St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-11-13
81 Tar't:~snu tfxrt1er,
Saturday, November Is, 1909.
THE PROPER REMEDY


ton. The larger the town grows, the more
tnlckly 1t becomes populated, the greater
becomes the necessity for some resource to
sustain 1t during the inactivity following the
periodical departure of visitors. Exception
ally good seasons encourage the establish
HlenC OF business enterprises which become
olsneartened at succeeding dull season.
During busy seasons people in the outlying
country are induced to move into the town
with a view to finding employment more
remunerative and surroundings more attrac-
tive than are afforded by life in the country.
From producers they become consumers,
with their earning capacity destroyed dur
ing dull season, ready to form link in
the chain of depression that holds US help
less until another boom season.
1t we have ambition to spread out and
grow, to establish and maintain new enter
prlses, then we must build secure founda-
ton for those enterprises. We must be pro-
ducers as we'll as consumers, and we must
produce more than we consume
There are but two resources for us. We
must establish factories or develop our agri-
for both. A canning factory could not only
be made success but it would encourage
the farmers to engage more extensively in
the raising of vegetables. A wagon factory
we understand could obtain excellent mate
rial for it's work. But the really undisputed
source of prosperity for us lies in our SOIL
II the merchants of Covington would go
to work Systematically to induce the farmer
to raise marketable crops with guarantee
that all they raised of good marketable
products would be marketed at a fair price,
there would be no more talk of slack busi-
ness or dull times. There is no guessWork
about this proposition. Other sections have
been built up by this means under more ad-
verse circumstances.
The growing scarcity Of food supplies both
in this country and in Europe makes an in
creasing demand for farm products that are
growing less by reason of desertion Of the
farms for the overcroWded cities. This dis
inclination for farm life is due largely to the
insufficient reward for the drudgery of the
life. The better education of farmers chill
dren has opened their minds to this fact and
they are making an effort to better their
condition. It is not strange that in seeking
to do this they should go where opportunities
appear better. If we wish to keep them
on the farm we must assist them to make
their life more comfortable and their work
more profitable They must have better
roads, better schools and postal routes If
we wish to be prosperous we must help the
farmer to be prosperous.
The following extract from an editorial in
the Picayune of Tuesday gives some alarm
ing figures showing that while the popula-
ton of Germany has largely increased the
number Of farmers has decreased The GEN.
sus of 1910 will probably open our eyes to
similar conditions in this country:
Much has been written recently concern
ing the desertion in our own country, by our
own people, of the farms and their focking
to the cities. The matter is specially at |
tracing attention on account of the predic-
ton by self-appointed prophets that the food
crops are not only not increasing to meet the |
demand of our growing population, but also
the calls on our food supply by foreign con-
sumers.
But the crowding of the people to the
cities is by no means confined to the United
States. It is going on in European countries
as well, and in some of them at more rapid
rate than here. United States Consul Gen.
eral Guenther, at Frankfort, Germany,
makes report on the subject that is some
what startling. His figures show that iii 1882
there were 19, 225, ass persons engaged in ag-
riculture in Germany. Since that time the
total population of that country has increased
20, 900, 900, but the number Of farmers has
decreased more than million and half.
In 1895 there were Is, sol, 3O7 persons en-
gagged in agriculture, and in 1907 there were
II, 681, 1876, decrease in quarter of a CEN
fury, since 1882, of ], 544, 49,"
It is easy to be seen, with these figures in
view, and with similar conditions prevailing
in the United States that the farmer should
have no difficulty in disposing of his crops.
Il the merchants will unite in the business
end of the proposition, induce the farmers
to plant those crops that have good price
and ready sale and see that that they fall
into responsible hands, it will be but little
while when the farmers purchases will not
only be large but for cash.
WOULD THE PARISH BE BENEFITED
BY ASTOCK LAW?