138 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



in Michigan, and consequently the cost per acre is greater, 

 and it may be that the proportion of profit would be re- 

 duced. But it seems to me that, with those things consid- 

 ered, we still have a right to say that, when you compare 

 New England agriculture with a fairly typical agricultural 

 State, you not only find that New England agriculture com- 

 pares favorably, but that in some respects it shows a decided 

 preponderance over the other area. There is nothing to be 

 ashamed of on the part of New England farmers, in spite of 

 the fact that they tell us that New England agriculture is 

 decadent. The trouble is, you have made a comparison be- 

 tween your own State, or Rhode Island, or New Hampshire, 

 and some of those great western States. You have only to 

 remember that your area is much smaller. 



Some one may say to me, " That is all well enough, but 

 New England agriculture is not what it once was ; it may 

 compare favorably with Michigan to-day, but it has de- 

 clined." I have gone to some trouble to make a com- 

 parison between New England in 1900 and 1880. In the 

 number of firms there was a decline in twenty years of 7 

 per cent. During the same twenty 3 ears there was a decline 

 in the acreage of farms of 4.3 per cent. Still more impor- 

 tant was the fact that in area of improved land during these 

 twenty years there was a decline of 30% per cent, — a most 

 serious decline. In the case, however, of the value of the 

 product, there was an increase in the twenty years of 64 

 per cent. In spite of the decline of 301/^ per cent in the 

 area of improved land, there was an increase of 64 per cent 

 in the value of the product from the improved land ; and 

 when you reduce that to the terms showing the value of 

 product per acre of improved land, you find in those twenty 

 years there was a gain of 165 per cent, or nearly two and 

 two-thirds times. If those figures have any significance at 

 all, they indicate that during the })ast twenty years not only 

 has New England agriculture not l)cen declining, l)ut it has 

 been making a most marvellous and rapid ])rogress. 



Just one word more about this matter of comparisons. 

 Taking the State of Massachusetts alone, we find thtit it is 

 among the first of the New England States for value of 



