366 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



population they owned fifty years ago, while others have 

 grown from hamlets to popular cities in the same county. 



Except in the three counties above mentioned, the decrease 

 has, in almost every case, been from the hill towns, and the 

 accretions to those through which lines of railroads have 

 been conveniently located, or manufactures established. 



Another assigned reason for the supposed decline of our 

 agriculture, and perhaps the most prominent, is the lessened 

 numbers of some classes of our animals, and greatly reduced 

 amounts of certain crops ; while the greatly improved char- 

 acter of our animals and quality of our crops, with con- 

 sequently largely enhanced values and prices, are quite 

 unknown or overlooked. 



In speaking of a decline in our agriculture, we can only 

 prove or disprove it by a careful comparison of the produc- 

 tions of the present with those of the past ; and I have, as 

 the date of the past, taken the indefinite time covered by 

 the Federal census of 1840 and 1850 (the earliest returns of 

 agriculture) and our State valuation of 1845, and, as the 

 recent date, I have taken our admirable State- census of 1875 

 (the latest full information we have), with some returns from 

 the Federal census of 1880, for which I am indebted to the 

 courtesy of the able superintendent. 



And it will be observed, too, that, in making these compar- 

 isons with any accuracy or effect, it is not merely in looking 

 at gross amounts, but at individual values, acreages, and 

 quality, that we must determine this vexed question of 

 decline. 



In making this examination, the all-important fact to be 

 noted is, that, while there has been a great decrease in the 

 number of our animals and in the aggregate of some crops, 

 yet, in every single instance, it will be seen that the increase 

 in the value of the animals individually, and of the different 

 crops by measure, and in the amounts grown to the acre of 

 each, and the vastly improved quality as shown by the 

 prices, — all indicate a wonderful improvement in our breed- 

 ing and our cultivation, ranging from twenty to a hundred 

 per cent. 



And be it remembered, too, that if the gross amounts in 

 certain branches of our stock, and in certain crops of our 

 production, have been reduced in later years by importation 



