13 



who own the soil. That is the reason of our pre-eminence. 



Our farms are increasing in value from their intrinsic 

 worth. From 1850 to 1860 the value doubled. From 

 1870 to 1880 the increase was thirty-seven per cent. 



Notice also our crops. Russia has 158,000,000 acres in 

 grain. We have only 118,000,000. But our crop is 

 greater on the less acreage by more than a million bushels. 



The rate of our increasing production is not less marked. 

 In 1850, 867 millions of grain ; in 1860, 1200 millions ; 

 in 1870, 1400 millions ; in 1880, 2698 millions. Look at 

 the corn crop and its enormous aggregate, 1750 million 

 bushels, or at the increase of wheat, in 1850, 100 millions, 

 in 1860, 173 millions, in 1870, 287 millions, in 1880, 459 

 millions, one quarter of the entire product of the world. 

 Our grain crop of 1880 was equal to half the value of all 

 the gold ever mined in California. 



The substantial character of our people is shown by 

 what we raise and send abroad. We import many things. 

 We buy laces, and wine, silk, spices, tea, coffee. But we 

 sell to the world wheat, cotton, petroleum, steam boilers, 

 agricultural tools, butter, cheese, beef, and it is said that 

 the Queen of England comes to Essex county for ice to 

 cool her drink. 



The development of Agriculture in the last one hundred 

 years exceeds by far the progress of all the preceding cen- 

 turies. It a suggestive fact that this has been the time 

 when greatest progress has been made in bettering the 

 conditions of working men. Labor has dignity. The la- 

 borer has rights. Society and the state are not for the 

 few but for all. Learning comes forth from the cloister, 



