The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-11-26

Senator Thurman, of Ohio, delivered
an address at the State Fair before the
MARYLAND Agricultural and Mechanical
Association. Mr.. Thurman quoted nu-
merous authorities on tie sahiect Of agri-
culture, tracing from the records Of
Greece, Rome, Egypt, India and China
the gradually increasing interest is the
productions of the soil down to the nine
teenth century, the era Of scientific treat
ment Of steam plows, reaping machines
and fertilizers We find in our Libraries,
he said, works on agriculture, written
before the Christian era, from which in
struction may be derived by the most
enlightened and skillful farmer of today.
What should be the size OF farm; what
its proportions of arabic pasture, meadow
and woodland (; what crops and manures
are best suited to different soils, what
advantages are derived from open and
underground drainage; when should IT.
rigation be practissd and what are It's re-
suits what are the benefits derived from
land lying fallow, from deep and frequent
plowings; from a rotation of crops; from
turning under green grasses from burn
/ ing the stubbie--are questions, among
many, discussed in these work, and which
are subjects of yet more than two thous
and years. / 90 not propose to discuss
/ the question. "dow minute should be
/ the subdivision of the land p or III other
words. "What is the best average size
of farms ?" but wish to say that the evil
Of farms Of too great size in our country
is much less than seems to 5e generally
supposed, and is steadily diminishing
/ from year to year, as is conciusiye!y shown
/ by our census reports.
Thus, of the whole number Of farms in
1860 nearly Al per cent. were farms Of
less than fifty acres each Of the whole
number in 1860 nearly 80 per cent.
contained less than fifty acres each. In
1860, 705 per cent were under 100 acres;
in 1860, rs per cent. Between $50 and
1870 the number OF farms Of three acres
and under ten was more than doubled :;
those of ten acres and under twenty IN
creased from 1872, 176 to 294, 6J7 over
81 per cent. Those Of twenty acres and
under fifty from 6I6, 558 to 81, 6l4,
equal to 81 per cent. nearly; those OF
fifty and under 100 acres from COS, 61S
to 754, Pol, n per cent. nearly those OF
| 100 and under 800 from 49, ,034, equal
to is per cent ; while those Of 800 acres
and under 600 decreased from 20, 3l6
to 10 1898, and those Of 1 zoo acres and
upward fell from 5, 634 to 1920. Ii is
thus apparent that the small farms
multiply much more rapidly than the
| Xho.
are the greater is the ratio Of their in
crease, while the number Of the very
large ones, instead Of increasing, is IN
dergoing a rapid diminution. The econ
omists will find in these facts some allevi
alton of his fear that our lands will be too
much engrossed, while the statesman,
observing how large a proportion of farms
are owned by their cultivators, will sec
in this happy circumstance one of the
most powerful conservators of peace, or
der freedom and good and stable govern
ment.
| am neither an optimist nor an enthu
siast. but, despite the clouds that lower
DER our horizon, / think that | can see
Il future for our country more prosperou:
and happy than has yet befallen any
portion OF the human race. think thai
| can see more bread for the hungry
more education for the ignorant, more
enjoyment for the weary, more respect
for labor, more widely diffused intelli
gence and a greater material and intellec
tual progress than the world has We
known. 1t may be dream Of the fancy
but it is one that l cherish and fondly
: hope that | may never see dIspelled
| he l}sr Of
chief causes will be the continued growth
of those arts whose promotion in the
object OF your time-honored association
As Il grateful Posterity will not fail t,
honor the memories Of the men who's
intelligence and energy furthered thu
mighty work, | may safely predict TO
your society-already 50 distinguished
2 and so worthy of your great State-tha
! title-the nobest Of all distinctions;
benefactor Of mankind.-Ex.