Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-07-02
Our Agricultural Progress.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the
new census will he the statistics showing
the advance of industrial interests in the
last ten years in various parts OF the coun-
try. The Census Bureau has Just issued
its bulletin containing the preliminary re-
port of the production of cereals in the
several States and Territories. including
as such Indian corn. wheat, oats barley.
rye. and buckwheat. The statistics cover
the production for the year 1879, and are
compared with those of the last census
covering the year 1869. The comparison
is somewhat impaired by the fact that the
acreage is given now for the first time and
that 1869 was rather an uniavorable year,
on account OF drought. But the great in
crease in production shown by the figures
substantially indicates the actual advance
which has been stimulated by opening the
way into foreign markets especially for
Indian corn and wheat. The apparent in
crease in Indian corn is l33 per cent and
the three States of Illinois. Iowa. and
Missouri produced more in 1879 than the
entire country in 1869. The advance in
Illinois is from l29. 92l ,395 to S27 100, s9J
bushels In Kansas the production in
creased five-fold in the ten wears, and in
Nebraska Mt still higher rate. the ad-
vance being from i,736.7l0 to 5.7S5 .572
bushels In these two States there was II
heavy Immigration. and much new and
fertile land was brought under cultivation.
But there was a considerable increase in
nearly all the States. even those in which
the advance in population was small. and
the gain is especially noteworthy in the
South as indicating progress in diversity
IN, Tho frannral tyatf, in hu ot
ton States is 10 per cent,
The increase in the general production
Of wheat for the whole country was -
per cent. for the deccnnial period. This
was preceded by gains of 60 aud 80 per
cent. respectively. in the two previous
decades. so that the advance since 1850 is
especially worthy of note All the States
and Territories. except Florida and Wy
oming. have reports of wheat production,
but in several of those on the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts there is diminution.
Seyen-tenths of the entire crop is pro-
duced by the following States. named ac-
cording to their rank in this respect: III
inois. Indiana. Ohio, Michigan. Miuneso-
tn, Iowa. California. Missouri, and Wis
consin. The greatest reletativc increase
in these States 10 shown by Minnesota,
Michigan. and Wisconsin, but here again
the Young and growing States of Kansas
and Nebraska show the heaviest relative
gain of ALL the Weld in 1879 being six
times for Nebraska and nearly eight
times for Kansas what it was in 1869.
There has been an important advance in
certain sections of the South. notably the
piedmont region of Georgia and the Car
olnas and the north central counties OF
Texas. but the Northern Mississippi Val
ley and the Pacific coast maintain their
precedence rs whcat-growing regions.
Oats also show an.increrse largely in ex-
cess of the advance in population. This
appears chiefly in the West. though in
certain portions OF the South, which on
the whole, is an uniavorahle section toI
this grain. there is a very notable advance
Georgia. South Carolina. and Texas for
instance. multiplying their product sever.
al told. Four-tenths of the area and
nearly half the production of this crop i
found in the four States of Illinois. Iowa
New York. and Pennsylvania. Californis
and New York produced half the
barley of the country. but Wiscon
sin. Iowa and Minnesota made tn,
heaviest gain in the ten years. IN
the South there is no appreciate,
advance. The production of rye has de
clined in proportion to the population o
the country. and Pennsylvania, Illinois
and New York produce halt the crop. IL
some Western States there is decided
gain. but in other quarters there is :
heavy falling of. TIE growth of buck
wheat has not kept pace with the iuereas,
of population. Ii is scarcely raised at al
in the Soath. bnt little in the West. and
two-thirds of the whole crop is produced
BY New York and Pennsylvania.
The cereals are still to be rated n
Northern productions. and the Census Blu
reau has not vet furnished us with the sta
tistics of the special products of the Sonth
The bulletin for tobacco. is. however at
hand. The general increase for the last
ten years appears to be so per cent. but
this is said to be an exaggerasion of tbs
actual advance, as the C, op of 1869 WAS q
light one. Kentucky holds the first rank
= = tchacco state. raising So per cent. OF
the entire product of the country. Its TO
hi yield in 1879 was l9l.l2l.l34 pounds
AGAINST lu5 .3Q5.s69 in 1869. Virginia
hS,lds the second place and peunsylvanis