New-York tribune., 1907-08-19
FARMS OF THIS STATE.
What VII Enable Their O1uners to
C0mpete zUith Hest and South.


pear, from the facts presented that there has
been revival in the farming industry III the last
decade previous to which there had been steady
decline tor many years Surely the steady decline
during both periods must have been the effects OF
adverse causes. and consequently. except tn"
causes are eliminated. there can be no permanent
reclamation of the farming industry of our state
In view of the fact that Industrial census had
been taken in this state since 1870. the Farmers
Congress, held in Albany early in the year 1884,
expressed a wish to have part of the next report
thereafter OF the Bureau Of Labor Statistics de-
voted prices OF farm products. wages, etc In
compliance with that request the then Commits
sorer John T. McDonough. transmitted to the
Assembly. February IS. 1895 doc. 66l. his re-
port The Farming Industry FOR the crop years
1894 iS95 and 1895. which forms Part $'of the gen
eral report.
AS the commissioner related in his report. the
method pursued by him saiy the information
which is the subject of the e<11rt, circular was
mailed to about twenty-t-.: hundred of the pr0uIi-
neut farmers opegat;z.s in the several counties
New York and Hamilton excepted, whose ad-
dresses were furnished by members Of the Assem-
bly,. The blank which each recipient was requested
fill and return contained thirty-ore que2-
tons many which categorical in form. sim
ply requiring a negative ar affirmative answer
while others of statistical character, rtiil-
ing the number of years lie had been a farmer
the number Of constituting his farm: his
staple products the yield Of certain speci
fed products. of transportation 10 his nearest
market erc. also in regard to farm labor. wages
paid: what branch of his farming industry fur
nished the results. and what cent of inter
est he got capital invested in his farm after
making fair allowances for house rent family sup
port etc. In q note preceding the nterr"satlons II
was requested that the farmer who received the
blank would answer the questions from MS own
individual experience ,not from what others had
reported. as concisely circumstances would ad-
nit using the words yes when such ans"er
could be used making no further comments there
but in a separate communication Civ" the bureau
information of any specially he made tn farming
or Of anything Of a general nature relating 10
farm interests.
OF the whole number Of blanks mailed 1255 were
returned to the bureau "a little more than one
haIf) which the recipients had filled out as sus-
gested. As the commissioner remarks: The ie-
ports received from every county IN tie
state excepting New York and Hamilton, and
emanating they did from 5S2 different stations
(being average OF ten from each county,. they
sufficiently numerous and scattered to be
representa- tive. and, considered in connection with
the correspondence received from each county. they
afforded far criterion for determining the degree
of success failure of agriculture, from nnan-
ciaI point OF view, for the years 1894. 1895 and
1896 and are fairly suggestive Of the kind of farm
ing pursued In each.
What was CLEANED through Commissioner Nc
Donough's investigation and the correspondence of
the farmers his report thereof has this to say;
in another part OF this report viii be found
copies OF letters, and some extracts from oIHeTs
received from III farmers scattered among forty
eight counties Of this state. with the commission
- e.''e It+r r i anu r,ieott M mod ,itbouf srrryinc
at a single conclusion and that is. that the farm
ing industry in this state Is in most deplorable
ana pFecaflous l M ~ tSe I'M
mediate future"
Summing up, he says:
The correspondence shows that as a general rule.
no interest has been realized on farm investments
during the lS9f, 1895 and 1886 that where
there We're no mortgages requiring interest pay
Is foTtuna9e If his income from PRODUCTS Could be
made 10 pay the cost OF production and even 1ta{
degree OF success was only attainabie by stlnted
allowances for EousehQd expenses and by staryinS
T rn0rrsae Spi ind4htednnss he ran behind ana in
CURED the penalty of foreclosure
There are A variety Of causes. the commissioner
observes which have contributed 10 this situation,
among which may be mentioned
Low prices for farm products. indebtedness
whether earned or Unearnod; poor roads. which
make distant markets inaccessible eXorbitant
charges Of commission ana middlemen, by whom
the lions share is generally snatched high rates
for railway transportation to distant markets.
which make the net proceeds IDS n most instances i
charge which places them beyond the reach Of the
average farmer, competition OF Western ana
ton rates they obtain by which farms thousand
miles and NOR away are practically nearer to q
our own state
some farmers one especially. point to the
which cheaper railroad transportation Is extorted
during the naviEaho season Tor the benefit Of
Western producers whose comnetition Is one OF
the dtreet eaTsos Of II" low pricf$ which a htYe
prevailed for the farm products 81 thls state, Wie
single dollar IS appropriated for good roads.
sioner McDonoughs report the state has adopte,
liberal policy the construction of state roads,
If hts stttr is due H. innerfert tiiiaga and the
continued employment OF old and wastctu methods
"f farming: and this is ahundantlv attrstcd BY the
fact that some farmers have rNtorted fair de-
gree OF success, III spite 81 weather ETstSSApI-
pers and army worms while their neighbors alb
shown by the cnrresnondence: The successful
farmers have explained their methods and have cx-
brethren and at the same time admit and declare.
as some Of them do. that those farmers wi" are
successfully against such Uufavorahie conditions
ns the reports. ana that Therefore they nave been
compelled IL resort to ''I""r farming, whcL
eventually e'npties the purse and impoverishes the
IN concluding his report the commissioner ap-
pealed thus TO the railroads
The farmers of this state in every section
thereof. complain of the scarcity of farm hands.
the large cities crowded with idle persons
willing and anxious 10 be employed The fact Is
manifest that FARMERS SONS ins. I't"I 10 .itc
cities u become future miliiOnaireS, and the
nG % dSIf'' bv Tr rP dsn cDnn s 'tf of % excesl @
rates Of transportation ON farm products sent to
iarn Ijtfje 6r nothing FOR The pr"dTcers These
high rates transportation also put fertilizers out
of the reach Of many farmers ard make them
travagautIy high ani unprohtable for those who
purchase them. They suffer from the competition
of planters OF early produce at the South. where.
New York market. they have. in addition 10 "a
more congenial climate the advantage OF compeu-
tive transportation routes ana the cheaper freight
which competition affords
crn and Northern producers of summer and au-
tunm products. who possess similar advantages In
farmers are truly between the upper and neither
nlilstones Of competition; they have lost money
Ff,,Vr- -ySs4 had in