RELATIVE VALUE OF FARMIXG. 285 



largely to the last amount. There is also a constantly increas- 

 ing demand for milk. 



Hay, which is the most valuable farm-product in Massachu- 

 setts, and which in 1865 was more than four times the value 

 of any other agricultural product, to say nothing of the grass 

 in pastures, was in 1860, 665,361 tons. In 1870, 597,455 

 tons. This decrease of the hay-crop in 1870 may be owing 

 partly to the dry weather of that year. Thus it is with other 

 products ; while there are still others that have increased. 

 Garden vegetables and fruit, also tobacco, are more extensively 

 grown. The demand for milk is also increasing from year to 

 year. I have no data by which to give the exact increase of 

 the above products, but hope the statistics, which are required 

 by law, and which will again be published in 1875, will give 

 us the exact information of all the productive industry of the 

 State. I have spoken thus fir only of our agriculture, but 

 will turn for a few moments to other branches of in- 

 dustry. 



In the early settlement of the State agriculture was the 

 leading employment. And not till 1787 was there any suc- 

 cessful eifort to build a cotton-factory. Two years later a 

 company received a grant from the State of one thousand 

 pounds, by the aid of which they succeeded in establishing 

 themselves at Beverly. Another company was formed in 

 Rhode Island in 1788. But as neither of them could get the 

 desired machinery from Europe on account of their laws for- 

 biddinir its introduction, and as there were no machinists in 

 this country having the ability to manufacture such as was 

 needed, but little progress was made. But in 1789 Samuel 

 Slater came to this country with the needed machinery in 

 his brain, and soon made arrangements for bringing it out. 

 In 1793 he, with others, erected a small mill at Pawtucket 

 with seventy spindles. Other mills were soon erected. In 

 1813 one was built at Waltham ; and in 1822 the first cotton- 

 mill was erected at Lowell, now the city of spindles. And so 

 rapid has been the progress in the State that in 1865 the man- 

 ufacture of cotton goods, including muslin de laines (part of 

 which is wool), amounted to $81,231,542; this one depart- 

 ment being more than all the agricultural products, including 

 horses, oxen, cows, sheep and wool, beef, pork, mutton, 



