392 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Martha's Vineyard owes most of the prosperity that at- 

 tends her to the whale and other fisheries, for although at 

 the highest, in 1845, she had but fifteen vessels and $250,000 

 capital, all from Edgartown, her brave men manned the 

 ships from other ports, and from before that to the present 

 time returned with their hard earnings to invest them in 

 farminof. Our census returns show that of the classified 

 occupations there are in Dukes County four hundred and 

 thirty-four persons engaged in the fisheries, and three hun- 

 dred and thirty-four in agriculture. 



The total domestic and agricultural products are $149,128. 



The products of the fisheries are $133,797. 



The total of farm property, $799,283 (which is capital). 



The capital in the fisheries is $220,695. 



Thus it will be seen that the agricultural products gave to 

 each person engaged in agriculture $446.50 for the year; 

 and the products of the fisheries $308.33 to each person in 

 that occupation. 



The agricultural products return but 18| per cent, on the 

 capital invested, while the fishery products give about 60^ 

 per cent, on the invested capital. 



There are on the Vineyard one hundred and fifty-four 

 mariners and forty-four master mariners, who, I presume, 

 take a hand at farming, occasionally. Indeed, I was told 

 that more than half the farmers were also fishermen, and 

 that in addressing a full-grown Vineyarder as " Captain," I 

 would be right three time out of five. 



Still there is a great deal of agricultural earnestness among 

 them all, and I do not believe there is a society in the State 

 where its bounty is better earned, more largely distributed, 

 and so generally appreciated, as in this very one. 



The three south-eastern counties of the State, where the 

 soil — whatever it was in the earlier days of dense woods, 

 festooned with the vines of the purple grape, which delighted 

 the eyes of the discoverers, and gave to this district the dis- 

 tinctive and captivating title of Vineyard — is much of it 

 sand and drift, and not so responsive to the labor of the hus- 

 bandman as many other more attractive lands in other parts 

 of the State and country. The occupation of fishing, often 

 very remunerative, and fascinating from its dangers, and the 



