The Osceola times., 1883-12-15
FARMERS COLUMN.
INTERESTING . INSTRUCTIVE READ
M0 FOR FARM AND FIREsIDE.
Progress Of Our Agriculture.

Progress Of Our Agriculture.
The progress made in our agriculture
during the past half century has been
wonderful, though not, perhaps, greater
than in some other occupations. Fifty
years ago, for example, moving and
reaping machines were almost unheard
Of tile draining was equally unknown in
this country, while sub-soiling, top-dress-
ing, soiling. the rotation of crops, and the
use of commercial fertilizers were not in
vogue, at least among ordinary cultiva-
tors. In the matter of farm implements
alone the improvement made has been
astonishing vast, indeed, that II is
beyond computation, IL the term be ap-
plicable, for the Universal Yankee Ma
ton" has outstripped all Others in fact,
'all the world and the rest of mankind"
lin the line of inventions calculated TO
save and economise the labor of the
husbandman. s
And With improved tools and imple-
ments, in many instances better, cheaper
and withal far easier modes Of culture
have been introduced. Those who can
remember the laborious, back-aching
processes 90 universal in leading farming
operations forty and fifty years ago las
she writer. though not a very "old fogy,"
we'll does), must certainly appreciate the
relief afforded by labor-saving machine
ry. Instead of having 10 perform mus
'clA.tfying and exhausting labors Of hand
hoeing, moving, reaping, cradling, rak-
ing and binding, threshing with fail,
and other like irksome and onerous
operations, the farmer Of to-day-if he be
wise and progressive-makes compara-
tive picnic Of tasks formerly formidable
and wearisome.
And yet, great as have been the ad-
vances already mentioned, the increase
of and improvements in our domestic
animals are almost equally wonderful.
Without stopping to give facts or figures
in regard to a matter with which our
readers are familiar, it Is only necessary
to.sontrast the quality and numbers of
osu live stock with the same in former
years-say from 25 to so years ago. Our
breeding, grazing and dairy interests
have, indeed, made astonishing strides
even during the past decade, and when
we contrast the live stock Of to-day with
that of so years ago, the improvement
and increase appear most extraordinary
Our production Of beef and pork, largely
exported to the Old World, is alone re-
remarkable, while that of butter and
cheese has surpassed all expectation.
The dairy belts and grazing regions of
this country are producing amazing
results, as statistics abundantly testify.
Although our American stockmen may
not adopt the nice methods of manage
ment and feeding animals practiced in
some Of the old countries, they are nev-
ertheless making breeding, grazing and
dairying quite profitable.
But let ms take another view and see
what progress has been made in the way
of cereal production. The last census
shows that the ten years between 1870
and 1880 comprised the most remark
able period Of agricultural growth and
prosperity in the history of the United
States. For example, the entire cereal
product of the country made the enor-
nous advance of nearly 100 per cent. in
Q single decade! During the preceding
ten years (which included the war for
the .Union) the increase was only IL per
cent, while between 1850 and 1850 IL was
3.per cent. ..i.... .t..-
. The yield of wheat alone advanced
1870 to 1880 from 287 ,O00, 600 TO 458, 900, 900
bushels, gain of rs per cent, while the
production of Indian corn sprung from
760pOO,00O to 1,772,000,000 bushels, an
increase of 1873 per cent! The enormous
productive capacity of the great West
and Northwest is exhibited by the fact
that 7-l0 of the entire wheat crsp of the
United States is grown in the States OF
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa,
Minnesota, Wisconsin and California
while the three States of Illinois, Iowa
and Missouri together produced in 1879
the last year covered by the census
returns-upwards Of s00,000,0 900 bushels
of corn, or more than the yield Of the
entire country in 1869.
With such evidences of wonderful pro-
greas and improvement in our agriculture
is it spreadeagleish or grandiloquent to
claim that the United States--this Rural
Republics the most progressive and
productive nation on earth? And, verify,
with such facts before them, even though
the past season has been less favorable
than some of its predecessors, have not
the rnralists of this fertile and widely
extended country abundant. cause to
render most grateful acknowledgements
70 the Giyer Tribune and Farmer.