SPEECH OF HON, JUSTIN S. MORRILL. HY 



I attempted to show, by the facts of the census of 1850, compared 

 with those of 1840, including other State returns, that there was a 

 constant and widely pervading diminution of crops per acre, under 

 our go-ahead system of farming, and that the main relief sought 

 was such as that practiced by flocks of wild pigeons, which no 

 sooner strip and waste one field, than they take wings and fly 

 further on. 



If this deduction has any foundation, without some speedy and 

 efiBcient remedy — reaching to every State ; for there are none 

 without more or less of lean faced districts, poor farms, and poorer 

 farmers — this agricultural decline will, at no remote time in the 

 age of the nation, produce calamitous results. The census of 1860 

 is not yet published, so that a full comparison of another decennial 

 period is impracticable, and, if the latest census tables were now 

 at hand, the statistical information is too limited to afford more 

 than a meagre account of what it wonld be useful, if not creditable 

 for us as a people to know and to spread out on the record. By 

 the courtesy of the superintendent, I have gleaned some facts, 

 which still indicate, I regret to say, the retrograde march of agri- 

 cultuse, and showing that the positions heretofore assumed have 

 only too much support in the census of 1860. The facts are by no 

 means agreeable — not calculated to puff us up with pride — but they 

 should be resolutely examined, to find, if possible, adequate meas- 

 ures of reparation predicated upon the wants of all the States. 



By the returns it appears that the New England States have 

 increased their number of horses, but to about the same extent 

 have diminished the number of oxen, and it would be hard to say 

 whether the gain or loss is the most profitless. All of these States, 

 except Rhode Island have increased the, product of butter, and all 

 fall off in the quantity of cheese, as well as the number of sheep, 

 and swine, and (except Maine and Vermont) in the quantity of pota- 

 toes. Of wheat, the whole quantity produced is pitiably small, 

 being only 1,011,285 bushels, and of that 431,121 bushels is pro- 

 duced in Vermont. New York, in 1850, produced 13,121,488 

 bushels of wheat, and only 8,681,100 bushels in 1860, showing a 

 decrease of 4,440,348 bushels. The number of sheep in New 

 York— 



In 1840 was ..... 5,118,111 

 In 1850 was. .... 3,453,241 



In 1860 was . . . . , 2,611,855 



