true happiness and highest development. Still, without fear of 

 contradiction, I may say that agriculture occupies the first and 

 most important position among the industries of the people, 

 whether we consider it with reference to the number and 

 character of those engaged in it, the value of its products, or 

 the influence it has upon those engaged in it, or upon the coun- 

 try at large. The number of persons engaged in agricultural 

 pursuits are nearly, as appears by the last census, equal to that 

 of those 'engaged in all other occupations ; those engaged in 

 agriculture being 7,075,983, while those engaged in all the 

 occupations are only 17,392,099, and nearly double the num- 

 ber of those engaged in mechanical occupations and mining 

 industries, those in the census being classed together, and 

 amount to only 3,887,112. It may not be unprofitable briefly 

 to enumerate some of its productions and their values, to aid 

 us in comprehending its importance. Tlie hay crop is one of 

 the most valuable. There were in the United States in 1881, 

 30,888,700 acres of grass land, yielding 35,135,064 tons of 

 hay, of the value of 1415,131,366, and when we add to this 

 the pasturage, which in real value was greater than the grass 

 which was made into hay, we can have some adequate idea of 

 the value of the products of our mowing and grazing lands. 



64,262,025 acres of corn yielded 1,194,916,000 bushels, of 

 the value of $759,482,170. 



There were 37,700,020 acres of wheat, producing 380,280,090 

 bushels, of the value of 1453,790,427. 



1,789,100 acres were devoted to rye, giving 20,704,950 

 bushels, of the value of $19,327,415. 



And 416,481,000 bushels of oats were produced from 

 16,831,600 acres, of the value of $193,198,970. 



1,967,510 acres of barley produced 41,161,330 bushels, of 

 the value of 133,802,513. 



