Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-09-16
Diminished Agricultural Product.

There IL ono matter of evidence which
do not think has as yet been brought
before the public, says President
Wells, OF tho Social Science Association,
in his address on the hard times the
comparative or absolute decrease in the
production of those staple articles which
may DO regarded, more than all other
things, IA the fundamental clements OF
wealth In this country, aud which ara
also orr chief articles of export. Thus,
II we take tho ratio OF increase In the
production Of cotton, corn, tobacco,
pork, seeds, hemp, buckwheat and other
agricultural products, established year
by year, from 1850 to 1860, inclusive,
and use that ratio to calculate the pro-
duct of these same articles in 1870, we
shall find that the arrest of production,
or the retardation of increase, has been
almost startling, amounting, in the case
Of cotton, TO seventy-four per cent.
corn, twenty-six per cent; tobacco,
twenty seven per cent. pork, thirty-two
per cent, butter, twenty. nine per cent. |;
hemp, seventy-one per cent; buck
wheat, sixty per cent, maple sugar, ten
per cent. honey, thirty six per cent,
and grass seeds, seventy three per cent.
On the other hand, very few of our
great agricultural enthusiastically
wheat, oats, hay and hops-show pro
duct considerably greater in 1870 than
would have been had the crop simply
followed the law OF ratio of increase pre-
vailing from 1850 TO 1860; the crop OF
wheat, for example, having been 2S7,-
600, 600 bushels in 1870, against an esti'
mate of 211 ZOO, 900 bushels founded on
the previous ratio of increas' Here,
then, is demonstration that many, who
in 1870 were consumers or engaged IN
occupations which are said to be over
done, should have been employed in
supplying the large deficiencies in our
staple agricultural products to which l
have called your attention. Again, the
predominant interests of this country
being agricultural, what better evidence
of healthy, prosperous, natural growth
could we have than an increase in well
improved, well stocked farms, in excess
of the growth of population. We had
that evidence from 1850 to 1860 in an in
crease during that period of forty-four
per cent. in impro we'd acres; while the
increase of population during the same
time was but thirty-fve per cent. But
from 1860 to 1870 the number of i'm
proved acres increased but sixteen per
cent, or six per cent less than the in
crease of popula ion. And in regard to
stock there were absolutely 900, 900 less
of neat cattle, 5000, 900 less swine, and
100000 less working oxen in 1870 than
in 1860. During the same period there
was n comparative falling off in the
number of horses on farms, and an alb
solute falling off in the number of mules
and asses; while there was ap addition of
nearly quarter of million OF horses
to other than farm purposes--in the
main undoubtedly for pleasure pur-
poses. These last, at moderate esti
mate of 5000 each per annum for their
keep, involve an outlay OF $4,000, Geo,
and sufficiently indicate where the ex
ceptional excess of hay and oat product,
above noted, has gone to. The excess
in the product of hops also tells its own
story, while the deficiencies in the
coarser foods-pork, rye, buckwheat,
potatoes, beans and peas-speak clearly
OF change to more sumptuous living
among the masses of the people.