Year: 1879

Last week we reviewed at some length past causes of present financial distress. We now come to the question of future remedies. What must we do 10 improve the condition of things? It is easy to reply "Stop up the hole

 in the bottom of your purse and put more money in at the top' But the How ?" still confronts us. How are we to follow such ad- vice?

 The matter of stopping wastetul leakage over eXpenditure-doeS not apply very largely to cost of living, The family as a rule is not extravagant-ra,her economical and often al- most close. The necessity for self restraint in the matter of expensive habits and tastes is recognized and needed. We have little ref erence, therefore, to excessive expenses of the household when we advocate greater care in drawing upon the treasury. Of course if there are those (and undoubtedly there are some such) who are careless herein, their first step must be to remedy this first of eotly.

 But our chief alIuSion here is to ocer cost of produc: ton. As we proceed it will be seen what we include in this general expression. An example will help us. Say it cost last year 80 cents to produce bushel of grain. If we can raise the same this year for 26 cents there is saving of five cents. We in effect raise the price that amount and hence increase our profits.

 ARan. II we Cuu ILuko UuIIcT lOT ID CeulS now which cost 20 cents last summer, we re- duce the expense and so really increase our profits, if it brings the same price. Nor are we confined to one kSnd of produce or a single pursuit. There is room for choice That must be selected which is best suited to ourselves, our land, our climate. There is need for the exercise of our well-known Yan. kee ingenuity and keenness of perception. IL | helped our forefathers. It surely will aid us | In short We must seek to find what branch o industry and what kind of farming suits us | lest, costs us least, and yields us the largest I returns.

 We all know that neither Connecticut far | mer nor Connecticut fields can raise oranges We are equally certain that they can grow apples. Exercise the same faculty which tells us this so plainly only apply it acutely and carefully, and we will be able to distinguish which IS the better of almost any two kinds of produce for our case.

 Compare grain raising and dairy farming. There is little thought necessary to declare in favor of the latter. Grain is out of the ques- | ton We cannot approach Western prices at any profit The productiveness of the latter overbalances our nearness to the seaboard. Through freghts are so cheap and the facili- ties for handling grain in the West so con- plete that distance from points of export is but small disadvantage as compared to the unfavorable character of the lands ill this sect n.

 On the other hand, our farms are adapted to grazing and stock raising. And in our humble opinion it fufls the requirements we placed before ourselves above Let us there- fore say somewhat more in its favor. We say in tts fdyor because there will be some ready to object very plausbly that " the thing has been tried and proved almost, if not alto gether, a failure" We admit that butter at an average of 10 cents pound and milk at cent quart is not profitable But do not jump to conclusions. Is the matter itself at | fault? or our mode of managing it? The same butter which sells in Canaan for 15 cts, brings within 100 miles g9 or 23 cents at re- tail The identical milk i've make no allow ance for water) shipped from Norfolk at cent quart is portioned out by the New York milkmen at cents. The price is fair enough paying enough, if it came to the producer. l We assert, therefore, that the trouble lies not | in the dairy as an investment, but in our pres ent method of conducting it.

 The difficulty is triple and hence the remedy must be threefold. To use word which has been favorte one in these col umns of late, we need REFORM. lst, In the matter of transportation. 2nd, In regard to midttemen. 3rd, As to quality The R. R. Go. TOW charges 45 cents for each can of 10 gallons. It can afford to transport them for a less rate, if the business be sufficiently in creased. Moreover legislation has begun to be enacted to limit the charge. This, with competition, ought to encourage us to look for better things to come.

 But the next point is of greater moment. The middlemen are a great stumbling block

 in the farmers path. The lions share of profits seems to be absorbed by them.

 The producer, as we have seen, recesoes far