agricultural population, Avhich have created large and profitable 

 liome markets for agricultin*al productions. Indeed, to such 

 proportions has this population already grown, that the soil of 

 New England with its present or past cultivation, is insufficient 

 to supply the bread-stuffs needed for its support. 



But this system of reciprocity is a system of compensations. 

 Whilst on the one hand it has thus operated to create large 

 and profitable home markets for our agricultural productions, 

 on the other hand it has thrown our markets wide open for 

 competition to agriculturists of the other sections, and the 

 competitor from the West has been able to produce and offer 

 in our markets most of the varieties of cereals cheaper than 

 they can be produced from our own soil. This fact has caused 

 alarm among our farmers. They have been reluctant to 

 abandon the cultivation of crops which they and their fathers 

 before them, regarded as important stai)les of the farm, and 

 there exists an apprehension that the result may be disastrous 

 to the farming interests of this section in the future. 



If, from the character of our soil or climate or from any 

 other circumstances, it should appear that we have peculiar, 

 adaptations for the growing of these crops, and that no others 

 will compensate for their loss, there would seem to be ground 

 for such apprehension, but if on the other hand it shall be seen 

 that we can multiply other productions for which our soil and 

 adaptations are as favorable as for the raising of cereals, and 

 if, in addition, we can find a profitable market for such in- 

 crease, all cause of apprehension will be* removed. 



Providentially, we are not confined to the raising of these 

 crops, and on the soil on which tho}^ have been cultivated we 

 can raise other and as profitable crops as those we are called 

 on to abandon, and for which we have sufficient market. From 

 lands in the neighborhood of the large towns can be produced 

 large varieties of vegetables and fruits, for wliich, with but 

 little cost of transportation, these towns afford a profitable 

 market, and from tlie lands more remote can be produced a 

 sur})lus of hay, for which there is a constant demand. Fields 

 can be advantageously cultivated for hay only in a small por- 



