The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-12-14

al implements, and records the
fact that sin former times the con.
structlon of utensils of husbandry
was left almost entirely to rude
and Ignorant artisans 1t speaks
IN glowing terms of machine for
separating grain from straw,
which it declares has been brought
to degree of perfection which few
people expected when it was first
introduced So important did
these inventions appear to the au-
thor OF the article, and lest their
construction might become a lost
art, he describes in detail, with
cuts and drawings, all implements
then known to agriculture, to-wit:
plow ten feet in length, a single
section A.shaped harrow, a roller,
tWo-wheeled cart, a drilling ma
chine, reaper that neither gath
cred nor raked nor dropped, ma
chine designed to separate grain
from straw and a tanner.
Time forbids even hasty re-
view Of the more recent as we'll as
more marvellous improvements in
agricultural methods and appli-
ances, which, in forty-fve years,
have reduced the time in human
labor required to produce a bushel
OF corn IS per cent, and, the cost
OF this labor, Notwithstanding ever
increasing wages, 70 per cent, and
which have. reduced the time in
human labor required to raise a
bushel of wheat from an average
OF more than three hours in 1890
to ten minutes at the present time.
and the cost in human labor from
II cents to three and half cents.
Rates of transportation have also
materially decreased. The average
rate per ton per mile charged by
one of the oldest and best known
roads in the United States has
been reduced more than 90 per
cent since 1870, and the average
rate charged by all roads in this
country has been decreased 81 per
cent during the same period. Av-
erage passenger rates have de-
clined 43 per cent in twenty years.
Freight rates in England are near
~ three times as high as in the
United States, and on the CONT
nent of Europe the rates are high
er than in England No wonder
that agriculture has prospered UNI
der these favoring conditions, and
no wonder that conditions are
made most congenial for all indus
trial pursuits when we note the
tremendous product of field and
fold, of mine and quarry, Of fur
mace and of factory.
Products of Country.
.tOur farms produce per annum.
in round numbers, 3,7oo, 900, 900
bushels Of cereals, worth 81, 300,
900, 900. We grow 23o, 600, 900
bushels of potatoes, worth soo,-
900, 900; IS, 200, 900 tons of hay,
worth $500, 900, 900; 1900, 900
bales of cotton, worth 5000, 900,
900; 100, 900, 900 pounds of but
ter and cheese, and market 2,ooo,-
900, 900 gallons of milk, worth in
the aggregate $3.50, 900, 900; clip
27o, 900, 900 pounds of wool, worth
$50, 900, 900, and sell I, 900, 600, 900
dozen eggs, worth $500. 900, 900,
and hold upon our farms 17o, 900,
900 farm animals, worth 81, $50
900, 600 And still | have not re-
ferred to ltobacco, nor cane, beet
and other sugars, honey, seeds,
nuts, fruits, cut flowers, nor MANY
other sources of agricultural and
horticultural wealth, all of which
have been developed surprisingly
during the century. shall not be
surprised if the twelfth census
shall show an annual yield from the
lands of the forty five states worth,
as it leaves the producer, $4,000
900, 900.
"No less remarkable has been
the development of mineral pro-
ducts. We produce Ii, 900, 900
tons of pig iron per annum, IS per
cent more than Great Britain and
nearly 10 per cent more than Ger
many, and over one-third the pro-
duct of the world. At the same
time we manufacture 10, 900, 900
tons Of steel, practically as much
as Great Baitain and Germany.
and 40 per cent of the product of
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