Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-29
THE FARMERS TOOLS.
Efficiency of Agricultural Imple-
ments Greatly Increased
Since S73.

The silver advocates have had so many
of their pet theories absolutely demol-
ished by collision with hard facts that
they are now resorting To deliberate mis-
representation in hope of breaking the
force of the various exposures they are
meeting. They have attempted TO make
much capital out of the decline i'm the
price Of wheat during the last few years
and when attention has been called to
the chcapcning in the cost of production
by the use of new and improved machin-
cry and the rapid enlargement of the
commercial surplus of wheat in other
wheat-grOwing countries than the United
States they have undertaken to deny
both propositions.
In speech at the Central Music hall
on September 10, Gov. Altgeld in at
tempting to answer the arguments pre-
scented by Carl Schurz in an address in
the same hall earlier in the campaign,
speaking of the decline in wheat. said:
THE truth is that there has been scarce
ly any Improvement in machinery for
raising and harvesting wheat in he last
twenty years"
Such a statement is a severe reflection
either upon the inventive genius of
American manufacturers and the pro-
greSsive spirit of American farmers or
upon the sincerity of Gov. Altgeld him.
self.
The truth is that the greatest improve
ments in farm implements and machinery
that have marked the latter half of the
Nineteenth century have been made
since 1873. Not only has the retail price
of all classes of implements used on the
farm been very much reduced during
that time, but the efficiency of the ina.
chinery itself has been even more eaor.
mously increased. Taking the harvester
alone il has been so improved during the
last twenty years that one man can now
accomplish what required the labor of
five in 1873, so that instead of there
being scarcely any Improvement in ma
chinery for harvesting wheat. the inn
provements in the harvester alone are
shown fully. In other words. it today
only requires one-ffth Of the labor cost
10 harvest grain that it did twenty years
400.
To entirely overthrow this last perver-
sion of truth: with which silver men are
trying TO bolster up a losing cause. re.
tail prices of some of the principal farm
machinery have been secured from lead.
ing manufacturers showing the cost IN
the farmer in 1873 and the cost i'm 1906.
As the wheat crop begins with the plow.
take the following statement from tho
oliver Chilled Plow works Of South
Bend. Ind, and see how the cost of
plows has been reduced.
I'VE manufacture pows alone and in
the year 1873 chilled plows Of the mum.
bers 80 and 40 were the leading pat.
terms: The same numbers are very
largely used at this time and our com.
PARSONS are accordingly based on them.
In 1873 the retail price OF the No 80 was
$15
In 1873 the retail price OF the No. r. was
SIG
The same plows now retail ut $3.50 each
Cast shares for these plows Tn 1879 re-.
tailed at so cents each now retail nj "a
cents each.
Jointers for these plows IN 1879 retaIled M
$3.50 each now retail az 81 each
Wheels for these plows IN 1873 retailed NJ
81 30 each; now retail at 81 each
Clcvises for these plows In 1873 retailel M
81 each; now retail al Is cents each
And other Items In about the same ratio
The construction and quality of the
goods are far better than i'm 1873"
ID. NJ Osborne and Company Of Au.
burn. n. y. the great manufacturers Of
harvesting machinery, quoting from their