AGRICULTURE OF MASSACHUSETTS. 377 



the straw, ten dollars ; making fifty-five dollars. Deduct 

 fifteen dollars as the cost of production, and the profit of 

 forty dollars remains. 



These figures arc all moderate, are facts, not fancies ; and 

 it does seem that the growing of wheat in Massachusetts is 

 a branch of farm-industry that deserves more attention than 

 it is receiving at the present day. 



EYE. 



Of rye we had, in 1844, 446,925 bushels, which, at 73 cents 

 per bushel, amounted to 8320,033 ; in 1880, 213,710 bushels, 

 valued at -^235,087, at 81,10 per bushel, — a loss of $92,346. 

 Probably the increased value of the straw would somewhat 

 reduce this deficiency; but it is undoubtedly true that not 

 so much vye is grown as formerly, not so much eaten in 

 families, nor consumed on the farm. 



BAPwLEY. 



In barley, while we show in 1880 an increase of more than 

 33,000 bushels over 1875, yet it is less by 41,800 bushels than 

 1845; but, the value being doubled per bushel, the loss is 

 only about $25,000. 



BUCKWHEAT. 



In buckwheat we have gained 34,833 bushels and about 

 845,000 ; its value being 90 cents, as against 47 cents in 1845, 

 and the yield 25,000 bushels larger than in 1875. 



DAIRY. 



It is, however, in the dairy, that our best show is made. 

 There are no full returns, of the milk produced, in the State 

 census of 1845 or 1855, but there were probablj^ sold in 

 1845 about 2,855,412 gallons ; and, with the valuation at 11 

 cents per gallon, it would amount to 8304,917, beside what 

 was made into butter and cheese. 



In 1855, 3,000,916 gallons were sold, at 23 cents per gal- 

 lon ; and, in 1865, 10,079,180 gallons, at 19 cents per gallon. 

 In 1870, we sold 15,284,057 gallons, at 18 cents. In 1875, 

 we made 35,698,671 gallons of milk, at 17 cents, amounting 

 to 85,034,671. 



This advance has been made by the improvement in our 

 milch cows, of which we had no more than in 1855, and is 



