The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-06-27
CuriOsities Of Agriculture.

The acres of improved farming land
in the United States in 1870 numbered
1SS, 291 ,099. The woodland on farms
amounted to 159, $40, 1T acres, and the
unimproved land, not woodland, num-
bered 1903, 765. The estimated value
of all farming land is a little more than
5000, 900, against $500, 600, 900 in 1860.
The increase in value in some of the
Northern States is most extraordinary.
Illinois, for example, has now invested
in land 5000, 900, 900 against $780,
900, 900 in 1860; Indiana has doubled its
valuation, and Michigan has addedmore
than 100 per cent; Minnesota has
sprung up from S27, 600, 900 to $97, 000,-
600, and, the most decided advance of
all, Iowa has increased it's farm invest
ment from $4,000, 600 to almost $780,
100000. All the Northern States have
made much larger advance in this
direction than the average of the coun-
try, while there has been an astonish-
ing depreciation in the value of farm
lands in nearly all the Southern States.
In 1860, Alabama returned n farm valua-
ton of $175, 900, while now it is
only $67,000,000; Arkansas has gone
backward more than 100 per cent. !;
Georgia has fallen from 1857, 900, 900 to
1914, 900, 900; Louisiana from $500, 000,-
0O0 to $64, 100000 Mississippi from
$50, 900, 900 to SS1 900, 900; South Car
Dina from $139, 900, 900 to $44, 900, 600 /;
and all the other Southern States have
lost heavily except Kentucky, Mary
land and Delaware. Since the census
was taken, however, many of the South
ern States have made rapid improve
ment, and, with the preservation of
peace, they may in few years be even
more prosperous than they were in
1860.
New York leads the list in theamount
of Irish potatoes produced, returning
the enormous yield of $4,000, 900 BUSH
els Pennsylvania follows with nearly
13,000,0 900, Ohio with 1000, 900, Hi
nois and Michigan each with 10, 600, 900,
Maine with nearly 100000, Wiscon-
sin with 100000 Iowa, Indiana, and
| Vermont each with upward of 8. 600, 900,
and New Jersey and New Hampshire
with more than 4, 800, 900 bushels The
particular parts of the country which
yield the most according to the area
cultivated are Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, and Northern New York.
The best potatoes, also, come from
these States, as the millions of bushels
shipped to the Southern States each
year will attest.
But the States which yield the best
and most profitable crops of Irish po-
tatoes do not find the sweet potatoes at
all profitable, New York raising only
| 10000 bushels, Vermont 90 bushels,
New Hampshire 100 bushels, and Maine
$50 bushels. New Jersey, however,
proves that the sweet potato may be
raised prottably farther north than was
supposed before the war. That State
returned an annual production of
100000 bushels, which is about the
average yield of the Southern States.
1t is singular that Maryland and Della
more extensively, their returns being
respectively only 100000 and $4,000
bushels. North Carolina leads in this
crop, returning 100000 bushels
Georgia followed with 9, 900, 600 bushels,
and Texas with 1900, 900 bushels. Ala
bama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South
Carolina and Tennessee each return
more than 1,000,0 900 bushels, while Vir-
ginia returns only S60,000 bushels.
Turning now to the eighth census, we
find that the Southern States raised
enormous crops of sweet potatoes be-
fore the war, Alabama having returned
5000, 900 bushels, Georgia $1,000 900,
Mississippi 100000, North Carolina
5000, 900, South Carolina 4, 600, 600, and
the other Southern States in proper
ton. Such great reduction as this
in one of the principal crops of the
South seems almost of itself
enough to cripple if not to bankrupt the
States.
Among the one-sided statistics of the
census are those relating to the sugar
and molasses crops. The only States
that make returns of sugar from cane
are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louis
lana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Tennessee, and
Texas. Tennessee returns only two
hogsheads. The only States returning
more than 1000 hogsheads are, Louis
lana 221 900, Texas 5000, and Florida
and Georgia each but little more than
1000. OF molasses from cane, Louis
lana produces 13,000,000 gallons, and
the other States named return about
the same yield relatively to their sugar
crops, except that South Carolina makes
no return.
The returns of maple sugar reverse
the scale, few of these Southern States
making any account of this crop. Yer
mont is the banner State for maple
sugar, reporting yield of almost
100000 pounds. The production OF
New York is somewhat larger, but
nothing compared with the difference in
area. The only other States which re-
turn more than 100000 pounds are
Michigan, 100000; Ohio, $3.50, 900
Pennsylvania, nearly 100000; New
Hampshire, $3.50, 900; Indiana, 1900
900; Massachusetts,, few pounds more
than 100000. The total production is
40,000,0O0 pounds The total produc-
ton of maple molasses is 1,500, 900 gal
Ions, of which Ohio returns nearly
400, 900 gallons, Indiana nearly 800, 900,
Kentucky 100000, and the other
States smaller amounts, Vermont being
away toward the foot of the list, only re-
turning 10000 gallons.-New YORK.
Ecening Post.