102 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



displace crews of old-time stevedores ; steam crushers break 

 the stones ; steam and horse power rollers place them, and 

 machine brushes sweep them in our city highways, and eleva- 

 tors load and steam winches discharge a 3,000 ton ship in 

 twenty hours. These, however, are generalizations — look at 

 a few facts : — The increase of manufacturing establishments 

 in this country between 1860 and 1870 was about 80 per 

 cent., while the increase of farm lands and farmers, during 

 the same period, was 25 per cent, of the former, and 23 per 

 cent, of the latter. At the same time the increase of those 

 persons who are emploj'ed in making artificial flowers for 

 ladies' hats — the ladies will pardon me, I state only the facts 

 — was 100 per cent., and billiard and bowling saloon keepers, 

 livery stable hangers-on and travelling showmen 400 per 

 cent. It really seems that we need seek no further for the 

 cause of the mystery of hard times — but a fact or two bear- 

 ing upon increased production in consequence of increased 

 facilities, must not be passed over. Mr. Edward Atkin- 

 son — a high authority in subjects of industrial statistics — 

 computes that ninety per cent, of our population by use 

 of new facilities can produce all that one hundred per 

 cent, consume of food, fuel, clothing, tools, wares and the 

 like : and also all that we have markets for abroad. A 

 recent estimate by a gentleman familiar with the business is, 

 that the spindles of our country, all in motion for the usual 

 working hours, would produce fifteen per cent, above the 

 consumption of the country. Another high authority (^JV. 

 Y. Com. Bulletin) estimates that in recent years the work- 

 men engaged in the iron manufacture in this country have 

 increased seven fold and the manufactured product ten fold ; 

 in the leather work and manufacture the workmen have in- 

 creased h\ fold, and the quantity seven fold ; and in the 

 clothing trade the workmen have increased twelve fold, and 

 the goods produced six fold. The modern splitting machine 

 in tannery displaces the labor equivalent of fift}^ men ; while 

 a recent method of cooling glass moulds turns out 2,000 

 pieces in the time for 600 pieces by the old mode. In the 



