Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-02-22
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Agricultural Condition Of oH1 Country.
The perusal Of Mr.. John Jays Statistical View
- A,.ericsn Agriculture" an address recently de-
livered before the American Geographical and Sie-
tistioal Society," (which, By the way, forms probably
the nest satisfactory general compendium Of Am
eriean agricultural statistics thst We possesss1
gives rather diseouragiDg impression OF the pro
Srsss Of our national agriculture. 10 many staple
PRODUCTS the quantity raised has shown naked
drerease in 1850 hs dste of our last census, from
which Mr. Jay, has obtained most OF the purely STA
tistica portions ef his work. from that raised In
preceding years Until the census o. leOy mere can
k no means Of obtaining further statistics OF The
kind. and unless there has been smsFked improve
ment during the last seven years, the eondtioa Of
our agriculture is not very promising
For instance. take the whest crop; Although 1t
has not decreased ia its actual amount, II has not
sior Tn New England its culture ia rapidly de
GLAZING while in the Middle States it is nearly
tionarv and our chief supplies now came from the
1ort xssteru district. In New York the crop 10
1870 was over twelve millions Of bushels, while in
Is5Oit was but nine milhobs-a decrease Of twenty
Eve DER cent While our STATE is losing lis pre-,
einence in the production Of the great cereal sta
NE. Illinois and the vicnal States almost make up
for it, and Chicsgo is fast becoming the ncst exs
teusive RraEary in the world already rivalng Odes
"a, Dantaig aud 81 Pstersburgh.
Referring again to the products Of the entire
try, without alludiDg TO any particular State, We
find that rye, oats Irish and sweet potatoes hay
aud tobacco have steadily decreascd, while cotton,
rice, and wine have increased Hops have increased
ct the rae Of Eve hundred per cent, ewing to the
enormous consumption oflsger-bisr. Rice hes in
creased at the rate Of nearly three hundred per ct
In 1910 the eetton produced amounted ts eight
hundred millions Of pounds, in 1850 70 nine hun
dred and eighty millions in 1855 to one billion and
eighty-eight millions.
But the great staple production Of our country
far SURPRISING in amount even our far-amed wheat,
cotton and tObacco-is Indian corn It's cultivation
has retrograded in no State, and the crop may be
roughly estimated at four hundred millions Of bush
els in i84O, Elk hundred millions in 1850, over seV
en- hundred millions in 1856, and fully eight hum
bred millions in 1866. Few people probably
aware of the value Of our ''Mon- de- min" although
Professor Mspes has said the failure Of the corn
crop for three successive years would bankrupt the
nation Entertainment for man and beast" might
truly be painted on the gate Of every cornhed in
the country for in the West is gwen largely &c
cattle AMI swine-ths number Of pigs fatentd on il
nesrly equalling the number of Inhabitants. Il Is
exported to the West Indies, England and Ireland
ased 10 sugar factories and distineries, that We
owe our beef and pork, Inc Engshman owes his
sugar and the Irishmsn his ''dhrop o. WhiskeY" Il
the great American Mondamin.
This is all very well, 30 far as it goos, but the
fact remains that in other necessary products We
are retrogrsd ing. While wine and lager-bier RIG
increasing, there Is decided decrease in the equal
lyimpoItant product Of wheat and potatoes. Though
this is partially the effect Of diseases incidental tC
the product itself. il is also in a great measure
owing TO 8 lack Of agricultural laborers While
every avenue of trade and every mechanical occu
patton ia our large cities is clicked up with com
petitors, the great agricultural fields Of the Hes
suffer tor the want Of cultivation. farmers SOD
hoping 10 better his situation, comes TO the city,
and so che farms Of the eastern and Atlantic states
=. ~ ha ms
led agl icuural districts Of the West receive CON-
paraiVely few aeeessens TO then population. II Ii
needless here argue that country life has its dis
advantages, ard those who cannot fad employment
IN cities should 60 thi her st snee. This Is stats
teal not 9 reflective article, sAd We would onl
STATE, Ia Gradgrind, the facts, sir-iacts;" aud
the great fact is this, thai in most important
saples, with the exception Of Indian corn, there is
sf late marked decrease, and this 10 the face Of
CoDstantly increasing PopulatiOa-N. T. Post