Middletown transcript., 1920-04-03
THE AMERICAN FARMER

But W08C lS more uOLoUIc StAIis Iuc
Farmer is the most important class of
all. his business being the basis upon
which all the rest stand, since he feeds
all the other workers whether they toll
on land or sea, in mines, factories,
shops, or in commerce on the deep in
home or foreign waters.
When the Farmer fails, then in the
words Of Holy Writ, ''The staff of life
is broken" the mighty life staff that
upbears not only this great Nation, but
many others. Therefore one would
reason that this important parsonage
the American Farmer, should have re-
ceived great consideration at the hands
of the people; that business should have
given him, if not more recognition.
surely not less, than any other
workers.
Do the facts in the past SO years
bear out this assumption Far from
it. Not only during these recent years
of awful war stress, but largely for a
half century before that event, his
business has been the most poorly PAID
Of any in the whole land. 1t would
seem as though he had been chosen as
the goat upon whose head the sins OF
all the people had been laid and he sent
into the wilderness if not to ole, at
least to find rocky pastures and scant
pickings.
But let US briefly recount the difficult
ties that surround farming, difficulties
which are not common to other toilers
but peculiar to him only.
l. There is hardly single factor in
all the things necessary to make his
work q success, that is sure. In all
other kinds of business but his, there
are certain elements which may be
counted upon as invariable from year
to wear, elements which can be esti-
mated and measured almost with GER
tainty and which because they are thus
fixed enable such workers to deal with
them successfully.
With the farmer this is never So
every factor that may bring success OF
failure is problemmatical, may or may
not be present, or present in the usua
way. In every crop he sows or plants
he must assume all the risks of the un
certain weather elements-too much OF
too little moisture, heat, or cold, OF
coming at the wrong time; the ravage'
of innumerable plant foes, animals
birds, worms, insects, blights and mic
robes, etc., foes that may destroy hi
crop in part or whole. And all thes'
uncertain factors may bring to naugh
whole years careful work.
An illustration of this is found in tn
disastrous year just passed, when owe
this entire peninsula wheat and corr
were failures, and the fruit and vege
table crops but little if any better, ant
even when obtained were of wretche'
quality owing to some strange and gen
eral i'll character in the season.
2. But if despite the elements ant
all these plant foes, he finally gets hi
crop garnered, his fight begins anew
against vermin of all sorts, mice, rats
insects, etc. If his crop escapes al
these things, the moment it leaves the
barn still another set of foes are afte
1.-THE railroads mercilessly tax it with
high freights to make dividends on mil
lions of ''watered' stocks; the grain
inspectors, and gaugers dock him fol-
shortage, or damaged grain-often un-
Justly; then come the middlemen, the
sale brokers and q whole harpy tribe
eager to get a bite out of the poor
farmer, and they all take tolls small OF
big, out of his hard-won crops.
Finally, if he runs the gauntlet Of all
these perils. he may after it all be
more or less slaughtered on market
manipulated by Big Business or the
Trusts aided by that horde Of genteel
rogues in every big city ''living by
their wits" as brokers, agents, specu-
lators, etc.
Again, what toiler on land or sea has
such fearfully long hours as the farmer?
Commonly IL or more hours and often
'from sun to sun !" All mechanics
and other workers are clamoring for
shorter and shorter hours-six hours or
less is the latest demand. And they in
winter toll in warm, sheltered shops or
factories, while the farmer roasts un-
der the fiery dog star in summer or
freezes in the arctic blasts of autumn
and winter.
For over a generation the farmers on