The progressive farmer., 1899-11-07
A TOBACCO GROWER ON ToBAc.
CO GROWERS PROBLEMS,


hints relative to the conditions Of our
people 30 years ego and their condi
tlons at present. I remember well
when a farmer 80 years ago could go
to market with his tobacco, deposit it
IN the warehouse for sale, and the
warehouse man would strip, sample.
inspect and sell, and charge 81 for his
fee only. And if the hogshead weighed
1000 pounds it was all the same charge
and no more. He would sell load on
the street also, and charge only 25
cents for selling it. But now it is quite
different. The warehouse man now
charges warehouse charges and auction
fees, and then 81 per cent. on the net
sale. Is it any wonder that the farm
ers are getting poorer and poorer every
yeRr7 No, this unholy treatment per.
petrated on the farmers is partly the
cause of their poverty and will, if con-
tinued, bring them to deeolation and
want, and also destroy the merchant
and manufacturing interest OF the
nati0n.
Then again, we hear it said that over,
production is the reason prices are
low. This is not true, for the reason,
that all the crop is used and the buy
ers still are anxious, and want more.
Also, when the crop is marketed, we
hear OF the big profits made in one
season, and boast over it, and the poor
farmer did not reallz9 enough to pay
his expenses, much less to pay taxes
and other expenses. / was on the mar
kat s)me time ago, and noticed one
man when his tobacco was knocked
out, and the price was go low that the
man even WepC about it, and there are
numerous others in that same Condi
tion. s. the farmers will have to quit
raising the weed, or curtail their crops
greatly, and make something to eat at
home, and epj1 it. II the farmers
five years, they would realizs price
sufficient to justify them to raise the
weed. Bat at present prices they will
starve to death raising it. s. they
will have to quit tobacco or tobacco
will quit them.
Again, the manufacturing portion of
the country are paying about z cents
per pound for their stock, and when
manufactured and sent back to the
consumer, he that buys il has to pay
about 40 cents per pound for it, when
the tax and price Of the leaf and work
ing it, cost the manufacturer about 81
cente, or at the most % cents per pound,
and ne realizes at least 16f cents per
pound for it, net gain. It requires but
way the drop is fall ng. am Of the
opinion the tide is drifting rapidly to
a condition as woeful as in the dark
ages passed, when the love of money,
and the pride Of that great Roman en-
pire Crumbled under the weight OF like
circumstances, and I am looking for
the same condition in this nation ere
long All Of the various combines are
working to fasten their clutches upon
the producer, to accumulate a fortune
and in the effort to do so are tearing
down the best interests Of the country
to accomplish it. A man with even
shallow intellect ought to see that
when the farmer fails, every other en-
terprise is sure to fail, because the
crude material is first raised by the
farmers of the land, with few excep
tions. or course it requires labor in
any effort to accomplish any great end,
and the farmer can't afford to hire
hands and buy fertilizer to make to
bacco at the price obtained for it now,
and l suppose it is the same condition
in the cotton raising portion Of the
country.
These and other conditions could
mention, have disheartened the farmer,
and he is discouraged greatly at the
thought of not realizing expenses from
his farm, and so they are beco ming
negligent in trying to farm, and many
of then are going into factories to
make a living for themselves, and their
families. tell you if the se things con
U,nue many more years, the nation will
be in a desolate condigion. When to
bacco and cotton are high, the farmers
are j1bilant and happy, particularly
when they know they are living above
board and have a dime or two over for
a rainy day.
SO can see no better way to con
front these conditions than to quit
raising 80 much tobacco and cotton and
raise something to eat at home. And
the ladies can relieve the condition