188 BO^RD OF AGRICULTURE. 



But the growing value of this interest will better be seen 

 if we compare it with some of our other productions. Massa- 

 chusetts produced in 1860 : / 



Of Butter, 8,297,936 lbs., which, at 16| cts., = $1,382,986 00 

 Of Potatoes, 3,202,517 bush. " " 331 cts., = 1,067,506 00 

 Of Corn, 2,157,063 " " "75 cts.,= 1,617,795 0(J 



• 



It will be seen, therefore, that taking the three important 

 staples of butter, jDf tatoes and Indian corn, the yearly produce 

 of our market gardens exceeds that bf the two first named, 

 while it very nearly equals that of the latter. 



But this is not all. The corn crop, while it increased from 

 1840 to 1850, has, since that time, decreased. The potato 

 crop has steadily decreased since 1840, while the increase in 

 the production of butter for the last ten years has been but 

 slight, and this while the production of our market gardens 

 has increased almost fivefold. Indeed it is probable, that at 

 the present time, there is but one single agricultural production 

 in the State that exceeds it in value, and that is the grass or liay 

 crop. These figures are instructive. They show us what 

 direction our industry is to take as the resources of the State 

 become further developed. While the production of grass and 

 hay will always claim a prominent, perhaps the chief place in 

 our regard, the produce of our gardens and orchards bid fair 

 soon to outstrip all others in importance. We are led to this 

 opinion, not only by the figures we have adduced, but in 

 looking over the statistical tables we find the groiving inter- 

 ests in this direction, viz., fruit-raising, wine-making, sugar- 

 making, (to. 



It becomes the intelligent farmer, then, to watch this tendency, 

 and while he is careful not to run rashly into new experiments, 

 still to be ready to avail himself of any opening in this direc- 

 tion ; even if he should anticipate, to some extent, the public 

 want, he can hardly be a loser in the end. 



Having said thus much on the importance of vegetable pro- 

 ductions, a few general remarks on the requisites for successful 

 cultivation, may not be out of place. 



One of the first of these is a proper soil. This is what is 

 called a warm or quick soil. It is true that there are certain 



