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A Washtenaw County Farmer Talks

A Washtenaw County Farmer Talks image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
July
Year
1885
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Yfbilanti. Jaly 8, 1885. I notice in the Farmer of July 7tli a gentleman trom Puw Phw, signiug his letter A. C. G., who seems slwrp. ' He says wool bas been bontjht tor from 24 to 26 cents, a very few bright lots, long In leogth, criinpy, feathery in appearance and lixlit in weight sold at 26 cents; coiu mon 24 cents; tlie heavy class from 22 to 23 ceuts. Tlie gentleman, A C. G., says the buyers pay more attention to quaUty each year. Yes, truiy ihey do; and the idea that A. C. G. gives as to farmers catering to buyers' notions of bright long dry wool will in a very few years set farmers back in their flocks of sheep to 18oO, when the average clip of the state would not excted four and one-half Ibs I would like to ask A. C. G. if tbc quality tor Bltearluur and constitu ion in mis or any other state was brought from 1800 to lts present standing, by breeding from the long, dry wooled sheep whlch the bnyer so uiueh desires? And, sucli deeire lully salislied, they will advance the Drice ihe wliole of two cents per pound! 1 answer emphatically Xo, fearing A. C. G does not know I will, to make this argument complete, und so that all cun understand, ask what any one thinks could be done wtst by breeding these dry, light-wool sheep on the Mexican ewe? Of course, one could make a slight improvement on the Mexican ewe, btit tbe greasy, wrinkly, short legged Spanisb Merino ram improves the quality of the fleece and the constitution right along, carrying everything that is desirable in a sheep with this im)rovement, which no other style of ram will U. Let A. C. G. t;ke a car-load of these bright, light fleeced rams west, put thein nu tlie market, and t.ee the üretders turn away to other ü.icks to seU'ct from. They liave had experience; sometlmes, experi-Tw'.ïïil'i'ÏIkV'toSay'miiili'ï'iï IVTU q'uestion, but will quir, as I want to air another idea or two a Hule. I a in a farmer, and like all other farmers have but Hule time for work in this direction. The farmers are very foolisli to allow the buyer to establish prices. I agree with A. C. G. that they do discrimínate more every year. It is because we do not know our business as thy do theirs. Wliy, brother farmers, if the buyer would otter only ten cents per pound and stick to this price a decent lengtü of time, to make it appear riirht, threequarters of the wool would be b night and taken out of the producers' hands, inanutactured, brought back, cut luto suits, made and sold back to the producer at from $25 to $ 50 per suit, the producer not knowing but what the labor and nioney from sheep's back to the tinished suit had been evenly distributed. The 1 lew that do know are sliorn of their ¦ power to act properly, by the great : jority of farmers acting on the iinmediate ' ten cent system. I joined the Grange's ] first movement to break up this nonsense, ' but I soon found it had no bearing in that ' direction, and I quit, there not being social enjoyment enough in it to cause ' me to ride ten miles, arriving home at iiiidniL'lil. Farmers, why doyou not put a prlce on somethingarid get it? I claim it isotinluty as well us privilege to get remunerative pricea. TUI sucli prices can be got it is our business to eay "Hamls ofï." Do you not koow at all public githerings we are lauded to the highest dcgree; we are the tay of the country; we are the rock of the country, etc. Well, só gay I, but not in the sense they convoy. Thcy rcally meao we are the stay to their ease. We are the rock they stand on. You say we must sell ; I say we necd not. Plenty of cash in the country can be had at reasonable rates (only be honest and pay), hire the money keep your product in a tare shape. you say the dein.iiid and supply, ele, are so and so; to wtilch I say nonsense. Öt-U equal to the demand, and keep the balance; it is not needed thia year. but will be next. This is what I have ajiainst our occupation, wuen we produce unythlng our question is to the buyer, "What will yougive?" If anything is needed froiu the de.iler the qaestlon is reversed, "What will you Uike?" The runner, is wrong the latter right, the aii8Wer being the iimount of principal with a margin. Let the idea go iit that a dealer is selling at cost; we, asa body, ask 110 reduction ; hut is this true whun the dealer approaches the tariner? Can we produce wool froin 22 to 25 cents, subject to throw, ns they cali it? I have sometiines been iimused with iheir soft tonque which turoeth away wrath. ötill the robery jfoes on just the same Kvcry man that knows the outs and ins of this busiuess says, no. Gentlruien, every potind you raise und sell at this price iinpoverishes you and niakesit more necessary thut you get your next clip In the inarket earlier than befo re, and so on ti 1 1 the sheriff closeg you out. Thlok of good buitel" at eleven cents. Oentlemen, you inu.-i work yourself, your wife and clnldren beyond natural streugth, and without reference to ntimber ot hours, and use the most rljjid PCoiiorny to maintaiu decent credit undur this disri iimiating twunty-slx cents per pound wool business, while some one must aci'umiilate by it I agk is thia state of things best? Would it not be better to see that the rducts were bringinghttter iricis. lea m we are to blame tor poor prices. Each department ought to kuow and do its business in a business va . Oh! I like to have torgotten the tariff. My idea is to put such a taritf on all producís that we produce (if uccessary), 8o as to exclude iiuportations suftlviently that enterprises of our people can live, and manufacture the natural prodnets of our varicd cl mate. Also we shoiild protect our ininerals and our maiuilacturiuK inUiiestsot every practicable kind,thureby j;iviiigour people employment at fair pay. L)o not be too anxious tor other jjoverumeuts. Charity should begin llrït at home; when home is supplied then look out tor abroad. It Is nonsense to say the huyer pays the tarift'. It actually has a cheapening effect in a general W8J. O. A. Hobeu. The curse of man stands for nothing, but the curse of God Is cverlastiug

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News