American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-08

The first trial of reapers and mowers
was held at Buffalo in lS4S. Iiie
machines were imperfect and the results
of the trial were not considered impor
tant among farmers. Every year, how
ever, added to the list of improvements
At the Paris Exposition in 1883 three
machines were entered-One American
one English and one Algerian. The frs,
did its work in twenty-five minutes, the
| second in sixty-six and the third in sew
| enty-two. By the year 1864 there were
1877 establishments in this country devot
| ed to the manufacture of reapers and
mowers, the value of their annual prod
| uct exceeding SIS 100000. and the mum
| Der of machines amounting to loo, 600
/ The horse hay-rake was an earlier in
vention than the moving machine, and ia
only second to that in value. 1t per
forms the Ia Dor of eight or ten men, and
from ten to thirty acres day can be
| gathered by a single horse and driver
| without over-exertiOn. The tedder,
| corn-sheller, hay cutter and a multitude
of lesser farm implements might be
| mentioned in which marked improve
| ments Lave been made. AT the Paris
Exposition already referred to an Amer
lean threshing machine carried OF the
prize. its work being found by actual
experiment to be equal to that of 120
men. The total value of farm implements
and machinery, as reported by the census
of 1870. was 1886, S7S, 429, gain of
$1S5, 27O, 791 in twenty years. AS proof
that the mechanical genius of the coun-
try is still actively at work, the fact is
cited that over 1 900 patents for i'm
provements in agricultural implements
were granted in single year, 1872; and
the annual manufacture of agricultural
implements amounts to over $52, 0OO, 900.
The general diffusion of intelligence;
the improvements introduced in nipple
ments and methods of farming; and
the construction of railroads to afford a
market to the inland farmer have had
their natural effect in bringing about a
wonderful development OF agriculture
and rapid increase in the volume of
crops and the acreage under cultivation.
In ITO the total amount of corn exported
from all the colonies was SIS. $40 bushels.
In 1860 the crop amounted to 1856, 792, 742
bushels. The production of wheat has
increased from "a 1923 ,272 bushels in
1910 to 2S7, 745, 626 bushels in 1870. OF
the smaller grains, the rye crop in 1870 |
amounted to about 100000 bushels; |
barley, 30 900, 900; buckwheat, 1O,0OU,- |
of potatoes in 1870 was 165, O47 297 bush |
els. In 1860 the aggregate yield of to-
bacco was 49,, POS, 461 pounds.
The cotton crop has grown up entirely
within the last 100 years. Very little |
cotton was raised in the Southern States
previous to Whitney's invention of the
cotton gin in 1898. Up to that time it
had required al entire day for a man to
clear a pound of cotton from the seed.
Whitney's invention, with other improve
ments and the Introduction of steam as .
motive power, enabled one man to do the
work of z, 200 men by the old methods.
The quantity produced in 1860 was
2. 079, 230 500 pounds, of which l ,765, 49,
735 pounds were exported. The hay crop
also has grown up almost entirely in the
last 100 years. and the yield has in
creased from 10, 250, 900 tons in 1910 to
81, BIG, 048 tons in 1870. The money value
of the crop is not less than $500, OOO, 900,
to which is to be added an equal amount
for the value of grass for summer past
urage, making an aggregate of $780, OO,-
900 for the grass and hay crop of the
This progress has had an effect
on the number and quality of our cattle.
During the last quarter of a century es-
pecially, the importations of choice
breeds of cattle have been numerous.
In this State, for example, there were less
than seventy-five pure-bred Jerseys in
1858; now they number several thou
sands. and the same is true of the Ayr
shires. In 1910 the aggregate number of
the number was 23saO, COS, and
the total value of live stock re-
ported was $1,525, 276,457. AS to
dairy products, according to the
last census, 235, 500 500 gallons of milk
were sold, while the annual butter prod
uct is fully GOO, OOO, 600 pounds, and the
cheese exceeds 200, OOO, 600 POUNDS. The
value of the annual dairy product is over
S40O, 900, 900. The value of animals sold
for slaughter amounts to about the same
sum, or twice what it was ten years ago. |
In swine, sheep and horses there have
been many Improvements in breed, and a
large increase in numbers. In 1870, 2S,-
Az ,951 sheep were reported, and the
quantity of wool raised 100, OOO, 900 |
pounds. The number of horses reported |
at the same time was $3.50, 219, of which
|, Jag S46 were on farms.
Further interesting facts might be
given in regard to the use of fertilizers,
the diffusion of agricultural literature,
and the contributions of science to agri-
culture, but the limitations of a single
article are too contracted to embrace all
the statistics of an industry which yields
the vast income of g 448, OOO,-
BOO. We have given enough to indicate
the wonderful progress which agriculture
has made during the past century, and
to show that it is second to no industry
in the extent and rapidity of its develop
ment. So far is it from exhibiting any
signs of exhaustion that the next century
than that which is just clos