New-York tribune., 1873-09-15
AGRICULTURE.

THE FARMERS A CONTROLLING POWER IN THE hh-
puBIIc-AGRICUITURE OUR MOST IMPORTANT IN
DUsTRy-rUE EMPIRE STATE STILL FIRST IN
AGRICULTURE.
On Thursday. at the annual fair OF the West
chester County Society OF Agriculture ana HORTICULTURE
at White Plains Elliot c. Cowdn delivered an ADDRESS
on "The Importance OF Agriculture as the roremos' "
dustry Of the Nation" The following arc so' Vi '"'
moro striking portions of the address,
Washington was the foremost farmer OF ms county.
Adams aud Jefferson. the leaders OF nos ne PIG .hGs
through long career, devotea a .ae v Rn,en tough
they rose TO great emnence In the political arena VII M
be remembered fayorably. and perhaps iS I'D as
farmer nj Marshned and the farmer0t LlnuenWhu' 40
thew will as the dlpomatst who negotiated tee hsSur @
ton treaty, the President VINO es,aished alike as
Treaenrv Sios Wright too. is distinguished ahhJ uo
the ex perienced statesman and praetca iarneI. nd
zeal in the cultivation OF the sol knew ~ s"v labor
with his own hands few hours after % ~ ease Of
lines Of an agricultural address, ne n.red wa read
to the New-York State Agricultural society III i ~
our present able Chief Magstrste Jonn a. mad rare
Haze I'm our own county we Tor nhny Sea 10 an an
Illustration OF the fact that man may nnptry and
during mark upon the public " ppg Ss care and expend
1arSe share OF his enthusiasm upon inc oi % fer 81
pursuit OF agriculture nsea clowcitinen ps the late
H"race Greeley The founder Oh ' onV - tn1 @ ranI ~
newspapers of the nation standing ~ through life
the ednrs of the age an ardent po -, Ia Ill,
he nevertheless took time 70 write ep he aeib
upon agriculture in AL ts wears his happest aud
Dors VA were spent in cultivatng his own acres at
Cnappaqua. ...-,,,, NOUN,
rup FARMERS A CONTROLLING POLITICAL POWER
e have but 90 consult the returns OF the last census
. ove clearly that the cutva:ors OF the soil are the
,ro,,,c mower in the Republic. In the light OF the
oensns tables let us compare agriculture Win manu-
factures the two chief American INDUSTRIES Inc I'M
orance Of the facts is sufficient to relieve them OF inc
rharre OF dulness always brought against siaiSuoS'
shal deal mainly in round numbers ,,, 80. IN
In 1870 the male population OF the IiVn % ovo' ~
ars of ooe was IL OOO0O0 or these 5,5OUOOl were en-
,ognd in agriculture while only 700OO were employer
in manufactures. That Is, nearly thIee-seNotns VI so
males over 10 wears OF age were agr1ctuits, VIII VIII
is 81 an one seventh were manufacturers inc value
of the farms in the country. thai Is tne son ai
was nearly sI00O0,OO0OoO; OF tne ldImlub ~ ts
wa $40 600 OOO live stock ON the farlns,
more than o. 500. 100000 Here we nave su H. % c,,
o is1e i'm regard to the amount Of capital IL
vested In manufactures are more luprr'eeT-. ILL., C sun
"nrincndent thinks this sum is less than the actual
fort Well double 1t YOU please, and eye, then the
amount of capital invested in agriculture wiz pe 'ucc
si,es az creat as that invested in manufactures.
In some points, OF course the manuIaetuIilR nuuser1
surpasses that OF agriculture Inc annual mnIes pliu
v 1nannfacturers were, according TO tho census Sio
O0OOO while the amount pid Dy larieIs M'ts ~, @ pa'e
~ the fact that the of farms and Their families
far more than the owners OF factories ana leI1
do their own work am sorry to say now hucn more
remnneratiye in proportion TO the capital invested,
manufacturing is than farming me annd hi NIuc VI
mann factured products Si,20OOO00O whlle the an
nnal farm products were only s2GO0OOIDl Ihese last
figures however, are subject TO malela alteratons,
.-e
farms such as CLOTH yarn, wine &c. not to te credit OF
the Iarmlng Industry hut TO the Notwithstanding ,
These fgnres demonstrate that agriculture Is, ana
long must be- the important Industry Ia the united
states whether consider the number OF persons anu
the amount capital engaged IN II or the hnehce It's
votaries now moidlng the policy Ot te country
aud which their successors VIII continue " "eiu Io
generation to generation
MODERN FARMIsG ALMOST LEARNED PROFESSION
let me urge upon young men not to shun, much as
they are wont to- farming life occupation. do not
deprecate commercial and professional ayocaons Tar
from it, 1 only young men that the paths along
which their vOtares pursue wealth and fame
often precipitate the travellers into pitfalls OF
irretrieyaLe disaster And the young men OF To-Day
shOnld bear in mind that farming now Is not the labOr-
ons unenghte1ed drudgery 1t was IN former times.
