The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-28
Progress of agriculture and Population.

1t is we'll fo,a nation of farmers TO
review often thar growth in population
and in the ppducts OF the soil. The
census of 1910 gave the inhabitants Of
the United States at 1908. 553. In
1870 they had more than doubled IN
number, BEINGS, SIS, 81. at the last
census the ootal area of states and terri
tories is set DOM at ]. 1877. $50, $50 acres
of which only lSS, 912, 1873 are improved.
In the thirty years from 1910 to 1870 the
increase in The annual crops of wheat
was from 81, S1l175 bushels TO 2S7, 49,
626 bushels. These figures show a gain
in wheat in three decades of over 300
per cent. and considerably larger than
in population.
Butter and cheese increased from 1910
to 1870 as follows 202, 40 40 pounds
at the first census, and 677, OF, 095 at
the last. The yield of hay was nearlyI
trebled. The returns thirty-four YEAR,
ago were not so full as at the two last T.
but they aye still way defective and
some matters unr liable. The real div
fculty has been tointerest farmers
the study of agricultural statistics ~
we are happy 80 believe that new T i
has been called fntoexistence throucGs
the Patrons OF Husbapdrv which NAV do
much TO develop and -sies----ss -
III knowledge. FARMERS should pom
der these pregnant facts
In 1850. the cash value of their farx
including farm implements, machineS
aud live stock, vas 50, 967, 343, 5ScN'
These are large, yetthe gain was nearl
800 per cent. in 20 years only, but on
currency in 1870 was not the same al
1850 We will givethe official returns
in words. which viii better suit some'
readers-eleyen billion, one hundred
and tweuty-four million, nine hundred
and fifty-eight thousand. seven hundred
and forty-seven dollars.
Who will say tina. our agriculture is
not an immense bBsiness -? The com
mon sense which directs so much labor,
and controls so large a capital from
year to year and generation to genera
ton, should be cultivated deeply, and
wisely, as well as earth or the dead
sand, clay and vegetable mold. In 1850
the writer had charge of all the agricul-
tural department there was in Wash.
ington, and got the acres of improved
and unimprOved lend returned for the
first time IN the history of the nation.
Then the value of the animals slaught-
cred and sold was Sill, 703, 142 in 1870,
it was 1898, 95O,379, an enormous in,
crease for twenty years. Meat has never
been so high in England as at present,
and Tennessee should be one of the
largest meat producing states in the
union.
Tt 1850 the crop of cotton returned
was 2, 469, 093 bales of 400 pounds each
in 1870 it was 3,011,996. The rice crop
fell from 215, 313, 4S7 pounds to 70. 635,-
021 Sugar from 267,577 hogsheads to
81, 943. Tobacco increased in twenty
years from 1919. 752, 655 to 262. 735, 34I
pounds. a good deal of tobacco is now
laised in Connecticut, New York and
Ohio. But perhaps the most noteworthy
figures are those showing the increase
of manufactures from 81 ,019, 1O6, GIG in
1850 to "a, 232, 325, 493. This gain of
over three billion dollars came largely
out of the pockets of farmers. The
total yield of cereals in 1870 was /, 3S7,-
274, 217 bushels rchan0e.