C. T. RUSSELL'S ADDRESS. 401 



these particulars has our State advanced in this period. Es- 

 pecial attention has been given, of late, to the reclaiming of 

 M'-aste lands, and our last agricultural reports abound with va- 

 rious and successful experiments. By the valuation returns of 

 1840, out of 4,491,812 acres of land returned, 955,283^ are 

 stated to be unimproved, and 361,2781 as unimprovable. The 

 returns for the present year are not yet accessible, but soon will 

 be. I incline to believe, from the reports of different societies, 

 that this amount of unimproved land has been sensibly reduced 

 in ten years, while it would not be surprising if some impres- 

 sion had been made upon that returned, in the last valuation, 

 as unimprovable.* 



* Since this address was delivered, I have been pcmiiUed, by the kindness of Chas. Cal- 

 houn, Esq., a perusal of the manuscript aggregate returns to the valuation committee, now 

 in session. By these, the number of acres of unimproved land, returned this year in the 

 State, is TlSj^DI, and of land unimprovable, 257.929. This shows a decrease of the former, 

 since 1840, of 239,989 1-4 acres ; and of the latter, 102,349 1-2 acres. In other words, the 

 unimproved land of the State is now 239,989 1-4 acres less than in 1840, and that deemed 

 unimprovable, 102,349 1-2 less. Thus the unimproved land has been brouglit into greater 

 or less improvement at the average rate of nearly 24,000 acres annually for the last ten years ; 

 while the unimprovable has lost its bad characte.', in fact or judgment at the average rate of 

 more than 10,000 acres a year in the same period. At the same time the tillage land has in- 

 creased from 259,038 1-4 to 300,2G9 acres, and the English and upland mowing, from 440,930 

 to 328,023 acres, aud the pasturage lands from 1,210,154 to 1,311,210. Thus, 



The tillage land has increased .... 4],230| 



The upland mowing, &c. ..... 87,093 



The pasturage ...... 101 ,056 



229,3813 

 It will thus be seen, how, to some extent, 229,3ol| of the 239,9894 acres of reclaimed 

 land have been appropriated. Pasture land has passed into tillage and mowing, and unim- 

 proved, either into pasture land, or directly to tillage and mowing. 



These same aggregates further show tlial in 1850, 1, 311,210 acres of pasture, with the 

 after feed, are capable of keeping 273,301 cows, or 4.79 acres to a cow. 300,269 acres of 

 tillage land produced but 4,093,590 bushels of the various grains returned, which are the 

 same as in 1840, or equal to 13.GG bushels per acre. All the grains except corn, have fallen 

 off, thus : 



1840. 1850. 



Wheat, , . 101,178 bushels, . . 28,847 bushels. 



Rye, . . . 453,705i " . . . 441,208 " 



Oats, . . . 1,22G,300 " . . . 1,210,238 " 



Corn, . . . 1, 773,073 i " . . . 2,295,85G " 



Barley, . . 149,004 '• , . . 117,441 " 



There are no returns of roots or fruits in 1840 or 1850; a singular omission. 



It will thus be seen that the anticipations of the address are realized as to reclaiming land, 

 but not as to increased fertility, judging by the grain crops, or pasturage land merely. It 

 may be added tliat the 528,025 acres of upland mowing in 1830 produced 483,228 tons of 



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