Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-10-03
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

Our increase in all the chief articles of
agricultural produce, a. shown by tho con-
sus report, is something enormous
Wine has increased fourteen-f0ld since
1850, and nearly doubled in the last decade.
California being its chief producer.
Hops have increased seven.f0ld in the
same time, and moro than doubled in the
last ten years, New York growing two
thirds Of The whole crop.
Barley has increased skiold.
Flax skiold. and haxseed treblec.
Wheat trebled and oats doubled
Irish potatoes have, only increased one
third, and sweet decreased one.half
Live stock have trebled in value, and
now amouut to the handsome total of one
thousand FIVE hundred and twenty-five
millions Of dollars, or IN average of nearly
two hundred dollars for every family in
the nation.
Animals slaughtered have nearly
ouadrupled in value, now amounting to
four hundred millions Of dollars annually.
Wool has increased from sixty to one
hundred millions Of pounds
Cotton is half million Of bales above
what it was in 1850, and three.fi}ths its
amount in 1860.
In only one instance 10 there a decrease
Of An important product, and that is the
Indian corn, which falls short Of the
amount reported in 1860 by seventy eight
nillions Of bushels, or ten per cent Of the
whole.
In some of the lesser products, how
ever, the downc0ne is considerable
Silk cocoons are only third Of their for.
mer amount, hemp u sixth, peas and bears
una rice about u third each. Buokwhea,
has decreased from seventeen millions Of
bushels to nine, and rye from twenty. one
millions Of bushels to sixteen.
The farms themselves as may he ex
pected from this great increase Of product
have risen in value from three to nint
thousand millions. while farming imple
ments, valued in 1850 At $l5l ,587649, now
foot up 1886, 878, 429, and annual increase
OF nine millions of dollars. Few minds
can form even the rem0test conception o.
what 'beee numbers imply. The value O.
tho farms in dollar bills would take ar
expert accountant capable of getting owe,
one hundred u minute five hundred
years to count them, or if Communist.
8llU 4uL0EAtsht1UuuAo uNU t1lolT way 00U
their value was divided equally among
the VIII le people, it would afford one
thousand dollars to each family, in addi.
ton to the million or two which would be
sure to stick to the hands of the divide-s.
The farms have considerably increased
in number, but diminished in size from
1919 to l53 acres, being ON On average 81
acres each less than in 1850. This de-
crease extends t. every State in the Union
save four-Arkansas, Massachusetts, N CIV
Hampshire, and Now Mexico. Of the
present number Of farms Z, 659, 485l 6,87i
are under 3 acres. Those with more THAI
~ acres and less than 500 have increased
those with less than 10 acres decreased in
number. One-sixth Of the whole are owe,
100 acres and $40; but the largest mum
Der (847 ,6l4) contain between SO and 81
acres.
Twenty years ago Kentucky supplied
nearly third IF all ou1 flax product
Virginia and New York about million Of
pounds each, making up together Us much
~ Kentucky, aud Ohio supplied less thai
half q million pounds But now Ohio ha,
nearly forty times its former product
while Kentucky has only tenth of it's
aud Virginia has gone down to a seventh
The chief Aax. produciug States are Ohio
l8,oUO,OOO pounds, or two.thirds Of oul
whole product Of 27,133,O39 pounds IN,
product in 1850 was only 7.2V9,67(
pounds; New York 3,O0O,OcO; IN,
Illinois 2,0OO,OOO; while New England
with tie exception Of little in Maine an<
Vermont, may have ceased to be flax pro
ducing, as have also Alabama, Delaware
and Georgia.
New York has now, as hitherto, abou
sixth of the whole milch COWS Of tn
nation, and used to occupy q simila
positions as to working oxen; but NO,
Texas has twice the number it can show
California has increased its sheep forn
H,754 to 2,768,l87, being an increase .
l6O fold, and the largest made by IN
State in any important article. Louisian
still grows nearly oil the sugar, but pig
have changed their headquarters fro1
Tonasssee and Kentucky to Illinois IN
Missouri. Pennsylvania, which used 10
highest in the production of wheat, is no,
now sixth ON the list, Illinois with 80, low
with %, Ohio and Indiana with q eacl
and Wisconsin with rs, all coming bsfor
its 10 millions Of bushels.