394 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



ADVANTAGE OF RAILROADS TO AGRI- 

 CULTURE. 



There is a prejudice amonp; farmei-s against rail- 

 roads. When so managed as to partake of the odious 

 features of a monopoly, it is ])roper. But if, on the 

 other hand, they are well managed, that is, made to 

 fulfil the object of their construction, — the accom- 

 modation of the public, — these jircjudices are wrong, 

 for they are then of vast importance to the farmers. 



If considered only as a means of rapid transit for 

 passengers through a country, they would be of com- 

 paratively little use ; and it is in that li-^ht they have 

 becu usually regarded. But when made to convey 

 freight, and at reasonable rates, they become a very 

 imijortant element in conducing to the profits of 

 farming. Our products are valuable in jiroiiortion 

 to the cheapness and facility whereby they may be 

 trans])ortod to market. The great consumers of the 

 agricultural products of this state are New York and 

 the New England States ; and for nearlj- half the 

 year we have no means of reaching them, except by 

 railroad. It has only been about three years since 

 the absurd restrictions which had been placed upon 

 the Central line have been removed, so that freight 

 could be carried. Previous to that time, our fresh 

 pork, poultry, and butter were sold at a low figure, 

 because we were shut out of those markets where 

 these articles are in demand, during the winter, for 

 daily consumption. The average ruling price for 

 butter was ten cents, fresh pork $3 per hundred, and 

 poultry no demand at all. But as soon as the roads 

 were allowed to carry freight, and long before they 

 were prepared for the business, an advance took 

 place in all of these~articles, which has been steadily 

 maintained. The rise upon fresh pork has been equal 

 to ,'|i2..50 on each hog fattened for market ; upon 

 butter, two cents per pound, and upon eggs, poultry, 

 beef, mutton, and cheese, it has been equally large. 

 Of this advance of price there can be no doubt, and 

 it is equally certain that it has been caused Ijy the 

 facilities of transportation furnished by railroads in 

 this state and cast. 



Let us see now what the farmers have really gained 

 by these roads. 

 According to the state census of 1845, the 



whole number of hogs was l,.5Si,344 



Allow for stores, one third, and the number 



fattened would bo about 1,000,000 



Deduct for home consumption, say one 



third, or 300.000 



Leaving for market that year 700,000 



The natural increase would be large, but increased 

 price would stimulate production; so that it is safe to 

 assume that the number of hogs in this state to be 

 fattened for market this year will exceed 1,000,000, 

 two thirds of which will be so situated as to be af- 

 fected in price by one or other of our railroads. This 

 would give, say 700,000, which, allowing an advance 

 from former rates of only $'2 per hog, would give 

 $1,400,000 for only one branch. 

 Of butter, there was made during the 



year 1835 79,501,733 lbs. 



Deduct for home consumption, one 



third, say 26,000,000 



Balance for market, say 53,000,000 lbs. 



At least two thirds of this, say 36,000,000 lbs., ex- 

 perienced a rise from the bencticial operations of the 

 roads. The advance upon this was equal to two 

 cents per pound, say J|720,000, making a clear gain 

 per annum to the farmers of this state of over two 

 millions of dollars in but two articles of farm prod- 

 uce. Upon other articles there has been a large 

 gain, so that it is safe to say, that for the current 

 year the farmers will be benefited by means of rail- 



roads, as a means of transportation of farm ])roducts, 

 at least three millions of dollars. Tiie sum, at first 

 sight, seems large ; but v.-e are persuaded it falls be- 

 low, rather than exceeds, the true amount. 



But the benefit docs not stop here ; for a very great 

 stimulant is given to agricultural improvement, and 

 land is made to yield much larger and better crops ; 

 so that, in fact, our farms are practically enlargi^d, 

 not by adding more acres, but by adding more labor 

 and skill to the soil. By careful husbandry, we may 

 treble the average products of most of our crops, and 

 not then arrive at any thing like the full capacity of 

 our farms. And is it not better to add to our laud 

 by better thrift in farming, than to sell out and be 

 constantly seeking new and cheap lands : 



It has been well and often said, that he Avho makes 

 two blades of grass grow where but one grew before, 

 is a public benefactor. And if railroads, when prop- 

 erly managed, are the means of adding largely to the 

 direct profits of the farmer, as we have endeavored 

 to show they do, then they are entitled to be re- 

 garded with favor rather than jealousy or dislike, by 

 those who are so much benefited ; and so we trust 

 they will be in future, and their number rapidly in- 

 creased. — Wool- Grower. 



RAILROADS. 



The favorable influence of railroads on agriculture 

 is becoming more and more known and appreciated in 

 all parts of the country. The article below shows 

 the immense advantage to the farmers in the interior 

 in having their animals carried to a market in a short 

 time, at a moderate expense, and without injury to 

 the animals which they must necessarily suffer in a 

 long and fatiguing journey. 



By railroads and steamboats, sections once remote 

 are now, as 'it were, brought near to good markets; 

 for live stock and various other productions can be 

 quickb^ and cheaply carried to market. This affords 

 all the advantages of nearness to market, by the old 

 method of travelling and transportation. We copy 

 from the Lowell Courier, 



The Cattle Train. — The cattle train, last night, 

 numbered two hundred and fifty cars. It came over 

 the Northern road in four sections, over the Con- 

 cord road in two, and in the same manner over the 

 Nashua and Lowell. The first section arrived in 

 Lowell about quarter past 12, bringing ninety-eight 

 cars, eighty-four of which were laden with cattle, 

 horses, and sheep. About 3 this morning, the bal- 

 ance, one hundred and live, came in. There were 

 seventy-four cars of cattle, horses, and sheep, making, 

 in the whole train, one hundred and tifty-eight cars 

 of live stock ! There were one hundred and eight 

 cars started from the Central road, fifty-eight of 

 Avhich came this way, and the other half v,-ent over 

 the Fitchburg road. We learn that five hundred 

 sheep were left over at Montpelicr. and some twenty 

 car loads would have come down from the Passump- 

 sic, had there been accommodations. 



SALT IN AGRICULTURE. 



We copy the fallowing from the Rev. Morrill Al- 

 len's report on improvements, to the Plymouth Agri- 

 cultural Society. 



A carefully-conducted experiment has been made 

 by Horace Collamoro, of Pembroke, in the ajjplica- 

 tion of salt ; the result of which shows no influence 

 to encourage to much extent the use of the article as 



