118 Prices and Profits of AgricuUuml Products. [March, 



farmer for securing the best prices for his products. Indeed, we commend 

 his prudence and judgment in thus faithiullj adhering to and prosecut- 

 ing his agricultural pursuits, which too many have unwisely abandoned. 

 Still, no country can be considered as permanently prosperous when pur- 

 suing such a course as shall operate to pour its benefits into the hands 

 of any one class. To this, agriculture forms no exception ; for even its 

 prosperity depends on general prosperity. It is not. therefore, a sound 

 argument that, because we wish well to the farmer, we must advocate a 

 scarcity in supplies, in order to secure high prices for his products. For, 

 by this course of reasoning, it would come to be maintained that the 

 nearer we could bring our people to starvation, tlie better it would be for 

 agriculture, because then the higher would be the prices for agricultural 

 products. The dignity and wellfare of agriculture need not stoop to any 

 such fallacy as this. Its patriotism is too sincere, its philosophy too 

 sound, its philanthropy too wide, its po.«ition too independent, for the 

 employment of any such narrowness of views. And, through all these 

 atti-ibutes, it will look beyond the mere mediate question of particular 

 " prices," to the more important consideration of the public good, in mak- 

 ing ourselves secure of abundance in public supplies. And the main 

 point for determination is, how is this national plenty to be secured ? — 

 secured not for one abundant season merely, but permanently, and 

 beyond all ordinary contingencies ? Europe is calling on us for supplies 

 to an extent never before known. By the genius of mechanism, the 

 intervening ocean is become but a ferry ; hence the millions of her con- 

 sumers are brought into competition with ours, and our population of 

 consumers is rapidly increasing, while so far from gaining in a corre- 

 sponding ratio, our producers are actually diminishing : hence, the ratio 

 of increase of our supplies has fallen at least 45 per cent., in the aggre- 

 gate, short of our increased ratio of demand. We can not wonder, 

 therefore, that prices should advance ; indeed, in view of all the circum- 

 stances, the only query is, Where shall the prices stop ? What shall be 

 their limit? 



Nor is there any remedy for this but in a renewed attention, and an 

 increased application of labor, to agricultural employments. The tide 

 of industry must turn and flow toward agriculture as the source of pro- 

 duction. This is, in fact, all that can save us from national bank- 

 ruptcy ; because, as a people, we are, literally, living beyond our income ; 

 hence, our capital is necessarily diminishing. Our bankruptcy, under 

 Buch a course of procedure, is, therefore, simply a question of time. 



And, from all that can be gathered from present indications, we are 

 induced to believe that the tide of public industry is about to turn and 



