virtually fixed
by our own cotton crops and not by The
marts of Europe. The sales Of cotton
for the year 1893 almost equaled the
excess of agricultural exports over those
of imports When we remember that
America is the great source of pork Tor
European markets, as she is for their
cotton, it becomes apparent that could
we produce that which we consume and
sell them our cotton and pork, the
chasm would be bridged. Most of the
imported crops can be produced in this
country, the noteworthy exceptions be-
ing in tea and coffee, although the hope
is INDUCED by some that the country
may yet produce its tea. Among the
imports that we can produce may be
mentioned iwenty-seven million dol
lars for hides, twenty-one million dol
lars for wool, thirty million dollars for
silk. twenty-seVen million dollars for
various vegetable tibers, twenty-fOur
million dollars for nuts, nearly fifteen
million dollars for tobacco leaf, two
million dollars for potatoes, some ten
million dollars for wines, and one hun
bred aud eighteen million dollars for
sugar and molasses. Our wide range of
climate and soil, the abundance of our
capital, the energy Of our people and
their skill and intelligence demaud a
| further liberalization of our farming
until practically all the materials emu
merated are taken from our burrows.
This subject is one that American
farmers should reflect upon, and in act
ing their part as unit in the national
life secure whatever of encouragement
in the accomplishment of this great end
that is given to other and less important
industries. We are not advocates OF
favorit sm to our industry, nor to any
industry, but of an equality between all
in the policy of the nation, whatever
that policy may be.-Selected.