1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
877 
The Country’s Business, 
growth OF American Trade. 
SURPLUS FARM PRODUCTS SENT ABROAD. 
America has not always been a self-supporting 1 nation. 
There was a time when we did not raise enough for 
our own mouths. The early settlers had to bring their 
provisions with them. The Puritans in Massachusetts 
were frequently obliged to send sloops to the coast of 
Maine to buy corn of the Indians. The early Connec¬ 
ticut settlers were once in danger of famine, and sent 
messengers up the river to Massachusetts, where a 
tribe of Indians sold them 50 canoe-loads of corn. We 
began quite early to send small quantities of tobacco 
to Europe, and also to send potatoes for seed ; but the 
task of feeding a fair share of the mouths of Europe 
has but lately been put upon us. The following figures 
show how our foreign trade has jumped up in the past 
65 years, while the increase of our internal trade is 
almost beyond beliief : 
EXPORTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 
/-1826-, ,-1890-> 
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. 
Lumber. 2,011,694 $26,901,959 
Hides and cattle 7*4,430 17,526,715 
Butter, pounds. 1.176,5791 7Kfi 15,504,978 1 , n .. a 
Cheese, “ 735,399 ( •207,765 84,999,882 ( 10,458,436 
Pork, barrels. 88,994 i 64,133,639 1 
Bacon and hams, lbs. 1,*36,1 *3 > 1,892,429 390,224,646 - 40,086,924 
Lard, pounds. 7,231,643 \ 318,242,990 \ 
Hofts. 6,939 45,128 366,764 
Horses. 8,695! 9 . 7 3,748 592,469 
Mules. 922 f 2,980 356,378 
Sheep. 8,695 17,693 128,852 366,181 
Wheat, bushels. 45,166 38,676 46,414,129 41,652,701 
Flour, barrels. 587,820 4,121,466 9,374,803 45,296,485 
Corn, bushels. 505,381 384,955 69,592,929 32.982,277 
Corn meal, barrels.. 158,662 622,366 312,186 870,485 
Potatoes, bushels. .. 87,734 41,583 471,955 316,224 
Apples, bushels. 15,695 27,370 942,406 2,249,375 
Rice, tierces. 111,063 l;917,445 (lbs.) 439,706 24,124 
Cotton, pounds. 204,535,415 25,025,214 2,384,816,609 237,775,270 
Tobacco, hoRsh’ds.. 64,098 5,347,208 (lbs.) 223,759,232 18,901,008 
Tobacco, manuf'd.. 210,134 3 708 600 
Hops. 388,718 100.668 12,589,262 21823I832 
fact that doing so might mean ruin to the producers. 
The figures of the New York milk business are in¬ 
teresting, showing the magnitude of the traffic and 
the directions in which its growth mainly lies. The 
total number of cans of milk containing 40 quarts 
each received in October was 559,518, or more than 
18,000 daily. There were also received 10,407 cans of 
cream, equal to 02,000 cans of milk, and condensed milk 
enough, in bulk, to make the grand total equivalent to 
about 637,000 cans for the month, or more than 20,000 
10-gallon cans daily. This does not include any of the 
condensed milk shipped in sealed cans—only such as is 
shipped in bulk and retailed by the quart. If the 
figures could be reached showing the consumption of 
condensed milk in sealed cans, the aggregate would be 
largely increased. The price of 20,000 cans per day 
even at two cents per quart, amounts to $5,840,000 
per year, and assuming that the milk cost consumers 
an average of seven cents per quart, they pay to the 
trade the immense sum of $20,440,000 per annum for 
this one article of daily fare. 
The Erie Railway was formerly the largest shipper, 
but that distinction can now be no longer claimed for 
it, though it is still a good second. The Delaware, 
Lackawanna and Western Road has managed to get on 
top—it is shrewdly surmised “ by ways that are dark 
and tricks that are vain.” It makes no report of its 
business : but a careful estimate for October puts it at 
122,000 cans. Strange to say, the bulk of this comes 
from long distances—200 and 300 miles. The real 
inwardness of the Delaware, Lackawanna and West¬ 
ern’s milk business is more than likely to become a 
subject of legislative investigation. The Erie comes 
next with 120,500 cans for the month, the bulk of it 
The Nujsery and Floral Business. 
J. H. Hale tells us, in a census bulletin, that in 1629 
the Massachusetts Company “resolved 
“To provide to send for New England Vyne Planters, 
Stones of all sorts of fruites, as peaches, pears, plums, 
filberts, cherries, pear, aple, quince kernells, pomegran- 
ats; also wheat, rye, barley, oates, woad, saffron, 
liquorice seed and madder rootes, potatoes, hop rootes, 
currant plants.” 
George Fenwick, of Say brook, Conn., he also says, 
wrote on May 6, 1651, to Governor Winthrop, of Massa¬ 
chusetts : 
“ I haue receaued the trees yow sent me, for which 
I heartily thanke yow. If I had anything lieare that 
could pleasure yow, yow should frely command it. I 
am prettie weli storred with cherrie & peach trees, & 
did hope I had a good nurscrie of aples, of the 
aples yow sent me last yeare, but the wormcs haue in 
a manner distroyed them all as they came up. I pray 
informe me if yow know any way to preuent like mis¬ 
chief e for the future.” 
About 1750 a nursery was established at Flushing, 
L. I., also one in South Carolina in 1760. In 1796 George 
Heusler, Danvers, Mass., offered trees for sale. In the 
same year two brothers named Vaughn started a nur¬ 
sery at Hallowell, Maine. From this humble beginning 
has grown the present enormous nursery business. In 
1890 there were 4,510 nurseries valued at $41,978,835, 
and occupying 172,806 acres of land. In the business 
were invested $52,428,669, and employment was given 
to 45,657 men, 2,279 women and 14,200 animals. There 
were 95,025 acres of trees and plants and shrubs in 
these nurseries, or a total of 3,386,855,778 plants and 
trees, of which 518,016,612 were fruit trees and 685,- 
603,396 grape vines and small fruits. The total value 
of these products was over $100,000,000. 
