124 Third Annual Report of the 



CONCLUSION. 



According to the census of 1890 we have in the State of New 

 York 226,223 farms, containing a total acreage of 21,961,562 acres, 

 of which 16,389,380 acres are improved land and 5,572,182 acres 

 are unimproved. The value of these lands, including fences and 

 buildings, were placed by that census at $968,127,286, and of the 

 implements and machinery used on such farms the value is given 

 at $46,659,465. The live stock on the same was valued at 

 $24,523,965, and the estimated value of the fann products of the 

 State for the year was $161,593,009. 



This department was created as a direct representative and 

 exponent of this great interest, and at a time like this when busi- 

 ness generally is suffering from depression, and it has become such 

 a common thing for farmers to grumble about hard times, I can 

 not do better than call attention to what is said by the Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture of the United States in concluding the last 

 annual report of his department, as showing how little reason 

 farmers, as a class, have to find fault in comparison with the con- 

 dition of other producing classes in the country. He says : 



The farms of the United States average 137 acres each and are 

 valued at more than $13,000,000,000; thesefarmsnumber 4,564,641, 

 and their average value in the census of 1890 is $2,909; the 

 farm family including hired help, averages six persons. By their 

 own labor, with the additional investment upon each farm of 

 about $200 in improvements and $800 more in domestic animals, 

 making a total of nearly $4,000, these farmers made for them- 

 selves during the year out of the products of the earth a whole- 

 some and comfortable living; the same farmers have with part of 

 their surplus products also fed all the urban population of the 

 United States^ poor and rich alike, cereals, meats, vegetables, 

 fruits, eggs, milk, butter, cheese and poultry have been supplied 

 the village and city markets of the United States. 



It is probably safe to say that more than 40,000,000 of Ameri- 

 can citizens not living on fanns have been so furnished with all 

 the necessities and luxuries known as products of the varied soil 

 and climate of the States and Territories of the Union. During 

 the fiscal year 1895, the United States exported to foreign coun- 



