56 AGRICULTURE IX THE EASTERN AND MIDDLE STATES. 



them; and that we have thus been sending away hundreds of tons 

 annually from those New England pastures in the form of phos 

 phates and sulphates in the bones of animals, and nitrogen in their 

 muscles and tissues. 



Again, we have said to the world, that from one third to one 

 fourth of all these pasture lands should never have been deprived of 

 their original forest covering. We cannot keep the soil in place in 

 pasture or in cultivation. Our mountains and hill-sides should not 

 only be allowed to go back again to forests; this should be assisted 

 by systematic effort. The effect of this would be to shelter our cul 

 tivated lands, to make our climate mo; e equable, and to give us a 

 more equal distribution, of rain, instead of having alternate seasons 

 of drought and floods. 



Of the Agricultural College of Massachusetts, and her large 

 contributions to agricultural knowledge, mention will be made 

 in another connection. She leads all the States in respect to 

 an enlightened, agricultural economy, and is the pattern fol 

 lowed by the rest of New England. 



Vermont, making her maple woods more than supply her 

 own sugar, has always been sufficient for herself. She has 

 played an important part in developing the wool interest of the 

 whole country. The Spanish and French merino sheep, intro 

 duced by Consul Jarvis, of Weathersfield, have been improved 

 by late importations, until the Vermont flocks have become 

 standards of excellence. Her Morgan, Black Hawk and Ham- 

 bletonian horses have enjoyed an equally high reputation. 



Of the six States east of the Hudson, Vermont comes nearest 

 to raising its own bread, producing 454,000 bushels of wheat in 

 1869, or a bushel and a peck to each inhabitant; taking the 

 army ration of twenty-two ounces of flour per day as a basis 

 for computing the consumption of bread, it follows that Ver 

 mont raises bread enough to supply the people of the State 

 thirty-seven clays, and that to make up the deficiency, they are 

 obliged to purchase 3,836,000 bushels per annum. 



Maine makes the next best showing in the cultivation of 

 wheat, producing in 1869, 278,000 bushels, sufficient to last 

 eleven days, and purchasing 8,500,000 bushels. New Hamp 

 shire, with a decreasing population, was a trifle behind Maine, 

 producing 193,000 bushels, a little more than half a bushel to 

 each inhabitant and purchasing 4,360,000 bushels, or ten day s 

 supply. 



Connecticut makes a much poorer show than New Hamp 

 shire, producing 38 r OOO bushels, enough lo supply the people 



