LECTURES AND ESSAYS READ AT INSTITUTES. 257 



give you a, few statistics and facts to show the magnitude and importance of 

 our agricultural interests. We have three great national industries, viz. : 

 Agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial, and I have named them in the 

 order of their importance, and if for any reason either should decline, all 

 must suffer, as they are all closely allied and mutually dependent on each 

 other. 



I find in looking up our exports from the year 1868 to 1878 that the propor- 

 ti©n our agricultural exports bore to all others was 82 per cent, or a little over 

 four-fifths ; and I copy from the Detroit Free Press of December, 1883, the 

 following: "The excess of exports over imports during the past year was 

 $100,658,000. The exports of the products of agriculture amounted to $619,- 

 000,000. The exports of the products of manufacture amounted to $112,000,- 

 000, being larger than any previous year." Thus you will see that our agri- 

 cultural exports were nearly six times as large as those of manufacture, or that 

 about $86,278,000 of the $100,658,000 of excess is due to agriculture; com- 

 ment therefore is unnecessary. It proves that the financial interests and pros- 

 perity of this country are almost wholly dependent upon the products of our 

 farms. A few more figures and I will cease to weary you with dry statistics. 

 The Industrial Statistical Congress, which assembled in St. Petersburg in 1872, 

 confided to the statistical corps of the French government their compilation 

 of the agricultural statistics of Europe, from which I copy a few brief extracts. 

 The average annual production of cereals of all kinds in Europe is estimated 

 at 5,153,808,000 bushels; of which Russia produces 1,657,392,000 bushels, or 

 nearly one-third; Germany, 766,260,000, or 15 per cent; France, 709,500,000 

 bushels, or 14 per cent; Austria and Hungary, 567,600,000, or about 11 per 

 cent. These statistics also contained the per cent of available lands in the 

 different countries which were being cultivated, but I will not weary you with 

 them, exce])t to say nearly all the countries, except Russia, were cultivating all 

 their tillable lands ; Russia only about 68 per cent of her land that could be 

 made available for agricultural purposes. Russia is wisely using every means 

 to increase her agricultural products and to facilitate the exportation of them. 

 Seeing the want of knowledge on the part of her husbandmen she is establish- 

 ing experimental farms in various places through the Empire under the super- 

 vision of scientific and practical men, with means to conduct experiments to a 

 successful issue, and to teach her subjects all that pertains to agriculture. To 

 facilitate exports she is increasing her shipping, building railroads, canals, etc. 



In comparing these statistics with those of the United States, I find that 

 we produce about 1,600,000,000 bushels, or a little less than Russia. The 

 other provinces of Europe do not produce as much as tliey consume. Hence 

 Russia and the United States must supply tiie deficiency. Therefore the 

 necessity on our part to keep pace with, and if possible to outstrip, Russia in 

 our ability to produce, and to lessen the cost of production. Mr. Chairman, 

 without doubt there is no other profession or occupation which is as loosely 

 managed, and which is conducted with as little knowledge of its requirements, 

 and with as little effort to excel, as that of farming. Very few farmers ever 

 conduct any experiments to ascertain any fact in relation to their occupation, 

 and if they do, from Avant of care or knowledge, or from the lack of time and 

 means, they must always prove failures. How many farmers within the sound 

 of my voice to-day can tell how many pounds of corn it takes to produce a' 

 pound of pork, and yet how essential to know to be able to dispose of our corn 



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