The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-08
MIGHTY ACHIEVEMENTS OF The
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
sTATISTICS SHOWING THE
enormous GROWTH or
AMERICAN FARM PRO-
DUCTS AND MANU.
FACTURES.
interesting Address by Hon.
George B.. Loring, United
States Commissioner Of
Agriculture.

The rapid growth of American indus
try constitutes one of the most impOr
,ant and interesting chapters in the his
tory of civilization. The stories Of dis
eoyery and conquest, Of commercial adj
venture and military power, have
charms which more prosalc occupations
are not expected to possess. And
vet they all sink into insignlicance be
fore the recital of the steady aud triuln
miami march of that vast army OF busy
and devoted sons of industry who have
cleared the land and opened the mines,
cd the great highways of travel and
transportation over valleys and through
mountains, and created churches and
school houses, organized cities and
towns, and ted and clothed and educa-
ted themselves, and have filled the com
merce of the world with the fruits of
their toll. The chosen career Of the
American people has been a career Of
neaceful industry, and their achieve
ments on this field have won the admi-
ration of the world from their years
of maturity and strength. More than
three quarters of a century ago, Sheri-
dan exclaimed in theHouse ofCommons:
America remains neutral, prosperous
and at peace. Turn your eyes to her;
view her situation, her happiness, her
content, observe her trade and her man
utactures, adding daily to her general
credit, to her private enjOyments, and her
public resources, her name and gov
ernment rising above the nations OF
Europe with a simple but commanding
dignity that wins the respect, the conf
dence and the affection Of the world"
And contemplating the genius of our
institutions and vital force of our repub
lie. De Tocqueville declared, Then will
there come a time when there will be
seen in North America 10000, 900 OF
men equal among themselves, who will
sl belong to the same family, who will
have the same point of departure, the
same civilization the same language, the
same religion. the same habits, the same
and among whom thought
will circulate In the same form and
paint itself in the same colors. All else
IS doubtful; but this is certain. Now,
here is a fact entirely new in the world,
of which imagination itself caLnot grasp
the import.
Unchecked by war, and defiant
of all disaster. this republic has
increased in population at the rate of a
million a year during the last ten years,
r~iyaliae now every country in the world
except Russia, and attracting to her
vast communities of people from those
impoverished and crowded nationalities.
w =. 49,, I'D 1870,
spring up here ike magic. The pre-
ducts of new and fertile lands are borne
to the great centers of trade which are
created everywhere by the necessities OF
a teeming population. The civilization
which is advancing with such rapid
strides from sea to sea is indeed a ~civiliza
tion of thrift, intelligence and morality.
Prosperous industry is here the pioneer
of education, the cultivated farm and a
profitable mill preparing the way for the
library and the lyceum, the school house
and the meeting house. Conscious of
responsibilities and duties which attend
them wherever they go, and proud of
that individuality which freedom bs-tows
upon every man who enjoys her infu-
ence, this aspiring and industrious PEG
Die of ours has endowed schools and
col eyes on every hand, has established
more than 10000 churches, has proyi
ded places OF worship for more than 20,
900, 900 of worshipers, and has church
property valued at more than $500,
900, 900. You viii pardon me, | am
sure, if | reEearse to you that wonder
full developn e 1t of industry out O fwnich
this mental aud moral and religious cui
ture has grown.
it is not Necessary to go back a halt
century or even twenty-five years to oh
rain the most gratifying evidence Of ouI
progress in the work OF tilling the soil.
But starting in 1870, at which time We
had reached an enormous production IN
proportion to our population, and max
ing our comparisons with the returns OF
so, we may learn what can be ac-
complished in a single decade by a PEG
pie constantly increasing IN numbers
and occupying new lands. In 1870 the
amount of cotton produced was 4 352,-
81 bales; in 1880. more than 5000, 900
bates. La 1870 the amount of Indian
c,rn raised was 100, 944 $40 bushels; in
1880. 1854, 449, i35 bushels. In 1870
TIE wheat crop was 2S7, AS. 626 bush
Els: in 1880 it was 459, 667 ,U43 bushels.
IL 1870 the crop of oats reached 282,
lo7.157 bushes; in 1850, 4O7, $50 O33
bashels, In 1870 the tobacco crop
amounted to 262, 735, 34l pounds In
1880. it amounted to Ats, lO7, 573
bounds. The increase of agricultural
products was nearly 100 per cent. IN
these ten years. And In the last year
of this decade. from 1879 to 1880, out
OF this vast increase of u crops and
products. our cattle export rose from
SI3. 600, 600 to $l4. 00O. 600; corn from
S43 GOO. 900 to $50, 600. 600; wheat from
sl67,6 9S. 900 to $3.50. SAC, 900; flour
from S35 0OO, 600 to $45, 900, 600; cot
ton FROM 500, $50, 900 to $245, 534, 39l;
beef frum s., 200. 900 to So, 900. 600
lard from SIS, 900, 900 to $35, OO0, 600;
AMI pork from SIS, 900, 600 to SO, 600, 900.
Marx, also, the growth of American
manufactures in half a century. In
1880 the amount invested IN cotton
manufactures was a little more than
$40 90. 900; the number OF splndles
was a million and aquarter. The num-
Der Of males employed was 1889, and
the number Of females was 50, 92'. The
amount of cotton used was II, 159, 3l6
pounds. Fifty years have passed away.
and the number Of spiDdles has increas
cd TO 10, 1s9, lat. The am )unt of cot
ton used in 1880 was 1913, $40, 500
pounds. The number of persons EN-
ployed is Isl ,62S, and the amount of
capita invested in mills and subsidiary
work Is more than 1925, 900. 900. Or
our WOODEN manufactures the statistics
are more imperfect. But have ascer
tanned that in 1910, the capital invested
IN tkiS nntornrSe WAS Xlh 1G5 lo4 the