The Farm

Nbvot before have there been so many people of all clussc3 taking a strong, direct, personal interest in the agricultural situation and prospects. Business men, bankers, capitalista, stock brokers, merchante, mechanics, manufacturers, operatives, and d?y laborers even, are watching tho daily bulletins and reports of tbe weather, witli especial reference to bow it is affeeting the growing wheat, corn, and oats, and the further planting of corn. liever before have they seen so clearly that farming ia the real basis of all other business, and that upon it resta tho prospcnty of the country. They now comprehend tho fact that it was the góod crops of 1879, 1880 and 1881, from the export of which we received so many hundreds of millions of dollars from other lande, which changed the financial depression of 1873, and the years following, into a prosperous actlvity extending through all branches of trade and manufacture. Every txtra bushei oí wheat or corn; or pound of uneat, cheese and butter that went to market helped turn the scale The hundreds of millions of bushels of gvain that came from the interior to the seaboard, gave proiitable employment to the railroads. Tneso bougut and used more cars, more steel, and the makers of these, from head director to the iowestlaborer, recieved inore wages and more constant employment, and they purjhased inore freely those articles that go to supply the neeessitie.s and comforts of every day life. This stimulated and increased the merchantilo trade, and made heavier demnds upon all kinds of manufactured commodilies. ïhe farmers who received the proceeds were able to reduce debts upon their farms, to buy more and better implements; to pay up their store debts, and to buy more freely from the merchants. The merchants and shop keepers were in turn able to pay up their debts to wholesale houses, brokers in manufactures, and importers, and to buy larger stocks of goods for cash or on short credits. The carrying of those goods increased the transportaron business, and stimulated ihe building of five to ten thousand miles of new railroads per year. This brief glance tfc eome leadiug points shows the great and far-reaching influence of prosperity to farmers. On the other hand, the uufavorable winter andwspring and the sutnmer droughls of 1881 cut down the surplus wheat and corn and meat and dairy and dairy producís and cotton, may score millions in value. This, of coarse diminished exporta and has started gold abroad;it has decreased the ability of farmers, and all classes of workers, to buy goods and manufactures. The decline in the demand for iron and steel, and the fall in prices, prevent the payment of thS wages asked for, and there is now prevailing one of the greatest "strikes'1 ever known in this country, of laborera who demand higher pay to meet ihe increased co3t of living, due in part to the ad vanee In breadstuffs, consequent upon the Iessened crops of last year. Is it any wonder that this state of things has opened the eyes and enlightened the understandlng of that half of tho peoplo who are not engaged in agriculture, and who have ritherto been inclined to look upon farming ad of inferior importance, and suited for clod-hopper3 ? Farming has come to the front and it is going to stay