122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



soil. We have learned, for instance, how to grow corn, 

 and learned it from the west. One of the members of the 

 Board demonstrated a few years ago that a man could raise 

 more than a hundred bushels of corn to the acre without a 

 hoe going into that corn from the time it was planted until 

 it was harvested ; and more than that ; since I was tirst sec- 

 retary of the Board of Agriculture in 1880, we have learned 

 the value of corn fodder so much so that we raise it to-day 

 more as a forage plant than we do for the corn itself. I do 

 not say that the farmers of Massachusetts have kept up 

 relatively with the other industries of the State. 



I wish Mr. Atherton, in giving the statistics between 1850 

 and 1890, had divided them up a little. I should have been 

 better pleased if he had. In 1850 the value of the farms of 

 this country was $3,271,575,000. In 1860, ten years later, 

 the value had increased 103 per cent, and that was the 

 increase you gave, sir, pretty nearly up to 1890. From 

 1870 to 1880 the increase was only a little over a million; 

 not so much as the ditference between the gold at which they 

 were taken in 1860 and the paper at which they were taken 

 in 1870. Id 1860 (here is a point for we Massachusetts 

 farmers) the State taxes were $94,186,746. In 1870 they 

 had increased 98 per cent. Now, the increase of Massachu- 

 setts which is given as a proof of the improved condition of 

 the farms, — isn't that largely due to the assessors? The 

 farmers should not be taxed to give relief to two or three 

 per cent of the people. This is manifested by the strong 

 political feeling and discontent of the great body of men of 

 this country, w^hich statesmen would do well to heed. 



That great statesman of the present age, the man who 

 now in his old age can look back upon a powerful empire 

 that he founded, from the place that he stands he looks up 

 at the great colossus of the German government which his 

 own hand reared, said the other day, in speaking of the 

 United States, that the discontent of the great population 

 was a matter that statesmen ought to heed. The business of 

 this country rests upon farmers. Half of the people of this 

 country to-day are engaged in agriculture or in handling 

 agricultural products. More than 85 per cent of all our 

 exports are the products of our tarms. All this great busi- 



