SECRETARY'S REPORT. 1 1 9 



Home measure, on other occupations for a subsistence. Gen- 

 erally speaking, the western part of thn State, including- the 

 counties of Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden, is 

 more strictly agricultural than any of the eastern counties, 

 where comparatively few devote themselves exclusively to the 

 cultivation of the soil. In Barnstable county, which, with the 

 exception of Suffolk and the island counties, probably contains 

 a smaller number of farmers in proportion to its population than 

 any other county in the State, even those who have farms very 

 frequently prefer to plough such furrows as need no harrowing, 

 and give much time to other pursuits ; and in other eastern 

 counties the business of shoemaking is carried on to a consid- 

 erable extent, even in the farming towns, the summer farmer 

 becoming a shoemaker in winter. Hence, in many towns of 

 eastern Massachusetts, there is but little of the real farm- 

 ing spirit — the spirit of the profession ; while in the western 

 parts of the Commonwealth it is found in great strength. 

 Comparing eastern and western Massachusetts with each other, 

 we find that in the latter, in most places, the number of farmers 

 has slightly increased, or at least not materially changed ; while 

 in the former the manufacturing population is larger, and the 

 number of those who derive their entire support from the 

 farm is comparatively small, and in many cases the aggregate 

 number of farmers has actually decreased. Yet, on the whole, 

 the agriculture of the State was probably never in a more 

 flourishing condition than it is at the present day. Even those 

 towns which return a decrease in the number of farmers fre- 

 quently show an increase of agricultural products. 



'•' The attention of persons in other pursuits has been direct- 

 ed to agriculture more from pleasure than profit, and the land 

 generally is more and better cultivated,"' says an intelligent 

 farmer of Essex county. But a report from Barnstable county 

 states that none of the farmers derive their entire support 

 from the farm, " as they are generally interested in vessels, 

 salt-works, or some other auxiliary employment for support 

 than the farm. But there has been an increase in agricultural 

 products during the last ten years. Less land is cultivated, 

 yet a better and more thorough culture prevails. While the 

 potato and rye crops have diminished, corn and hay Lave in- 



