The Rural Voice, 1979-08, Page 17Farming in the past
Quality was the cure for
over -production in 1880
Over -production — it's "one of the great
evils with which farmers of the present day
are often obliged to contend," says writer
John E. Read in 1880 in his book "Farming
for Profit." It appears that farmers didn't
learn much in the last century, for the cry is
still exactly the same, as are the reasons
for overproduction.
The advice for the farmer in this 100 year
old text is no different than today's advice.
Read said then that the farmer, in order to
avoid much of the above evils, must read
the papers. He should study market
reports. ought to know about crop pros-
pects at home and abroad; he should not
jump from one crop to the next for that
doesn't work either.
Today as then crop jumpers are gener-
ally just a mite too late. The beef producers
who kept their cows, are now in clover, but
those who now buy cows, will in a couple of
years have cheap calves from expensive
cows. Not much has changed. The
"outers" may have switched to sows. They
have bought expensive sows, or kept
expensive finished gilts, and they will
likely sell inexpensive weaner pigs.
Exactly the same happened in 1880. Read
wrote in "Farming for Profit": "In this
way some farmers are constantly going the
rounds, always a little too late to get the
highest prices, and holding on long enough
to sell for the very lowest ones."
Since Read probably hadn't dreamt of
marketing boards with their collective
selling, and, in a few cases production
limitations, he advocates farmers in 1880
should hold out for the highest price by
producing nothing less than quality pro-
ducts. It is said that when Daniel Webster
was a young man and thinking of studying
law, some friend asked him if the legal
profession is not already crowded. He
replied that it was, but added the
significant, "There is room enough at the
top.'
Read continues, "The best farmer will
be successful. The best grade wheat will
always sell. Anything first class will sell,
maybe not as dear as the owner would
wish, but he gets at least the highest price.
A family will eat more good butter than
poor, and willing to pay a better price for
it.'
He ends his 1880 dissertation on
over -production with words of good cheer.
"There has been, is now, and perhaps
there always will be, an over production of
poor butter, poor fruit, poor beef, and a low
grade of almost everything else which is
sold from the farm; but the man who has
a nice grade of any standard farm product
need not keep it long on hand. Whatever
may become of the poorer kinds, his own
products will sell. Let the farmer who fears
that over -production will be the ruin of the
country, take special pains to secure the
finest quality in the goods which he takes
to market, and he will soon find that there
is a demand for all the products which he
can supply."
THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1979 PG. 15