16 



1n population, and the relative number. Import- 

 ance and wealth of the agricultural class has 

 declined very greatly in New England, compar- 

 atively little in the Gulf States. At the last 

 census barely one-half of our industrial popula- 

 tion was found to be engaged in agriculture 

 ranging as low as 12 and 13 per cent, in Massa- 

 chusetts and Rhode Island, and as high as 80 and 

 81 in Mississippi and Arkansas. The " extensive" 

 practice of agriculture limits agriculture to the 

 sparser populations. Superintendent Walker, of 

 the census bureau, states that as yet agriculture 

 in the United States does not support a popula- 

 tion of more than 45 to the square mile. Where 

 the population exceeds that density it is sup- 

 ported by other industries. 



In New England to-day, coming to details, ag- 

 riculture in many of its aspects appears to be in 

 a decline. The farms of Massachusetts are in- 

 creasing in size, and there is a remarkable dis- 

 appearance of farms of a small size. Through- 

 out New England the subdivision of territorial 

 property appears to have reached nearly its 

 limit. The American population is deserting the 

 farms in the older and more thickly settled com- 

 munities and its place is filled by foreign popu- 

 lation of fewer wants and greater economy. 

 Farm lands in the midst of a population unsur- 

 passed for intelligence and high character are 

 seljng for less than the cost of the buildings, and 

 for less than farms a thousand miles away from 

 the sea board. This has been the result wrought 

 out more rapidly than elsewhere en the compar- 

 atively thin soil of New England. The more 

 fertile soils of New York, New Jersey and Penn- 

 sylvania are on the same road it may be pre- 

 sumed, but have not gone so far. Maryland and 

 Virginia, unequaled in many respects as to cli- 

 mate and commercial advantages, were long ago 

 plundered and impoverished by a profligate 

 practice of agriculture, and their worn-out 

 farms are deserted by migrating heirs, and sold 

 for low prices to a new order of settlers. The 

 Garolinas and Georgia differ but in degree ; and 

 it seems omy a question of time when the whole 

 American continent shall have been run over by 

 this marauding husbandry. 



This seems a gloomy view, but is corroborated 

 by the observation of intelligent foreigners. As 

 I write, I take up Harper's Weekly of a late 

 date and read a late notice of Lord Houghton, 

 who has lately visited us. 



Lord Houghton is represented as saying: 

 * k With regard to agriculture within the next fifty 

 years, America will have been reduced, not- 

 withstanding its immense space, very much to 

 the condition of the European countries in gen- 

 eral ; that was to say, she would have to recu- 

 perate by artificial means the natural wealth 

 that was now being exhausted." 



I take up the London Quarterly Review, of 

 July, 1876, and read " Nothing now strikes a 

 traveler more than the poverty of the land al- 

 most in the neighborhood of large towns, which 



industry could easily have relieved, had it not 

 been tempted away to distant, richer soils." 



CAUSES AFFECTING OUR AGRICULTURE. 



Several very important facts have been brought 

 to bear on American agriculture during the last 

 century that have essentially changed its condi- 

 tions in different parts of the Union. 



WASTE OF SOILS. 



1. First in point of time is the deterioration or 

 waste of soil. The Atlantic shores were cleared 

 of their forests with little forethought of the 

 denudation that would strip the hills of their 

 sometimes scanty covering of soil. The soil that 

 was not transported from its original bed was 

 cropped until it yielded returns that would not 

 pay for the cultivation. The virgin fields to the 

 westward prevented attempts at any due pres- 

 ervation or restoration of fertility. The new 

 lands of the West have been a continual dis- 

 couragement to an improved agriculture in the 

 East. 



IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION. 



2. This discouragement has been prolonged by 

 improved transportation. The New England 

 farmer finds that Western corn is brought from 

 Illinois or Iowa and sold for a less sum than he 

 can usually produce it for. Reduce the unnec- 

 essarily high freight rates and even this, cheap- 

 est of the cereals, can be carried from the hun- 

 dredth meridian (which I assume to be the West- 

 ern boundary of profitable grain growing in the 

 Mississippi Valley), to the sea board ; and more 

 and more replace the local production. The 

 case is still stronger in the growth of wheat 

 whose culture continually recedes Westward, 

 until it now nearly reaches the boundary line of 

 profitable cultivation. The census of 1870 shows 

 that New England did not produce more than 

 half a bushel of wheat to each person of its pop- 

 ulation, nor more than two and a half of corn. 

 All the sea board states gave a similar, though 

 not so extreme a result, which can usually be 

 traced to the fact that Western grain is under- 

 selling Eastern grain in its own markets. 



This produces a great temporary disturbance 

 in Eastern practices of agriculture and in the 

 prices of Eastern farm lands. It does not effect 

 the East alone, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois farm- 

 ers are disturbed and discouraged by the under- 

 selling competition of states still farther West. 

 The cattle of Kansas and Texas and the wheat 

 of Minnesota are troublesome to the late pioneer 

 states. Agricultural production grows less 

 profitable all along the line from the Atlantic to 

 the Mississippi. 



If we pass to the other end of the line, along 

 our Western frontier, we find a precocious, pre- 

 mature development of agriculture. Great 

 crops of corn are grown quickly, but the cattle 

 and swine and other live stock for its conversion 

 into more compact forms have not yet arrived. 

 These come with the wealth of older communi- 

 ties. Immense areas of wheat are harvested 



