no 



in the County. In 1855 the acres in grain and hoecT 

 crops numbered 15,649. In 1865 the same numbered 

 14,430; a decrease of 1,219 acres. The gain in English 

 mowing for that decade was 2,289 acres, so that the ac- 

 tual increase of tillage and upland mowing was 1,070 

 only. The acres in meadow and marsh mowing are not 

 given in the returns of 1855, so that I cannot show the 

 exact gain of land of that description, but allowing one 

 half as much as there was in the upland, there would be 

 gained about 1500 acres in all, in which if every farmer 

 had an equal share, there would not be half an acre for 

 him — not a very heavy job, considering there were ten 

 years to accomplish it. At this rate of progression it 

 will require 343 years to reclaim the 51,578 acres of 

 unimproved land in the County. 



But it is not necessary to confuie ourselves entirely 

 to statistics to learn the condition of our agriculture. 

 An ocular demonstration may be quite as forcible as one 

 of figures. It is true that men have left the crowded 

 city from an inborn love of rural life and rural pursuits, 

 and by their enterprise, skill and money have made their 

 mark along the seaboard and in various other places, and 

 thus the general appearance of the County has been 

 much improved within the last few years, and to these 

 amateurs or patrons of the science be all praise. Yet 

 among those who live strictly upon and from the land, a 

 large portion with difficulty hold their own. Ride in 

 whatever direction you may, work to be done stands 

 prominently before the eye. One may go a long dis- 

 tance without meeting a single improvement in progress. 

 Here and there may be seen a new house or barn, but 

 these are as often erected because the old one is tum- 

 bling down, as from the pressing necessity of enlarged 



