92 



BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



United States. 



Massachusetts. 



1880, 

 1890, 

 1900, 



65.9 

 83.0 

 86.9 



Thus, while there was, in 1880, one city customer to 

 each three farmers (counting the entire rural population as 

 farmers), there are now just twice as many, or one city 

 customer to each farmer and a half. Or, taking the fig- 

 ures for Massachusetts, each farmer has G.7 city customers 

 now, against 1.9 customers in 1880. In other Avords, the 

 farmer's city market in Massachusetts has been increased 

 three and one-half times in twenty years. 



Localization of Special Agricultural Industries. 



The advancement of other industries is marked not only 

 by increased capitalization and productiveness, but by 

 greater specialization and by more and more localization. 

 The furniture business has developed especiallj^ at Grand 

 Rapids, the iron business at Pittsburg, meat slaughtering 

 and packing at Chicago, wheat marketing at Duluth, while 

 Pabst and Schlitz have literally "made Milwaukee famous." 

 In Boston the book dealers are most numerous in School 

 Street and Cornhill, the railroad offices are clustered on 

 upper Washington Street, the department stores are further 

 down, while the stationers are between Devonsliire and 

 Federal streets. Is this principle of localization illustrated 

 also in agricultural pursuits? 



Certainly it did not use to be. Every farm in former 

 times grew its own grain, vegetables and fruit ; raised its 

 own eggs, pork, beef, mutton and wool ; made its own but- 

 ter, soap, candles, yarn and cloth ; and provided for practi- 

 cally all the wants of the famil}^ One iarm might be 

 specially suited to the dairy business, and highly unsuited 

 to the raising of fruit and vegetables ; yet the owner felt 

 unable to take up dairying, and discard apples, potatoes 



