The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-08-20
AHRInnLTuRR.

A memorial to Congress has been prepared,
from the Philadelphia Society for promoting
Agriculture, asking that bureau Of Agri-
culture be established for the benefit Of that
important branch Of industry. The aid Of the
Government may be afforded, not by prefer
ence Of particular interests or promotion Of the
views Of favored classes-not by systems Of
partial or temporary encouragement. ObJects
that are permanent and extensive may b
reached by the exercise Of unquestionable pow
ers. The general Government can alone OBJ
tain the advantages which are to be derived
from foreign intercourse. improvement is
often to be sought beyond the limits of our
own country. Amutual interchange of knowl-
edge, of the fruits of investigation, and the
success Of skill and experiment, can be rem
dered easy only by communications authorized
by Government One authentic centre is de-
sired, toward which all information may be
directed, and from which it may be diffused
'The census returns Of 1850 show the great
predominance of the agricultural interests in
the United States, over every other pursuit Of
productive industry. The value Of improved
lands, estimated at an average Of ten dollars
an acre, amounts to 81 100 100000. The
value of farming implements, is $l5l 500, ,273 4;
the value Of live stock is 1852, ,8O5, ,23S. The
bushels Of wheat produced amount to l04,-
$3.50; of Indian corn, 59l ,2o6, ,O53 Of
cheese, l03, lSl ,585 pounds. This is greater
proportion of aggregate production to popula-
ton than Is shown either in England OF
France. France has scarcely 800 head oi
horned cattle for every lQ0Q Qinhabitants, while
sthe United States bas 500. France has in thC
proportion of but $50 pigs to each 1000 per.
sons, the United States, 1900.
Pennsylvania is deeply interested in any as.
sistance which may be extended toagriculture
for, Notwithstanding the great increase of hel
mines and manufactures, farming is by far the
principal occupation Of her citizens, and the
production is very large. We published, re.
Gently, table of the agricultural productions
Of Pennsylvania and New York, compared
with those of 1910. This table showed a re-
markable decrease of production in some of the
articles most necessary to human subsistence
and inferences have been drawn from the
facts, that less attention is paid than formerly
to agriculture IN these two States, and that
population, by concentrating in cities and
towns, is producing a disproportion between
the town and country population, which will
be severely felt in the augmentation of the
prices Of the necessaries Of life, arising from
the diminished supply on the one hand, and a
rapidly increasing consumption on the other
Such an apprehension in respect to Pennsyl-
yania is not warranted by the facts; for
though the supply Of some Of the principal ar
ticles Of food has decreased, as shown by the
census Of 1850, yet others have greatly aug
mented so that the proportion Of food to pop
ulation is well maintained. Taking the five
principal cereals and potatoes, and the compa-
rative production in Pennsylvania and New
York was as follows: