River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-10-11
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Some Interesting Facts from the Last
Census Report.


Some Interesting Facts from the Last
Census Report.
Our increase in all the chief artisles of
agricultural produce, as shown by the cen.
sus report, is something enormous.
Wine has increased fourteen-fold since
1850, and nearly doubled in the last decade,
California being its chief producer.
Hops have increased seven.fold in the
same Time, and more than doubled in the
last ten years, New York growing two
thirds of the whole crop.
Barley has increased skiold.
Flax Skiold, and faxseed trebled.
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 amount to the handsome total of one
thousand FIVE hundred and twenty-five
millions of dollars, or an average of nearly
two hundred dollars for every family in
the nation.
Animals slaughtered have nearly
quadrupled 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.flths its
amount in 1860.
In only one instance is there decrease
of an important produce, and that is the
Indian corn, which falls short of tie
amount reported in 1860 by seventy eight
millions of bushels, or ten per cent of the
,vhole.
In some of the lesser products, how
ever, the downcome is considerable.
Silk cocoons are only third of their for.
mer amount, hemp sixth, peas and bears
ana rice about third each. Buckwheat
has decreased from seventeen millions of
bushels to nine, and rye from twenty.one
millions of bushels to sixteen.
The farms themselves as may be ex-
pected from this great increase Of product
have risen in value from three to nine
thousand millions. while farming nipple
ments, valued in 1850 at $15l ,5S7648, now
foot up $336,878, 429, and annual increase
OF nine millions of dollars. Few minds
can form even the remotest conception of
what 'bese numbers imply. The value of
the farms in dollar bills would take an
expert accountant, capable of getting over
one hundred Il minute ; five hundred
years to count them, or if Communists
and Internationals had their way, and
their value was divided equally among
the VIII, lie people, it would afford one
thousand dollars to each family, in add.
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
1S9 to l53 acres, being on an average SO
acres each less than in 1850. This de.
crease extends TO every State in the Union
save four Arkansas, Massachusetts, ew
Hampshire, and New Mexico. Of the
present number of farms 1869 ,485l, 6,875
are under acres. Those with more than
10 acres and less than 500 have increased
those with less than 10 acres decreased in
number. One-sixth of the whole are over
100 acres and 500; but the largest num-
Der (847,6l4) contain between so and 60
acres.
Twenty years ago Kentucky supplied
nearly third of all ouI flax product,
Virginia and New York about million of
pounds each, making up together as much
as Kentucky, and Ohio supplied less than
half million pounds. But now Ohio has
nearly forty times its former product,
while Kentucky has only tenth of its,
and Virginia has gone down to a seventh.
The chief fax. producing States are Ohio,
l8,OOO,00O pounds, or two-thirds of our
whole product of 27,l33,039 pounds he
product in 1850 was only 7,209,676
pounds; New York 3,0O0,OeO; and
Illinois 2,000,O00; while New England
with the exception of little in Maine and
Vermont, may have ceased to be flax pro-
ducing, as have also Alabama, Delaware,
and Georgia.
New York has now, as hitherto, about
sixth of the whole mich COWS of the
nation, and used to occupy a similar
positions as to working oxen; but now
Texas has twice the number it can show.
California has in creased its sheep form
1874 to 2,768,l87, being an increase OF
l60 fold, and the largest made by any
State in any important article. Louisiana
still grows nearly all the sugar, but pigs
have changed their headquarters from
Tennessee and Kentucky to Illinois and
Missouri. Pennsylvania, which used to be
highest in the production of whest, is now
now sixth on the list, Illinois with 80, Iowa
with 20, Ohio and Indiana with q each,
and Wisconsin with IS, all coming before
its 10 millions of bushels.
Fall Flowing.
j. B, Jones, Macedon, Wayne County,
n. Y writes thus: