1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 119 



monwealth has increased more than double in the last twenty- 

 years. The cultivated acres have also increased, from 

 881,402 in 1865, to 93fc260| in 1885. The amount of land 

 devoted to market gardening has also increased, from 3,988| 

 acres valued at $1,024,286 in 1875, to 8,861| acres valued at 

 $3,088,826 in 1885. The value of the products of the farm 

 has increased from $37,073,034 in 1875, to $47,756,033 in 

 1885. It is important to know of what this increase consists. 

 In 1885 the crop of strawberries amounted to 3,930,710 

 quarts, valued at $406,895 ; the crop of tomatoes amounted 

 to 322,056| bushels, valued at $164,307 ; the cabbage crop 

 amounted to 11,499,817 heads, valued at $556,518 ; the 

 amount of milk produced was 72,528,628 gallons, valued at 

 $10,312,762, the yield having doubled in value and quantity 

 in ten years. The hay crop in 1885 was valued at $7,289,829. 

 You cannot find a single branch of agriculture — except 

 the growing of wholesale crops, in which the Western 

 farmers are competing with us — that is not conducted 

 profitably in the State of Massachusetts. Do you know any 

 man who is devoting his attention to poultry, who does not 

 make money out of it? I know that in Essex County (and, 

 while I am very proud of Essex County, I do not undertake 

 to say that it is the most important county in the world) — 

 I know that in that county every man who devotes himself 

 to the raising of poultry makes money out of it. There is 

 no man in Essex County who devotes himself to market 

 gardening who does not find it a profitable business. There 

 is no man who is devoted to the production of milk for the 

 market, as an adjunct to his other business, who does not 

 find that profitable ; and, wherever you find in front of a 

 farm-house door on a summer morning a cluster of milk cans 

 sunning and airing themselves, you will be pretty sure to 

 find a thriving household and good farming. And yet I am 

 told that farming is on the decline, and that the farms of my 

 own county are being deserted. I have in my desk at home 

 returns from the town clerk of every town in that county, 

 and in the whole county there were but two farms which 

 h,ad been abandoned ; and the appearance of the farms them- 

 selves which are being carried on there, and which are 

 devoted to specialties and carefully cultivated, indicates 



