8 MR. STONES ADDRESS, 



mulated by each Agricultural Society in the State, has long 

 been a desideratum, for which the legislature of last winter 

 generously provided. By an act of March 7th, 1845, it is made 

 the duty of every Agricultural Society pntitled to receive mon- 

 ey from the Commonwealth, under penalty of forfeiting the 

 same, to make full returns of their doings into the office of the 

 Secretary of State, " embracing all reports of committees, and 

 all statements of experiments and cultivation, deemed by the 

 officers of the several societies worthy of publication." From 

 these returns, the Secretary is required to cause as full an ab- 

 stract "to be made and published each year, for distribution, 

 as in his judgment will prove useful." This act promises to be 

 very serviceable, as by its provisions the most important exper- 

 iments and best methods of husbandry within the bounds of 

 each Society, will be made accessible to thousands in every 

 part of the Commonwealth, to whom they are now sealed 

 books. 



From the first settlement of this country, agriculture engag- 

 ed a large share of attention, and the products of the soil sup- 

 plied, at an early day a portion, of the domestic exports. For 

 ten years preceeding 1709, twenty-eight millions 858,666 lbs. 

 of tobacco were exported from the North American Colonies in- 

 to Great Britain. In 1724, 18,000 bbls. rice were exported, and 

 in the year ending Sept. 1761, 100,000 bbls. Among the ex- 

 ports of 1770, were 751,250 bushels wheat, valued at £131,- 

 467; 48,868 tons of flour and bread, valued at £504,553, 6s. 

 Id; 578,349 bushels Indian meal, valued at about $194,000; 

 167,613 lbs, butter, and 55,997 lbs. cheese. 



Th«; exports from the peace of 1783 to the organization of 

 the Federal government, cannot be accurately ascertained, but 

 from 1791 to 1802, inclusive, there were among the exports, 

 9,391,557 bbls. flour, 4,778,795 bush, wheat, 4,321,114 bush. 

 Indian meal, 17,826,373 bush. corn. The average export of 

 oats for 20 years preceding 1816, was about 70,000 bush, per 

 ami., peas 90,000, beans between 30 and 40,000. The export of 

 rye was trifling, it being mostly used for food and distillation.* 



*In 1801, the quantity of spirits, distilled from grain and fruit, in the U. States, was 

 estimated at ten millions of gallons. In 1810, it exceeded twenty millions. Probably 



