THRE WJ8OONSIX JARUIER.



country, and obtaining a precise knowledge o
what productions are actually the basis of for
eiga exchanges.
   If in the sale of thirty millions of bushel
of wheat,' little more than one-sixth of thi
krop, the loss of but one dime per bushel result
to he farmer from a want of just such collec
Stlons of statistics, home and foreign, as everg
Government should furnish, it is a snug thre
millions out of the pocket of the hard-workinj
farmer, and in the purse of the shrewd specu
lator, who uses a part of it to secure the fos
.tering influences of Government to proteco
financial and commercial interests.
   -What would bethought of a general com
manding, who should march a force of yfty
thousand men across a desert two hundrsi
jnniles, withoutfirst ascertaining how much o0
forage, rations and ammunition would be need.
ed, and then seeing that a sufficiency was se-
oured? Yet, as a people, an army of thirty
millions, we have a twelve months desert to
aross, with no chance for obtaining supplien
from the rear of other years, and without any
definite knowledge of the amount of commis-
sary stores. To be sure, we generally have a
surplus of some things, yet always a dearth of
others; and the knowledge of the precise pro-
portions needed would be a great convenience,
and a saving of millions yearly.
  Let us see how appreciative upon this sub-
ject our legislators have been. The following
is a list of the appropriations made by Con-
gress for the encouragement of agriculture:



19......................................

1046.......................................
2847.......................................
IOU......................................
1841.....................................
IS6 ......................................
28F1 ......................................
1F43 ......................................
    S*............................
F66 ......................................
'............................
1847..............
U."......................................
1S69......................................
.28D .....................................
1861.....................................
IM   ......................................



tiOtOoo c

3,1000

5.200 00
4,100 00
5,600 00
,000 00
sooe 00
0100O 00
"6,078 78
101 Mo O
eoGoo 00
so e so
41GGO 09
00,o0w e
e0,000 go
e0,00000



Total ..3,7 78
" Thus, a half million has been spent in aid of



agriculture in twenty years, almost at the rate
of a ftunll million in a generation.  And yet
ours is an agriculture, one interest of which,
that of wheat, at-one hundred and seventy-five
millions of bushels, is worth annu lly more
than one hundred and fifty millions of dollars;
and twenty millions of tons of hay, at seven
dollars and a half, are worth one hundred and
fifty millions more; and even the greasing of
the throats of our people with five hundred
millions of pounds of butter, at fifteen cents,
adds the tri*  of seventy-five millions, just
half as mueh w the wheat or the hay; while
the very market gardens of our Dutch women
and Irish men, and other growers of vegetables
for sale, count, at a very low figure, fifteen
millions-with many other crops to swell the
list to a prodigious suii.

   Now, it may be said, and is said, that agri-
cultare is strong enough to go alone. Such
talk may tickle the vanity of farmers struggling
with taxes and interest on money owed to bank-
ern or merchants. lMy know very well that
commerce is strong, too; that it capital is
concentrated, and organized for defence and
aggression by boards of trade; that its vota-
ries are intelligent, active, observant and stu-
dious. But that doas rot prevent commerce
from availing itself of the encouragement, &ad
fostering protections of Government. For ex-
ample:
" In 1887, as a little item, one of a series for
several sessions, an appropriation of $400,000
was made for the 'continuation ' of the cus-
tom house at Charleston, South Carolina.

"The same year, perhaps, $1,200,000 was
roted for a war steamer and several sloops for
service in the Chinese seas.' Then, all these
ehips were to be manned and provisioned,
naking altogether a nice item for the protec-
ion of our commerce in the silks and teas of
a country on the opposite side of the globe.
Traders in all those seas are rich, and reap
enormaus profits, become millionaires, and can
fiord to spend a good deal of money to con-
ince Congress that such protection 'is for the
Iterest of the nation-as it is.



91



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