The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-24

Horace Greeley, years ago, in one of
his bouts with Raymond, commenting
on the way the latter had met an ar
gument, said 1t reminded him of the
small boy who, trounced by a larger
one, said: Wei, if can't lick you. I
can make mouths at your sister," In
the Lind-McCleary debate at Water
Vile Mr.. Lind is reported as saying:
My friend will refer to the effect of
improved machinery In decreasing
prices I haven't heard of any i'm
proved methods of fattening pigs or in
feeding calves" This is merely max
ing mouths at your sister" But. whe-
Their intended as wittIcism or argu-
ment, it is not true in fact that there
have been no improved methods in
these operations of the farm, although
1t probably is true that Mr.. Lind has
not heard of them
The improved methods" Mr.. Lind
had in mind were not those relating TO
the mere act Of fattening. or of feed
Ing, but those which resulted in low
ering the price Of the pig or the calf.
This would come from two sources: de-
creasing the cost Of producing the mar
ketable pig or calf, and from the in
crease OF supply over that of demand.
Either of these forces would show in
falling prices. Corn is the stapJe food
1or fattening hogs. Before and for
some time after the great crime" the
farmer planted his corn by hand. either
dropping the seed into the hole scraped
out with hoe, or using one of the
hand planters. Either was a slow
process compared with the horsepower
planter now universally used. the
FORMER method restricting the area
planted as the latter enlarged it. The
implements for cuItivating the growing
corn have also been improved In tbe
direction of enabling the same amount
or labor expended in the same time to
vastly increase the quantity of worl,
accomplished. The result is a larger
quantity of corn produced at a less
cost. enabling a larger number of nies
TO be kept and fattened.
ANOTHER element Of cost is the mar
keting. With the construction of rail
ways and the establishment of tba
great abbatoirs at railway terminals
changes have come that brought about
with the increase of product, decrease
OF cost Of marketing. The farmer no
longer feeds to fatten his pigs so as
to have them ripe when freezing
weather comes, so that he can
slaughter them at home and take tbe
dressed pigs to market. He sells now
whenever they are ready for the mar
ket In all seasons of the year. driving
them to the market town and selling
TO the stock buyer. This change in
duces, with the others noted. an in
crease of supply, while the gradual.
steady reduction in freights is shared
both by the producer and consumer
How great this reduction is is shown
by the statement in the last annual
report Of the Milwaukee railway cam.
pany that the company received 394
cents for carrying one ton Of freight
one mile in 1867. and but 1.O03 cents
Tor the same service in 1896 A reduc-
ton of nearly rs per cent in the cost
or getting produce to market could not
fail to have its effect In reducing the
price of that produce
- Improved methods have operated
to reduce the price of calves also by
increasing the number a farm is can
able of maintaining. The farmer who
saves the fodder OF his cornfields and
converts it,eeither into silage or dry
roughage has immensely increased the
feed capacity of his farm and the abil-
ity of it TIC sustain cows. Every other
economy i'll food products has the same
effect Increase of cows brings increase
of calves and that, unless the demand
EQUALS 1t. means decrease of price. The
study efathe5 int gent farmer of late
years has sbesh hstiswhich manufac-
- -iGHi - & s.S5S Sc