Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-29
Our GOOdly Heritage.

Within half century ten million emigrants
nave landed on our shores. They have come
Europe. and from distant China,-racing to get
nrst to the Land OF Plenty. Huddled together
and nalf starved In the Storage OF leaky YES
trating region inhabited only by red men
struggling over the forest capped mountains OF
Inc middle states. spreading over the praires
south, and crossing the scorching sands of the
plains, the bold army of the worlds adventurers
mas Kept up a ceaseless westward march.
Million strong eas Shagged t the Whoie fs sa
| OF a continent. At the outset of It's march a
waterway was built which formed connecting
| Atlantic seaboard and the vast territories Dor
dering on the great lakes; and with this advant-
| age the northern coast cities began wonderful
career OF prosperity, and New York became the
metropolis of the western world. Spreading to-
ward the interior of the country, the population
has pushed on to the agricultural regions, and
ward four hundred miles. The centers of
production have closely followed, until now
the eastern, north middle. and southern
| demand for wheat. The south middle states
have small surplus. The Ohio valley has
surplus of nearly half its crop. and the more
! than their home demand. The wheat crop OF
thirty years ago was about 10OOOo,0OO bushels,
divided into equal volume by the Slst degree
west from Greenwich; In 1859 the center of pro-
duct1on had advanced to the S5th degree; in 1869
| to the SSth degree, and last year. it is safe to
say, the enormous crop of $50 000, 900 bushels OF
| wheat was divided equally by the Goth degree OF
longitude. The thirteen original states have
extended into an empire so vast that territory
only 5000 square miles less than the entire area
| OF those states has been given away to aid 10
building railroad system which has united
the Atlantic with the Pacific, the north
e e1no.l lakes with the gulf and proved
| western states, cliuging affecttonately to the
! coast. and awaiting the advent OF that vast
army OF friendly invaders. The population OF
half century ago knew little of the extent OF
the goOdly heritage to which they were born and
had not explored the fertile lands of the great
northwest, which are fast making America to
the world what Africa was to ancient Rome. -
its granary and Its StOrehouSe
Having ascertained the distribution and gene
raj movement Of our crops, it may next be well
10 take glance at their growth and present ex-
tent. To this end the following table, which
have carefully prepared from Official sources
may prove of INTEREST,"
Product. 1sc5 1870 Increase in
Wheat bushels l4S $50 $50 AS 1856 900 800 POP IN
Corn, bushels. T04 42 S53 544 S99 990 $40 23I
OATS bushels .225, 252 295 364 25 600 1879 600 sos
Rye, bushels. 19.543,9o5 23,S46,5o0 4,102, $50
Cotton, bales. 22,22S9 s7 5,O20,3S7 2,79l 400
Tobacco, lbs. 1s3 316 953 3S4 $50 POO 700
Hay. tonS..... % 53S, $40 So CAS- 600 ~ no 800
Potatoes, bush, 10l G32 095 Isl 1863 600 80 1871 0O5
A careful study OF this exhibit will give some
idea of the United States OF to day compared
with the United States at the close of the war:
the cold leaden figures tell story of progress
and development which may astoniSn those
who have not watched the subject closely. In
fifteen years the production OF wheas aud bar
ley In the United States has treble1; corn, cot
ton and tobacco more than doubled; oats IL.
creased nearly $40 600 900 bushels; potatoes
nearly doubled, and hay increased more than
one-thhd.-Robe11 P. POrte, IN Late1mati0nai
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