Modern implements, especially In America, are rapidly
cIevating farming the level OF learned profession.
we have put science under the yoke, aud machinery
Who cuItyes the soil in Westchester County this year.
If he will read observe, ana think, knows five times as
Convenient appliances do it with his predecessors
could know could obtain, when washington sent bis
last message to Congress threequartefs oil century
Mere it may be well note what farmers actually
doing, and what proportion OF our exports s furnished
growth, produce, and manufacture which VIC exported
numbers S55OOOOOOo. or this sum Sl2,O0)OOO gold
and silver Deduct the gold and silver and the amount
was S47aOO0O Now select from these exports six lead
ing articles OF agriculture and we have the fol-
lowing results Cotton %hiGh comes cones nrs
next stand at soaSoooo; pro.ls9ns at $1,000
$7OOOOOO The aggregate Of these SIX articles Of ex-
ports 1862 100000 Add To them the value OF all other
agricultural products which we exported In 1872 and the
total amount just about SlOO)O0OO The grand result
stands TIE value of all the exports OF that year
OF articles of our own GROWTH produce, and manu-
and Of tins agriculture furnished SiOO0O,OO0 Let
the political economist contemplate these figures Aud
LEI him remember that the contribution or agriculture
10 exports has been gradually increasing for long
series Of years. and IS sun advancing VIII all their
available subjected TO the pow, and with improved
facilities transportation, our farmers may aspire
feed the world.
SRw-YoRK THE FIRST STATE IN AGRICULTURE.
The marshes which stretch between metropolitan
city and Newark those through which outlets of
Seneca, Cayuga, and adjoining lakes work passage TO
the ST. Lawrence, can, like the Lincolnshire fens
in England be drained and ultimately made the most
productive portions Of New-Jersey and NewYork. The
small marshes whichi dis6gure so many farms In our
State should be drained In like manner. The bogs which
befOul them, breeding only frogs mnsketoes agues
should excayated and their erzng deposits carried
the adjacent upsnds, and there used TO mellow and
enrich unproductiye cays. grayes and sands while the
cavities can by little labor be converted into ponds
where farmers may in due time obtain an abundance OF
fish for their tables.
We may find 1t profitable to recur again to statistics
At the OF 1870 EewYOrk had less population than
Virginia. and barely than Pennsylvania. 1870 IT
had surpassed both those CommOuwealths though each
close behind II. And so 1t was that AT the census
in 1890 NewYOrk, It's population outnumbering
any of its fellows came TO be deD0mnated the Empire
State. This proud preemnence it has held for half
century. So much for population. But how stands
New-York among the farming States In the light Of
agricultural States OF the Unoni They Ohio, Penn,
sylvania, Illinois and NewYork. On the three cardinal
points OF the value OF its farms, farming implements and
yearly products, which do you suppose stands
heads 1t IS glorious New-York Here are the
figures The value OF the farms and farm i'm
pements OF New-York Ia than 81 100000
ooo half the national debt Ohio comes next,
with nearly N1oo0OO,0Oo; Pennsylvania follows close
with than 81 900 100000 Illinois presses hard with
$950000000 The annual value OF their farm products
stands thus: New York has s25IO0O0o; Illinois with
It's great wheat and corn crops, reaches
has sss,OOooO Pennsylyania shows ssi,OOt 900 The
last further proves that Of all male inhab
tauts OF New-YOrk who follow any sort OF occupation
nearly one-third arc engaged in farming; and that
with the exception OF ONO, more men engaged in
agriculture In New York than in any other State There