The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-25
WHY IS TT THUS.

Last week the market reporter of the
Journal. after visiting the commission
houses dealing in produce. said hat 1--WE
purchase our potatoes in Uta and Da-
kota. our beans in Canada and our cab
bage in Holland" This statement hoes
not apply to all the year, but to those
seasons when the prices are likely to
be most remunerative. Doubtless an in
quiry in all of the larger towns of In
diana would disclose the fact that their
inhabitants are eating potatoes grown
in some other State, and tina a large
part of the other vegetables in general
use, as well as such fruits as apples,
are brought to our markets from a dis
lance. While it is probable that pota-
toes are a better crop in States with a
colder climate, good returns can be had
in Indiana The experiments a few
suits in potatoes as in most States.
Even if potato culture should not be
profitable in one section of the State,
Indiana has such asvariety of soils that
there must be localities where careful
cultivation would be rewarded with
profitable returns. The jobbers' price
for potatoes is so cents a bushel, while
wagon wheat was SO cents yesterday.
Is it not probable that farmers who
should give attention to it in the vicinity
of any Indiana city can raise a bushel
of potatoes as cheaply as a bushel of
wheat?
Why should large quantities of sweet
potatoes be brought from other States
~ fhn 49,, 1.f;t,za n g T~l;ooa xrI;o1,
have not SO good soils? Again, why
should beans be brought from Canada?
Is it because there are SO few crops that
will grow in the poorer soils and colder
climate of Canada that the people of a
State which can produce about every
thing that will grow in the temperate
zone will not compete with the less
fortunate in the production of the few
minor crops which the people of Canada
can raise? And why let Holland export
cabbage and capture a part of the
home market eight hundred miles from
the ocean? This latter may be excep-
tional. but why should it be even excep-
tional in a country in which cabbage
can be raised in almost unlimited guam
titles in Indiana by those Who willItake
the pains? Why do the farmers of In
diana go on raising wheat year after
year with an almost certainty of low
prices when SO many products of the
soil are brought from a distance which
can profitably be raised here?
Is it true that Indiana cannot raise
apples any longer? The fact that at
fairs as fine samples of such fruit are
seen every year as can be found else
where is rather against such an opinion.
1t may be more difficult, but why should
apple culture be profitable in Michigan,
western New York and like older States
where the forests have been cut off and
be regarded as a failure in Indiana?
Does not lack of attention have some
thing to do with it? Is not the prefer
ence for the raising of two crops on a
large scale. to which agricultural ma
chinery can be applied, the real cause
of the failure. to raise the vegetables
which are always in demand?
Doubtless these matters are discussed
in the farmers county institutes, and
possibly intelligent farmers can assign
reasons for the conditions which rem
der it necessary for the people of In
diana to eat potatoes, beans, apples
ard even cabbage raised hundreds of
miles beyond it's. boundaries. If they
have such reasons it might be we'll to
give them to the public.