102 WISCONSIN AGEICULTURE. 



new angmentation of money was still more expanded by the 

 introduction of large quantities of currency from doubtful East- 

 ern and Southern banks, some of which, about the time their 

 bills were largely out, went down, dead failures. 



The liberal flow of so much money naturally had its effect 

 on the value of property, and especially real estate. Farming 

 lands went up apace, and were briskly bought and sold ; and to 

 quite an extent were bought by those who wished to improve 

 and use them for farming purposes. New fences were to be 

 seen extending on all hands, and new fields were turning up on 

 all sides. Probably a fifth was added to the breadth of the 

 fields of the State, during the year, not much, if any, less to the 

 population, which must have amounted to something near half 

 a million at the close of this period. 



The wheat, corn, lumber, and other disposable crops of the 

 State, must have amounted to at least $10,000,000, and proba- 

 bly considerably exceeded that sum ; but in the entire absence' 

 of Statistics, except as gathered from a few of the prominent 

 towns, and marts of business, nothing but an approximate esti- 

 mate could of course be made. 



Such a liberal flow of the tide of wealth, from all the before 

 mentioned sources, real and unreal, naturally begot a quick 

 pulse among all classes of business and active men ; not really 

 amounting yet to a high fever, except perhaps, in certain locali- 

 ties, but strongly symptomatic of it. 



But this extra stimulus, as is always the case, operated dif- 

 ferently on different portions of community. Those who were 

 not so easily excited, were only stimulated to a healthy and en- 

 ergetic action ; an action which developed itself in increased 

 effort at improvement in whatever they were embarked. If a 

 farmer, as before said, the broad acres were fenced and turned 

 over by the plow ; a more substantial house was reared in place 

 of the pioneer cabin ; a better barn for the shelter of stock, and 

 housing of products ; better implements and agencies of econo- 

 my and use about the farm and household. 



Such was the tendency and direction with some, but many 

 more were inclined to invest their surplus gains in additional 



