FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 11 
Taste I.—Census data showing changes in the agriculture of Chester County. 
Live stock and crops. 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 
Wee VaCOWS: ocx coin: cm cok aonb : 32, 700 49,300 | 45,700] 45, 400 
BO@UNeMCAGLO. es sass acc coelees Stee nes 12,000 | 21,700 19, 700 
“TSIDCL, sos st es a eee 35,600 | 30,500 | 21, 400 
SIROQGDS 6 See Ger RSH tae he ae Bee it 200 | 9,900 5, 300 
Mirlikesolda(housands) of gallons) x2 =: ss|sss2 eee. |posee sacle eee 759 | 24,000 | 17,038 | 20, 206 
Butter produced (thousands of |’ 
"SY CTETDYG IS) 5 Ses Ra a nO a mma [gee Tale 0282 | at 314 57 
Wheat (thousands of bushels)......-- 882 785 | 928 
Barley (thousands of bushels).......- a2 ae 152 
Oats (thousands of bushels)........-. 868 925 | 777 
Rye (thousands of bushels).........-- 19 22 27 
Corn (thousands of bushels)....-----. 1,959 | 2,687 1, 882 
Hay and forage (thousands of tons).... 162 131 142 
There were 16,000 dairy cows in Chester County in 1840. The num- 
bers increased rather rapidly till 1890, since which time there has been 
a Slow decrease, due mainly to a decrease in the area of improved land 
and to scarcity of farm labor. In 1840 dairy cows were kept mainly 
for production of home supplies and a small amount of butter for 
sale. In 1850 slightly more than 2,000,000 pounds of butter were pro- 
duced. This production increased until about 1880, having doubled 
in this time. Since then the amount has decreased to less than one- 
seventh of the former maximum. 
About 1870 the city of Philadelphia began reaching out into 
Chester County for market milk, the county supplying 1,600,000 
_ gallons in that year. From 1870 to 1890 this industry increased enor- 
- mously, reaching 24,000,000 gallons in the latter year. Since that time 
the business has decreased slightly, owing mainly to the decrease in 
the area of improved land. Corn has always been an important crop 
in this region, being second only to hay in acreage. Its relative im- 
portance is increasing. Wheat follows corn in acreage and has main- 
tained about its present status for the past century. 
Oats were formerly an important crop, but since 1890 there has 
been a gradual decrease, until at the present time they occupy only 
half the area of wheat in the county as a whole and only one-third in 
the surveyed area. 
Hay has always been important and its production increased 
steadily to 1890. During the next 10 years it decreased considerably, 
mainly because of the decrease in the area of improved land. 
There has been a gradual increase in potato production in Chester 
County since its early history, droge the crop has never been an 
important one. 
Previous to 1840 rye and barley were important crops in the county. 
Barley practically disappeared during the panic of the forties. Rye 
decreased steadily until 1870, since which time there has been a slow 
increase, though it is still an unimportant crop. 
