232 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



THE RELATION OF FRUIT CULTURE TO THE VALUE 

 OF NEW ENGLAND FARMS. 



BY DIRECTOR GEORGE T. rOWELE, BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N. Y 



Prior to 1860 New England represented one of the strong 

 and important sections of our country in agricultural pro- 

 duction. Her soil is rough, but highly productive ; her 

 climate is rigorous, but she has produced many hardy and 

 strong men, who have done much toward molding the char- 

 acter and destiny of our nation. 



In 1864, when the Union Pacific Railroad Corporation was 

 granted a charter to run its road across the continent, and 

 in addition several thousand acres of rich virgin land, the 

 New England farmer deserted his native hills for the more 

 easily cultivated soil of the western prairies. But he left 

 golden opportunities behind, in the development of finer 

 and more valuable productions, to take up the cheaper kind 

 of farming, — that of wheat growing. The history of the 

 agriculture of the world is, that in the taking up of new 

 land, the first operation on it is that of grain growing, be- 

 cause it gives the quickest return ; but at the same time it 

 is a long struggle before satisfactory profits and a comfort- 

 able living can be realized. 



From 1864 besan a most remarkable increase in the farms 

 of our country. Our land was thrown open to the world, 

 and the people from all nations were invited to come and 

 take it without money and without price. From 1860 to 

 1870, 615,000 farms were added; from 1870 to 1880 the 

 number added was 1,349,000. 



Then we came to the day when agricultural products 

 began to decline in value, followed by a condition of agri- 

 cultural depression which spread over our whole country. 

 This was due in part to the throwing open of immense tracts 



