The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-08-05
FARMER AND PLANTER.
IMPROVED CONDITIONS.
f&4z116<ked Change Of Feeling Among
Farmers Within the Last
Few Years.


In forciful article on Improvement
In agricultural conditions Col. ]. H.
Brigham, assistant secretary of agri-
culture, says:
''Within the last two or three years
/ have noticed a mark change OF feel
ing suong farmers. There is less COM
planning and more interest in farm !
operations. Methods are Improving;
careful experiments are being made
with fertilizers; improvement in the
breed and care of farm animals is ar
parent; farmers are paying their debts, |
and if not able to pay in full can easily
secure extension at lower rates OF in
terest. They are also more careful
about contracting debts; they are inn
proving their buildings and home sur
roundings, and in many ways are man
ifesting a more hopeful feeling than
prevailed short time ago. l do not
wish to discuss the causes that have
brought about this change; l simply
desire to show the facts and answer
briefly some Of the writer's who make
business of trying to discourage far
mers and checking any disposition on
their part to take q more hopeful view
of the future.
Compare the two years of 1895 and
1895 with regard to the value, acreage
and average value of the principal
crops and the number and average
value of farm animals, and we find
that the corn crop increased in value
from $544,9s5,534 in 1895 to $552, 023,-
<2S in 1s9s-over $S,0O0,00O. The wheat
crop increased in value from $780,
ess, zoos to $500, TIC. 800; the cat crop in
creased in value $23,O00,000; and the
cotton crop increased in value from
sc93, 35s, 1856 to $219,201,412. the latter
figures being for 1897. The value OF
the great farm crops of corn, wheat,
cats, rye, barley, hay, buckwheat, po-
tatoes and cotton increased from ST.
200, 1922, 536 in 1895 to sl,s6s, $751; ia in
1898.
1T is not merely in the total value
of the crop that there aus been an in
crease, but in notable Instances there
has been an increase in the farm or
primary market value per unit Of
measure. In the case of wheat, for
example, the farm value increased
from 500 cents bushel in 1895 to $50
cents in 1898; bushel Of oats, ON the
average, increased in value FROM 1875
cents to 25.5 cents; rye increased from
44.0 to 1873 cents; barley increased
from 1877 to Alb cents; buckwheat in
creased from 45.2 to 500 cents; while
the prominent crop of potatoes had
an increase of value bushel from
26.6 cents to ALA cents. 1t is true thai
ON account of immense cver-produc
ton, the price of cotton declined con
siderably within the PERIOD and thai
corn had the slight fall of one-hal
cent a bushel, but it is general fact
MS the figures show, that the farmer j
better off in the profit of his crop, a
we'll as in the aggregate of its pro
duction, within the period under con
siderntion.
with regard to farm animals, tn
raising of which is so important to tn
farmer, there has been a distinct i'm
provement since 1895 in most case.
On January /, 1896. the aggregate va
ne of horses, mules mich cows, oxeI
and other cattle, sheep and swine, wa
$:,727, 026, 0s4, which was increased I
s1,o97, 01O, 407 ON January 1, 1899. Her
is an increase of over $269, 000, 900 will
in three years.
I'm order to demonstrate beyon
doubt that the increase in the aggr'
gate value is not due TO increase {
numbers, average values are computes
the result showing that horses II
creased in value per head from 1884,
TO $37.40; milk cows, from $3.50
S2o.66, oxen and other cattle, fro
1856 to s22.79; and sheep from ST.
to $2.f5. The average value of mule
las slightly decreased and that
swine only few cents, vet it is tr,
that the value of farm animals h'
shown marked advance since 1ss
both in the aggregate and individua
ly.
ut thusappearsthat theincrease
value of these products OF the far
over that of 1895 reaches che enormo
sum Of nearly $500, ooo, oOoI-not We
discouraging fact for the farmers. Z
ery practical farmer will notice tn
the figures representing values
farm products are very conservati'
considerably below the actual amou
received by them when they mark
their crops."-Farm and freside.