Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-01-29

erS.

bystle huECrvds If thousands yearly
since the civilwar. to say nothing of
the millions ct acres given to sAilroads.
Who intusn are competing with the
government in making farmers by
whoiess'es Certainly these govern
Saeni-msde land owners can by no
stretch Of i'm asination be called farm
efs II is no part Of the requirement in
obtaining 100 acres Of virgin soil from
the government that the recipient
should know anything about agrtcal-
tue. No, they are not farmers, a. has
been practically demonstrated in every
western state settled by gift lands.
Anything in the shape efa man is
good enough to become an American
farmer in the eyes OF the government.
Whist has been the result2 First
and most tericus, agriculture ~
business has been belittled and dis
grsced in the destination Of all ether
citizens, to compete with these imni-
grant and other government-msde
farmers, IN eastern farmer must live
a. they live, work IN they work, and
that is about the oniy kind of man,
ms rule,lwho teday csn make liy-
irg in the eastern states hy farming.
Again, there aeveif 3ent-made farm
ers are not farm ers al ell: they sim
/ ply 1--we or q The fitness II The soil.
Farmers, no; they are Gland pirates. .
These sre the mel. the eastern farmer
is made to compete against.
Lock at the stslen settled since the
war, by the homestead act. In the
beginning they produced according
TO federal siatlstiesl 80 10 so bushels Of
wheat PEI acre. Now the same states
produce from 10 to 10 bushels per acre
other farm crops in the same proper
tion. Farmers, no! These men disgrace
the business; they have lowered the
status of agriculture below the position
1t enjoys in eNe cry other civilized coun-
try. They ought, long ago, to have
shamed the government for its shsrt-
sightedness
THE UNPRECEDENTED HARVEST OF
1908.
Every year we hear through the crop
reports from Washington OF ssthe un-
presedentsd yield offarm crops. v hen
reduced to figures it certainly sounds
startling, even in these days Of manu.
featuring billlonaires; but great A. the
total is, the protit--no, not profil--the
| pr orortion, per hesd, for those engar-
ed in agriculture is but beggarly pit
| lance.
> Strange, asst may seem, this side Of
the question is never thought out The
farm products of 1868 are estimated at
seven billion dollars. This Sounds as
II every farmer in he land orght 10 be
/ wearing dlamone. Let US see: There are
according to the federal census, 10 .00e. :
goo people engaged in agriculture; ST.
| 600 100000 would be only about $24l
each. There are S4o,00o,0oo acres Of
land devoted to farming, oraheut IS. SO
per acre. This gives far different look
70 agriculture in tue United States IN d
shows more clearly its true condition
There has not been a year since 1870
when.the farm products Of the country
have not been sold for less than the
cost Of production, and the fact re-
mai rs that agriculture as o bus.n sss
has been little better than hand to
mouth existence for the last thirty-fivs
years. Thanks principally to the gov
eminent farmer who lives on the
fairness OF Kilt farm, the wheat srsp
OF the United States has already de-
clined until ii is only 12.1 bush els PER
acre. The cost of producing II bushels
OF wheat perlscre is about as follows
least Of the Mississippi):
Flowing and narrowing per
acre $500
Drilling and seed per acre 800
II arvestiDg and threshing per
acre LIS
Marketing per acre ESQ
Interest, wear and tear of m
plements, taxes, etc., say 500
s1e.75
IL bu. Of wheat at 81 per bu. 1900
Lost per acre $4.75
This is only q sample Of the yield
and cost per acre on every other farm
crop. Imagine what thls loss was
when oats were Is to 30 cents and
wheat at 55 to go cents per bushel!
How can the farmer live at such prices
and cost? He does not live he exists,
and that's why he is the subject OF an
uplift discussion to day. They have
been long time in seeing ii at Wash
ington. and 1t looks even new as III they