The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-27

the downward trend of Connecticut's
agriculture.
Inthe year 1S49, the great Califor
man gold boom started and for some
years after, many New England far
mers went West in search of untold
wealth. Some of them found it, but
Al who crossed the continent saw the
great prairie lands in Illinois, Ohio,
and Kansas. We heard stories OF
gold and of golden agricultural oppor-
kunities. Railroad men also saw the
ohAnce to open up this great western
nonntry. They built railroads. They
made 1t easy for US to seek new fields.
We sought them and in so doing de-
serted our New England farms. The
great western states became popula-
Ia. The farms were stocked with
thorses, cattle, and sheep and our far
mers stocked them.
Connecticut's farms were deserted
and our agricultural conditions re-
cetved q hard jolt.
In later years 1t is no wonder that
the boys and girls continued to leave
the farms and seek higher wages in
factories, stores and in city occupa-
lions They also sought in the cities
The education which was difficult to
obtain in small rural districts
Manufacturing interests came to the
front Competition ended; business
methods and combinations, on one
hand and = My the individual labor
W. farming on the other. Wages were
high In one place and low In the
other. Farms ran behind, wages were
small, business methods were lacking.
In the old day. way back in 1S46
(when we have almost our first rec
~ o., Wi
cattle, horses, sheep, and swine. The
farmer was a man Of substance in his
community. He lived in a better
house than many of his city cousins.
Going over the state of Connecticut,
YOU viii see quantities Of fine old Co
lonia1 homesteads, all Of which de-
note comfort and dignity. One-third
of these are now wrecks, another
third are possibly on the same road,
and the last third have been bought
Tor their beauty and architectural re-
fInement by those who use them for
summer homes. These last are not
n even trying to do their share. The
fine old farm which went with the
mousse lies idle and not for lack of
capital either. Such places could cas-
nv be worked, for as a rule, there Is
no lack of capital.
The farmers used to raise their own
i milk, vegetables. beef, mutton, and
pork They raised enough for them
selves and enough for everyone in the
& town, too. The farmer may not have
* had very much money-nobody did in
those days-but he was marvelously
well off His house was good and 1t
was warm. His food was good and he
N Mad plenty of 1t. He raised a fam
ny and it grew up strong and healthy.
Everything considered he was looked
upon as a fortunate man. His fam
t1y, hts home, his health, and his live
s stock were all he had, but he was
rich and richer by far with his farm
and his stock, than he Is today. He
was the mainstay of his country, but
times have changed; at any rate, he is
not New England's backbone today as
III the past. s,
Young men were seized with de-
sire for wealth. They were known
~ Forty Miners and they sought
western gold in one form or another
B Their parents growing older. tried to
work out familiar farm problems by
themselves. They couldn't do it.
There were too many cows to- milk
too much brush to cut, too many
fences to mend, and so the fine old
n&1d reduce its output in proportion to
the desertion of those it had reared
The more our farms were deserted
The more the great West grew and
today practically everything we con-
6ume is freighted one or two thous-
and miles, and who pays the freight
The West sells the goods and the Yves
K6ts the money, while we eat the pro.
6&pe and have nothing left. Why
G8ouldn't we grow our own meats and
ErRin as our grandfathers did?
We can and we should keep more
Stock, both for patriotic and econom.
10 reasons. If we had an abundance
Is stock In proportion to the increase
81 population 1t would be easy to rea,
iixe how the fertility Of the soil would
increase. It takes very little imagina.
ton to comprehend how conditions
would change. The millions upon mil
Tons Of dollars which are now goine
Waat and South for our maintenance
would be spent and kept here in Con
necticut.
The following figures will perhaps
convey some idea SIS to why we SHOULD
keep more stock, grow more grain
and, in every way possible, maintain
ourselves. We can't grow crops with
nut stock and stock only answers hal
IL purpose without crops. They g
together.
I'm 1914 the United States exported
p9T ,00O, 900 worth Of meat products
ana in 1915 the amount was s201,
900, 900. And further. in 1914 we Elk
ported 100000 bushels of potatoes
and in the first nine months Of 1911
potato exports amounted to 2.700.00t
bushels. A million bushels more wer,
shfpped abroad and 100000 bush
pls less were grown. Do these figures
ronvey. in any way, the explanation
Why food stuffs cost more than the.
MAT II they don't, Just look at tn
following figures which have beer
rompiied with equal care.
In 1s45 there were in the state O.
CoAnecticut 1871 sheep. 2o6.22I
sattls. and $4,000 hogs. Roughly
sos, 900 head OF stock. In the census
Of 1915. It was found that we hat
1900 sheep, $4,000 cattle, and So,
BOO hogs-a total Of 10000 head
The population Of Connecticut sine
1s45 has grown to nearly four time
Wfet it was then. Then there wer'
enough potatoes and there was enough
meat for the people. Multiply thu
figures of 1S45 by four and you vii
sasiiy find how many head of live
rfock Connecticut should have or how