6 



uted a vast share of that which has been sent into the markets of 

 the world. As in the early days of the Republic, so in our day, has 

 the soil enriched and supported our people. Besides feeding lav- 

 ishly fifty millions of people, the agriculture of the country has con- 

 tinued to supply a large amount of exports of domestic merchan- 

 dise. In 1880 the exports from this country rose in one year from 

 $635,042,078 to $883,915,941, and of this vast sum agriculture fur- 

 nished $724,489,413, or 81.06 per cent of the whole amount. The 

 imports amounted to $667,954,736, leaving a balance of $215,961,195. 

 The effect of this contribution to our export trade is incalculable ; 

 and it has done so much toward restoring us to that financial stabil- 

 it} r , and prosperity, and honor, of which as a nation we ought to be 

 proud, and for which every prosperous man ought to be so grateful 

 that I turn with pride and satisfaction to the record which American 

 agriculture has made for itself. But not only are the years of ag- 

 ricultural prosperity instructive, but the bad seasons also teach us a 

 lesson which we should not forget. Last year the great crops of 

 1880 were largely reduced, and the change in our commercial 

 affairs was striking and significant. In 1881 the cotton crop fell off 

 1,200,000 bales, wheat 118,269,778 bushels, corn 122,518,543 bushels, 

 rye 3,835,000 bushels, oats 1,404,380 bushels, barley 4,004,150 

 bushels. As to one result of this the excess of exports over imports fell 

 from $259,712,718 in 1881, $25,727,856 in 1882, the fiscal year end- 

 ing June 30, the effect of which is manifest. 



Mark now the growth of this industry in a decade during which 

 it has made a great contribution. In 1870 the amount of Indian 

 corn raised in this country was 708,944,549 bushels; in 1880 1,754,- 

 449,000 bushels. 1870 the wheat crop amounted to 287,775,626 

 bushels ; in 1880, 459,667,643 bushels. In 1870 the oat crop 

 amounted to 282,107,157 bushels ; in 1880 to 407,720,003 bushels. 

 In 1870 the tobacco crop amounted to 262,755,341 pounds; in 1880 to 

 475,107,573 pounds. The increase of agricultural products was large 

 and universal, amounting in many instances to a hundred per cent. 

 And in the last year of this decade, from 1879 to 1880, out of this 

 vast increase of products our cattle exports rose from $13,000,000 

 to $14,000,000 ; corn from $43,000,000 to $50,000,000 ; wheat from 

 $167,698,000 to $190,546,000; flour from $35,000,000 to $45,000,000; 

 cotton from $209,852,000 to $215,531,530; beef from $7,000,000 to 

 $13,000,000 ; lard from $20,000,000 to $35,266,000, and pork from 

 $5,000,000 to $8,000,000. 



This unusual and extraordinary prosperity is due undoubtedly to 



