The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-28
Blessings for Farmers.

The sudden revolution in the condi-
tion of Western farmers will probably
have an important influence upon the
election in many States. Without il,
before il began, the election Of McKin-
ley was regarded as certain, but in eight
or ten Western States the poverty and
discomfort Of many farmers, and their
anxiety for some relief, provided the
field which free silver demagogues
worked with all their might, and from
which they hoped to raise a large crop
of votes. For that expected crop the
change i'm conditions is as destructive
a. six weeks drouth for wheat or cot
ton. Since July the farmers have not
only harvested remarkably large crops,
but have seen the prices of farm prod
ucts advance beyond their expectations.
In consequence, they are NJ longer i'm
the humor to look with favor on any
desperate step that dishonest dema-
goeues may suggest, but listen with en-
lightened contempt to the cry that pri-
ces can not rise and farmers must be
ruined unless free coinage of silver can
be secured.
Wheat is not the only product raised
by farms. a recent analysis in an ag-
ricultural journal of high repute makes
the value Of the wheat crop only about
seventh Of the value of all farm pro-
ducts. But the practical question for
the farmer is whether he can sell, of the |
staple products which command a
ready market, all that he has to spare |
at prices which yield profit. Among
the crops which are relied upon to bring /
in money, wheat and cotton sell most 1
largely, but cattle, hogs, corn and oats
are also important. The portion of all
these, and of vegetables, fruits and
many other products, which is consum-
ed on the farms or exchanged nearby
for current supplies, goes to cover part
of the cost of living and of producing
things sent to market.
Since July good cattle have risen
about 30 cents, or Il per cent, at Chic
ago; hogs have advanced 30 cents there
and % at Kansas City, or about per
cent; corn has advanced l. cents at
Kansas City, or S per cent, and oats ,
per cent, or l3 cents. Similar quota
tons might be given of other markets
close to the farms. Cotton has advanc-
ed half 4 cent here, a sixteenth less at
New Orleans, but three quarters of a
cent at Galveston. The rise in wheat,
as was shown Wednesday, has been
from 10 to u cents per hushel. Every
one of these changes has given millions
of dollars 10 the farmers. They prOba-
bly, have 300,0Ol,0O0 bushels of wheat
yet to sell, on which the rise at 10 cents |
would be s57,0O0,OO0. Probably there
are yet 10000, 900 bales of cotton to be
moved, on which half cent advance
would mean sl7,500,O00. The small ,
rise in corn, on only the part not used
for feeding or otherwise on farms,
would be worth Sl5,OO0,O00 or more,
the rise In oats about $1,000, 900,
and the rise in cattle and hogs
marketed at least S35,0OO,OO0. These
IRE only rough approximations, as
quantities yet to be marketed are new
sr precisely known; but il seems clear
hat as much as sl30,OO0,OOO has been
added to the profits of farmers by the
Use in prices of their products. If
Mark Hanna has done all this, as sill
Ter demagOgues are asserting, he has
,een to American farmers, very re-
pectable Santa Claus, the more well :
.ome for not waiting until Christmas.
The farmers are not losing money, as
he record of steady increase in value
# farms has proved. Even at the low
st prices yet reached, the farmers con-
inue TO put in seed for larger crops of
wheat and cotton than have ever been
onsumed, which plainly indicates that !.
hey realize some profit, though at =
uch prices very narrow one. But if
wheat grown on farms in Nebraska
nd the Dakotas brought last Decem-
er about 10 cents, and in Minnesota
nd Kansas about 45 cents, As official
eports of farm prices show, then yield L
NJ little if any profit, the addition of :
to 26 cents per bushel is not an ad-
ance of about half in farmers gains, {
ut is all of it clear profit. At an aver n
ge yield of only twelve bushels to the II
ere, it would mean from 22S to 8 II L
'er acre, which is in effect adding $40 V
r SO per acre to the actual value of c
Theat land.-N. Y. Tribune.