In addition to the above there were sent abroad in 
1890 the following not mentioned in 1826: 
Value. 
Hay. $388,731 
Ice. 86,402 
Fish. 5,969,235 
Canned fruits. 967,389 
Canned beef. 4,375,213 
Fresh beef. 11,481,861 
Beans. 560,574 
Value. 
Honey. $93,888 
Kngs. 75,936 
Dried apples. 1,201,070 
Linseed oil. 42,759 
Tallow. 3,942,024 
Salt beef. 3,042,324 
Canned vegetables... 311,254 
In 1826 about six-sevenths of the exports were car¬ 
ried in American vessels. In 1890, with a total export 
trade of $730,282,609, only $80,919,794 worth went in 
American ships. The growth of the exports of meat, 
butter, cheese and breadstuffs has been wonderful. 
It seems that 64 years ago we exported more horses, 
but they were not worth half so much ; exports of rice 
were also larger. There is every prospect that exports 
of food products will still continue to increase though 
their character is slowly changing. A greater propor¬ 
tion hereafter will be in the form of manufactured 
products, like flour, meal, hams and canned goods; and 
less in crude grains and other products. To handle the 
vast freight and passenger business of the country 
there were in 1889, 157,759 miles of railroad, with 
29,036 locomotives and 1,097,591 cars, and a working 
force of 704,743 persons. 
New York’s Milk Business. 
Just at the present time, producers of milk for the 
New York market are receiving a fair price for their 
commodity—3 % cents per quart. Lest the New York 
Milk Exchange, Limited, should receive any undue 
credit for this spasm of decency, it should be qualified 
by the statement that before any increase was conceded, 
the demand in the city exceeded the supply, hence it 
was necessary to do something to help matters, and ac¬ 
cordingly the price was raised. If there were any 
surplus at all, no matter how small, this organization 
would promptly cut the price, utterly regardless of the 
being produced within 100 miles of the city, though 
the traffic is gradually extending westward, milk now 
coming in daily from Binghamton and that vicinity. 
The New York, Ontario and Western comes third. 
The development of the milk business on this road is 
wonderful, especially when we reflect that not a can 
is received within the first 50 miles from New York. 
The total for the month was 76,330 cans. At present 
the milk train starts from Hamilton, about 30 miles 
from Norwich, on the Utica division. It will be at 
once extended to Bouckville—10 or 15 miles beyond 
Hamilton, and also to Morrisville, on the main line. 
This road owes much of its success in building up its 
traffic to the fact that it provides refrigerator cars for 
shipping, with an abundant supply of ice, at no extra 
expense to the shippers. 
Fourth in the list comes the New York Central and 
Harlem, with 60,836 cans for the month. The New 
York, Susquehanna and Western, running from Middle- 
town, Orange County, down through New Jersey—a 
line less than 100 miles in length—carried 44,397 cans in 
October. The New York and Northern had a total of 
29,892 ; the West Shore, 27,355 ; the Homer Ramsdell 
boats, 24,518 ; the New York, New Haven and Hart¬ 
ford, 16,000; the Long Island, 7,580 ; the New Jersey 
Central, 8,292, and other sources 19,000 cans for the 
month. 
The Lehigh Valley Railroad is trying to build up a 
traffic in milk, and bids fair to become quite a promin¬ 
ent factor in the business. It brought in 3,000 cans in 
October. 
This is a mighty showing by the side of the first milk 
business of the Dutch on Manhattan Island. Half a 
dozen cows then made all the milk, butter and cheese 
that the inhabitants of the city and State needed. 
What will be the size of the change in the next 270 
years ? Who dares to hazard an estimate ? 
In like manner the culture of flowers has assumed 
enormous proportions. Since the days when John 
Alden, of Plymouth, gathered May flowers for Priscilla 
Mullins a great change has taken place. In 1800 
there was but one commercial florist in the country. 
In 1890 there were 4,659, of whom 312 were women. 
Their establishments used 38,823,247 feet of glass, 
and the total plant cost $38,355,722, besides $1,587,- 
693 invested in tools. There were employed 1(5,847 
men and 1,958 women, drawing annual wages of 
$8,483,(587. The total yearly products were 49,056,253 
roses, 38,380,872 hardy plants and shrubs and 152,835,- 
292 other plants the value of which was $12,036,477 and 
cut flowers worth $14,175,328. 
A Nineteenth Century Horse. 
The Indians had no domestic animals. The first 
horses that came here were objects of terror to the 
natives. At first they thought that both horse and 
rider were one horrible creature that could fight with 
arms, legs, mouth and head. From the first small im¬ 
portations have grown vast herds of animals. In 
1890 there were in the country 14,976,017 horses, 
2,246,936 mules and 49,109 asses, an increase of nearly 
45 per cent over 1880. The horses in use four centu¬ 
ries ago were superior in quality. France and Spain 
have always been noted for the excellence of their 
horses. Before gunpowder revolutionized the art of 
war, strong, heavy horses were in great demand. They 
were needed to carry the old-time knights and their 
heavy armor. While the usages of our day require 
many lighter and more active horses, there are still 
animals capable of doing the work formerly required 
of their ancestors. Such a horse is shown at Fig. 323. 
He is Joseph 6471, a Percheron stallion bred by John 
W. Akin. He is four years old, 16 hands high and 
weighs 1,600 pounds. His sire is Revier 2974, and his 
dam Josephine 3001 (2652). 
