Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-04-14

Inc following statistics taken from the
United states census reports of 1860, are
respectfully submitted to the careful con-
sideration OF the intelligent reader We
seriously doubt their accuracy, but they
are the best approximations We have, and
vii serve for illustrations OF our PROPOSE
tlon, If for no other purpose. 1t appears
by the report referred 10. that Maine has
5o,6I5 farmers, who have OF improved
lands 2, 1O4. 1873 acres, and 1923 ,53s of un-
improved, and that the average number of
the former is 48, of the latter So That the
average value OF the whole is $3.50 Der
acre, or Sl4l3, 10 a farm, that the cash val
ne OF live stock is &270, and farming i'm
PIGMENTS and machinery $50, making a to-
tai average investment of Sl734,lO. Now
the annual income on this capital according
70 the reports may be stated as follows: 10
tons OF hay, ia bushels OF potatoes. 4
bushels OF wheat, 2 bushels of rye. p bush
els OF corn, % bushels of oats, bushels Of
peas ana beans, IA bushels of barley
bushels OF buckwheat, 209 lbs. of hnftar
30 lbs. of cheese, lbs. OF honey and /, H.
of maple sugar, the value of ochard nro-
ducts -, OF garden produce 80, OF slaught-
cred animals $50. Such according to the
reports were the average results of the far
mers' operations per annum, when the cen
sus OF 1860 was taken, upon a farm of ln3
acres, and an investment Of Sl734. 10. land.
stock and tools included
The same reports show that there * ken,
On an average mich COW TO Is zcres-I OK 10
~ acres-l horse TO IS scres-I sheen 10 !,
acres and OF some other kind of cattle 70 II
acres, or on such an average farm of IO3 acres
there is l horse. l 4-S oxen, All mich cows
sheep and I'll other cattle. The average
number of acres in crops 8. In hay p I-2
The above statistics show approx mateIy the
average condition of our farms in Maine. and
the average result Of husbsndry. While the
exhibit is not flsttering to the present state OF
agriculture, its lesson cannot always pass
unheeded, but must be eventually appreciated.
The first prominent and startling fact thai
meets US as We examine these figures. ia the
comparative disuse Of the plsw This on. fact
alone wouih condemn the present management
OF our FARMERS; NOW, the land Is ploughed
Two years, ana mOwn years. The cIoyer
disappears ordinarily after the second var
aud before the land Is sgain ploughed The yiaIj
per acre is very small. cons .aue6fIv thars /. =
yrest loss OF hay during three or f,ur ~ ,ha
even years that the land is mown and in liz
when ptoughed. there is little TO piow unie,
md few grass shoots in the soil Ii the same
and had been pioughed when there were TWO
ons of clover on the acre. and three tons of
cots in the soil flor this is said TO be the rela
I'VE proportion OF roots to top, this green
alone, wOEld have been almost suf-
silent for the succeeding crop. II is a great
Mistake TO allow the clover crop to disappear.
Il the best of hay for mich cows and the |
manure made or it il better by far than that |
lade Of any other hay, and it afford, q valuable |
rop 70 plough under, and it draws less from |
ne land, and more from the air than any of |