1 N T R O D U C T I O N. Ixv 



Vermont is the largest oat-producing State in New England, Maine coming next. Both these 

 States fell off in the production of Indian corn in 1860 as compared with 1850; but the oat crop 

 has materially increased. In none of the New England States has there been any falling off in the 

 production of oats, while in the aggregate there has been an increase of over 25 per cent. 



In the middle States, the oat crop has increased from 54,323,836 bushels in 1850, to 72,137,170 

 bushels in 1860, as follows: 



I860 1850. 



New York 35, 175, 133 26, 552, 814 



Now Jersey 4, 539, 132 3, 378, 063 



Maryland 3, 959, 298 2, 242, 151 



Pennsylvania 27, 387, 149 21, 538, 156 



Delaware . 1,046,910 (104,518 



District of Columbia. . 29, 548 8, 134 



72, 137, 170 54, 323, 836 



There is no falling off in any of the middle States. The increase from 1850 to 1860, in the aggre 

 gate, is over 25 per cent. 



In 1860, as compared with 1850, the production of wheat in the middle States, as we have before 

 remarked, fell off nearly five millions of bushels. On the other hand, the crop of Indian corn increased 

 in the same period nearly fourteen millions of bushels ; and, as will be seen from the above table, the 

 crop of oats also increased in the same period nearly eighteen millions of bushels. In other words, 

 while we lose five million bushels of wheat, we gain nearly thirty-two million bushels of Indian corn 

 and oats. The decrease in the production of wheat, caused by the midge, is not an unmixed evil the 

 land has been devoted to other crops. 



The following table shows the amount of oats raised in the western States in 1860 and 1850: 



I860. 1850. 



Illinois 15, 220, 029 10, 087, 241 



Indiana 5, 317, 381 5, 655, 014 



Iowa 5, 887, 645 I, 624, 345 



Kansas 88, 325 



Kentucky 4, 617, 029 8, 201, 31 1 



Michigan 4, 036, 980 2, 866, 056 



Minnesota 2, 176, 002 30, 582 



Missouri 3, 680, 870 5, 278, 079 



Ohio 15, 409, 234 13, 472, 742 



Wisconsin 11, 059, 260 3, 414, 672 



Nebraska . . 74, 502 



67,567,257 48,530,042 



Ohio produces more oats than any other western State. Illinois produces nearly as much, and 

 shows a much greater increase than Ohio since 1850. Wisconsin comes next. The production of oats 

 in this State has increased from less than three and a half million bushels in 1850 to over eleven million 

 bushels in 1860. 



The three States of Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin produce over 62 per cent, of all the oats raised 

 in the western States. In round numbers these three States produce forty-two million bushels of oats, 

 while all the other western States produce only twenty-five million bushels. 



In the production of oats, as in other crops, Minnesota shows a rapid increase. In 1860 she pro 

 duced over two million bushels of oats against thirty thousand bushels in 1850. Iowa, Wisconsin, and 

 Michigan show a marked increase in the yield of oats. Indiana, on the other hand, has slightly de 

 creased. Kentucky has fallen off nearly one-half. Missouri also shows a marked decrease in the oat 

 crop, falling off from five million bushels in 1850 to three and a half million bushels in 1860. 



