The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-07-21
FOR THE FARMERS.
Some Interesting News for the
Ruralist
SPOKEN OF IN THIS COLUMN.
A Few Sensible Hints to Suit the Busy
AgrIcuIturist.-Items That May
Benefit our Readers.
The Future of ArrIcuIturs.

The Future of Agriculture.
Do you think agriculture will be on
the rise or decline during the next dec
ade!' This direct question is worthy
of an equally direct answer. No one
can foretell the future, and experience
makes the wise man conservative about
expressing an opinion upon it.
But we are free to say, speaking in a
general way, our conviction is that the
business of farming in America has
started on the upgrade again. His
story shows that cycles of depression
and of low prices are followed by eras
OF comparative prosperity. The present
indicates that this is likely to be as
true in the future as in the past.
Again, this country no longer offers
millions OF homesteads for the asking,
but the public land available for agri-
culture without irrigation has been
mostly occupied, and the future will
not witness the empire building in the
west which characterized the twenty
years between 1870 and 1890. The
world never beheld any such develop
ment of agriculture and industry as
this country witnessed during that
period. We who have lived in and
who have been part of this develop
ment, do not and cannot fully realize
it. Perhaps its most marvellous fea-
ture is that the readjustment that was
inax-it 70 hla of c1tah n hon,., no.
accomplished so speedily and with such
relatively small amount of disaster.
The trade between this country and
Canada by commercial or political
union would lead to momentous agri-
cultural development in the northwest
OF course the future will see the
breaking up of large farms and planta-
tions in our present western and south
crR states, also an increased productiv-
ity per acre under better culture. But
the most serious threat to the future
of agriculture lies in the increasing
competition of South America and Rus
STA, and in the increasing purpose of
European nations to protect their farm
ers against American competition.
Then, too, ii the United States should
enter upon policy of colonization and
annex a lot of tropical countries that
could produce at nominal cost much Of
the crops that are now profitable in the
United States, the farmers prospects
would be seriously injured.
Discounting these complications,
houayar kaop;n,, II, mind Tho foot a. =
the consuming population is of late
years increasing in America more
rapidly than agricultural producers,
and recognizing that the panic is now
over which began abroad in 1890 and
eliminated in this country in 1898, we
believe worldwide view sustains the
sober judgment that American agricul-
ture as whole has a better prospect
today than at any time in our history.
And we know many experienced
men, successful in business, industry
and agriculture, who fully agree with
us in this opinion. Many long-headed
farmers, who by their thrift had ac-
cumulated some capital above the re-
quirements of their own business, have
been buying improved farm land during
the past year or two, as far as their
means would permit, in the belief that
recent or present low values mi many
parts OF the country are to be followed
by a gradual but steady advance that
would pay profit on the investment,
aside from the income afforded by
proper use of the land. In a general
way, we share this opinion as to the
prospective improvement in rural LAND
values, though we do not speak with
reference to any one section, for loca
conditions must also be considered il
judging the worth of any piece of rea
estate in city or country.
The future is certainly full of hope,
especially II our American farmers and
people generally pursue steady on.
ward course and do not go off onto ,
boom that will be followed by the in
evitable reaction. We have the ut
most confidence in the genius, the in
dustry, the enterprise and the thrift o
the American people as whole and o
the farmer in particular. Our faith il
boundless In their ability to lead thu
world in agriculture, education, art
manufactures and commerce (nalned il
order of importance), while also insur
ing the permanency and improvement
of the free institutions Of the republi
can form OF government.-0Tange jude
Farmer.