INDIANA FARMER)
Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, mechanics and tbe  Hateful Arts.
D. P. Holloway, W. T.Dennis,!
It. T.Reed Editors.        j
RICHMOND, APRIL 1, 1855.
t Holloway & Co., Puilisksrs,
i    Vol. IV Wo.   It.
i
•y
Prospective Prices of Breadstuffs. *
If the representations of those who maybe
considered the leaders of the Agricultural
movement in the United* States, are to be relied on, and we are quite inclined to'an opinion with them, the farming community may
safely calculate on. realizing high, if not very
high prices for all they may be able to produce
the coming season. The reasons for this conclusion are various. Europe-is still being desolated with the curse of* bldtidj* * war, in
which nearly all the leading power's are implicated. A large portion of the laboring population are kept in arms, in consequence of
which the country is scarcely hSlf tilled. The
long continuance of this state of things, it is
believed, has already nearly exhausted the
country of its supplies. The markets being
'n a' great measure' closed, we have hardly
shipped to that country our usual amount of
produce." Of wheat and flour we have had
little or none to spare. Add to this, that taking the United States over, our last crop was
unusually small, in consequence of which
nearly all kinds ol produce are "now
selling at enormous prices, the country being
nearly exhausted of the two great staples of
grain, as well as almost everything else produced on the farm, and we have the facts on
which our conclusions are founded.    •***'*■
r The Ohio Cultivator thinks that as to prices,
there is but little prospect of any decline from
present rates, and much probability that prices will advance, especially of such articles as
aie suited for export." On the same authority, we give the following:
: "As to crops, ithasalways been found that
a season of severe drought has a beneficial
effect on the soil, so that bountiful crops are
pretty sure to be obtained the following year.
Besides, the drought of thepast year taught
some valuable lessons in regard to the importance of deeper and better tillage, which most
farmers will put in practice the coming season. Then, the hard times have had the effect to drive men back to their farms and industry,, who before imagined that they were
rich enough to live more genteelly, or smart
enouo-h to live more easily at other employ
mena. This, together with the cheapest cost
of labor, and the continued high price of farm
products, must tend to secure a large increase
of crops the present year, supposing the season proves ordinarily favorable; and in regard
to. the great staple, wheat, already in the
ground, its present appearance - is quit« as
good, we believe, as is the average of seasons."
With such flattering prospects of good crops
and high prices before us, nothing need be
said to encourage farmers to sow and plant the
present spring as largely as possible. We
rather fear that too great exertion will be put
forth by some, possibly to their own injury.
Every one should prepare to cultivate just as
much ground as he can do well, and no more.
Plow up no fields that should lay in grass-
let no over-working or over-driving be practiced with the hope of realizing hundreds or
thousands at the end of the year. The fruit"
of such exertions will prove better than Dead
Sea apples. And when your crops are ready
for the market, and you are offered very high
prices, don't stand out for a few cents, more..
It may be that this advice is "suited only to
ourself.   Well, we wil try to remember it.
tight Wanted.      ;" ' '' ''/
We always like to see an enterprising spirit
among farmers, but,we sometimes notice them
making preparations for something which one
is'a little puzzled clearly to understand. Some-
iimes, too, their movements are begun at an
unusual season of the year. For instance, we1
are always pleased to see a farmer, when his
old frame house begins to look dilapidated,
going to work in good earnest to make brick
for a new one. But then if he has a good
brick house, where is the use of another.—
And then he should not devote a whole'field
to a mortar bed. And he should delay ope:
rations till after harvest^—especially he should
not commence making mortar as soon as the
ground, thaws out in the spring.. We have
noticed since the breaking, of winter, that
several good farmers have their cattls, horses,
<fec on their fields, tramping them into, mortar beds, and hardly could tell what it meant,
especially as some of them-do not seem to
need new houses. A little information is de-
shod.. ...-.,:, -.-.. ',' *.,»