PATRIOTISM—A CONTRAST. FARMERS’ PROSPECTS.

Patea Mail, 21 March 1882, Page 3

PATRIOTISM—A CONTRAST.

FARMERS’ PROSPECTS.

Says a contemporary :—Patriotism in England and patriotism in America have diffierent rewards. An English general of no particular attainments or fame, makes at tbe head of well-armed columns a march upon the capital of a king ruling over a number of badly-armed naked Ashantees. Parliamentvoteshim £25,000 and £2OOO a year for his life. When an American General puts down the greatest revolt of modern times, upon which many eminent men had failed in making any impression, he has to become President twice before Congress will recognise that he has served the State sufficiently well to deserve a pension.

Heavy crops and good prices do not often go together. In bygone days such a happy state of things has been known ; but in these times of competition, improved machinery, and increasing breadth of cultivation, the margin of profits seems incapable of broadening out far beyond the limits of the cost of production. The price offering for wheat this year is such as to leave a profit to the grower with a moderately good crop, and there is every probability of oats increasing in value as the season goes on. Those farmers who are lucky enough to have good crops this year will do well, and even taking the average throughout the country, farmers are in a better position than they have been for several seasons past. The bulk of the grain has been harvested in excellent condition, and in other respects the quality is fairly good,— Canterbury Times.