1862. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEK. 



361 



Our Agricultural Industry — Gleanings 

 from the Census Report of 1860. 



WHEAT, 



The quantity of wheat grown in all the States 

 and territories in the year 1849, was 100,044 

 bushels. The quantity grown in 1859, was 

 171,183,381 bushels, an increase nearly seventy 

 per centum, or about double the increase of pop- 

 ulation in the same period. Some of the older 

 wheat growing States — Pennsylvania, Virginia, 

 New York and Ohio — do not show a proportion- 

 ate increase, owing to the destructive agency of 

 the wheat midge. Fortunately the midge is di- 

 minishing where it was formerly most destruct- 

 ive, and wheat growing will soon be resumed in 

 many localities in those States, where for a time 

 it was almost abandoned. 



In Illinois, this crop has increased in ten years 

 from nine to twenty-four millions of bushels ; in 

 Wisconsin, from five to near sixteen millions of 

 bushels in the same period. 



INDIAN COKN. 



This crop for 1849 was 592,071,104 bushels ; 

 in 1859 it was 880,451,707 bushels, which is an 

 increrse of more than 40 per cent. In a major- 

 ity of the States this is undoubtedly tne most 

 popular crop ; it is less liable to failure than any 

 other, and is applied to so great a variety of use- 

 ful purposes. No important changes have been 

 made either in the varieties cultivated or in the 

 modes of cultivation, except in the substitution 

 of animal for human labor. If we fix the aver- 

 age market value of Indian corn at thirty cents 

 per bushel, we have for the product of 1859, the 

 enormous sum of §249,000,000, in round num- 

 bers. 



COTTON. 



In 1849 the quantity grown was 2,445,793 

 bales of ginned cotton, of 400 pounds each ; in 

 1859 it was 5,196,944 bales of light weight, or 

 in round numbers, 1,000,000,000 of pounds — an 

 increase of more than 110 per cent in tan years ; 

 and the ordinary average value of that year 

 might safely be fixed at $160,000,000. 



HAY AND CLOVEB. 



The hay crop of 1849 was 13,838,642 tons ; in 

 1859 the quantity was 19,129,128 tons ; the ave- 

 rage value of this crop may safely be estimated 

 at $160,000,000, which is rating it at less than 

 nine dollars per ton. This increase of the hay 

 crop in the past decade, is not proportionate to 

 the increase of live stock in the country ; but it 

 appears that with better farming, more roots and 

 cut straw and other rough fodder are used, and 

 therefore less hay is required. The hay crop 

 might probably be greatly increased by the care- 

 ful introduction of the best varieties of grass, 

 upon which subject the department of agricul- 

 ture may be expected to give some valuable and 

 timely information. 



SUGAR AND MOLASSES. 



The product of cane sugar, as reported in 

 1849, was 287,134 hogsheads of 1000 lbs. each; in 

 1859 it was 802,205 hogsheads. The product of 

 molasses for the former year was 12,700,991 gal- 

 lons; for the latler 10,337,080 gallons From 

 the sorghum and imphee 7,235,025 gallons of 

 molasses were made in 1859 ; but since that, the 

 increase in the production- of that article has 

 been wonderful, so that in the State of Ohio 

 alone, it has been estimated that the product of 

 1861 will amount to ten millions of gallons, by 

 Mr. Gill, of Columbus, a gentleman largely en- 

 gaged in the manufacture of the article. 



The sum paid for imported sugars in 1859 ex- 

 ceeded $13,000,000, and in the same season SO,- 

 000,000 of gallons of molasses were imported. 



The amount of maple sugar made in 1850 was 

 34,253,436 pounds; in 1860 the product was 

 38,863,884 pounds. This increase affords pleas- 

 ing evidence that our beautiful maple groves are 

 not becoming extinct, but in many cases preser- 

 ved with commendable care. 



DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



The quantity of butter produced in the year 

 1859-60, is set down at 460,509,854 pounds, 

 which is an increase of 46 per cent, on the pro- 

 duct of 1849-50. The amount of cheese returned 

 is 105,875,135 pounds, or 339,242 pounds more • 

 than the product of 1849 and 1850. 



The cheese exported from the United States to 

 other countries is about 15,000,000 pounds an- 

 nually. If cheese-making was as well under- 

 stood in our country generally as it is in Europe, 

 the demand would be greatly increased. It is 

 believed that our people suflFer immensely by not 

 thoroughly understanding the most approved pro- 

 cesses of cheese-making. While many of cur 

 most enterprising dairymen supply an article 

 creditable to the country, in Europe, what is 

 termed American cheese, is not purchased with 

 that confidence with which we receive theirs, for 

 the reason that our processes have not reached 

 that perfection which alone contributes to uni- 

 formity of excellence and distinctiveness of char- 

 acter. When this point is attained, a taste is 

 cultivated and increase in demand follows, and 

 profits enlarge. An article so nutritious and 

 easy of transportation should, by all means, 

 form a portion of our army rations. 



SHEEP AND WOOL. 



The number of sheep returned by the census 

 of 1850 was 21,723,220, and the amount of wool, 

 52,516,959 pounds. In 1860 the number of 

 sheep returned* was 23,317,756, and the amount 

 of wool was 60,511,343 pounds. In addition to 

 the number of sheep above mentioned, as re- 

 turned by the census, the assistant marshals re- 

 ported 1,506,810 as their estimate of the num- 

 ber of sheep not included, because not owned by 

 others than farmers ; so that the entire number 

 of sheep in the United States, on the Ist day 

 of June, may safely be placed at 26,000,000, and 

 a proportionate amount may be added with pro- 

 priety to the clip of wool for the same period. 



