

PART III. 

 THE FARMERS' WRONGS. 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE AGRICULTURAL CLASSES AND THEIR WRONGS. 



Detailed Statement of the Agricultural Wealth of the United States, and of 

 the Strength of the Agricultural Class The American Farmer His De- 

 fects and Virtues His Character as a Man and a Citizen The Superior of 

 the Old World Farmer He should be the most independent and contented 

 Man on Earth The actual State of Affairs Hard Lot of the American Far- 

 mer Difficulty of making the Farm pay A real Grievance Wrongs of 

 the Farmer The Effect upon the Young Men Driven from Home Sad 

 Story of a Farmer's Daughter Not an isolated Case Cause for Apprehen- 

 sion A Remedy needed. 



IN the Ninth Census of the United States, taken in 

 the year 1870, the number of persons engaged in all 

 classes of occupations was 12,505,923. Of these 5,922,- 

 471 were persons engaged in agricultural pursuits. The 

 rest of the great army of workers was divided as fol- 

 lows : Persons engaged in personal and professional 

 services, 2,684,793. Persons engaged in trade and 

 transportation, 1,191,238. Persons engaged in manu- 

 factures and mechanical and mining industries, 2,707,- 

 421. Thus it will be seen that nearly one-half of the 

 industrial class of the United States is engaged in agri- 

 cultural pursuits. Taking the number of inhabitants 

 of the Union of ten years of age and over, which is 



283 



