Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURE
GROWTH IN AMERICA SINCE THE
PILGRIMS LANDED.
No Beasts Of Burden In the Early
Day-The Transition
Period.

The study Of the progress made In agri-
culture In this country by one of the Lead
ing officials at the Department Of Agricul-
ture developed vast amount Of Informal
ton interesting to the general public a por-
ton of which Is the following:
For many months after the arrival OF the
Pilgrims at Plymouth they had no beasts
Of burden. When at last a few cows were
brought over they were poorly fed on the
coarse, wild grasses, and often they died
from exposure and want of proper food. or
fell prey to the wolves or the Indians.
Owing to the difficulties and expense % i'm
portation the price was so high as to put
them beyond the reach of many even in
| moderate circumstances. In the colony Of
Massachusetts Bay red calf soon came 10
be cheaper than a black one on account
of the greater probability of its being mis-
taken for deer and killed by the wolves.
When cows were high as to sell In
1886 at from EDS to EDO sterling at Ply
mouth. and oxen at f40 a pair. a quart of
new milk could be bought for penny.
The OK Of that day was small ill-shaped
and In every way inferior to the OK of the
present time. During the early part Of the
last century the average gross weight of
the neat cattle brought for sale to the
Smthf1eld market was not over $40 pounds.
Dairy cattle were first brought to Virginia
in 1911 and to Plymouth in 1924. from the
coast Of Devonshire. Some of the Virginia
cattle were from the black cattle Of Spain.
and those brought to New York possibly
from the Island of Texel. on the coast of
Holland, were mostly, without doubt the
black and white Dutch cattle Those on
the Delaware were brought from Sweden;
those In New Hampshire were the large
yellow Danish cattle, and. as the earlier i'm
portations were the most extensive that
were mada for many years. these various
stocks were crossed and thus formed the
original stock OF the country.
Suffered From Cold and Hunger.
The cattle along the northern Atlantic
coast Jared miserably in winter. having lit.
tie or no protection from storms and cold
and being poorly fed on hay made from
overripe swale grass and salt grass cut
from the marshes. 1t was common opin-
lon in the Virginia colony that the housing
and milking Of COWS in the winter would
kill them.
The first horses taken from Europe to
the western hemisphere were brought over
by Columbus on his second voyage. in 14e3.
In 1927 forty-two horses were landed in
Florida and persisted soon after their ar
rival. The wild horses Of the southwest
were probably descendants of the fine
Spanish horses abandoned by De Soto on
the failure of his expedition. In 1904
French lawyer brought over horses from
Acadia, and these probably laid the foun-
dalton OF what are now known as Canadian
ponies. In 1909 horses were brought to
Jamestown, and in 1929 they were intro
duced into the colony of Massachusetts,
Bay. Horses were brought to New York
in 1925 from Flanders. These importations
seem to have been the original stock from
which the race of American horses was
constituted. But the horses of the United
States as in the case Of other farm ami
mails, have been much improved and diver
sified in special qualities during the last
twenty-five years or so by the importation
Of thoroughbreds from Europe and by we'll
directed breeding.
= To nhohI hot he 6rc$ chn IN
country came to Virginia in 1909 from Eng
land. About 1925 some sheep were brought
to New York by the Dutch West India
Company from Holland. Sheep were
brought into the Plymouth colony and that
of Massachusetts, Bay very soon after the
settlement.
into this country in 1888 from Cuba, and
these were landed in Florida They were
probably descended from some brought
over by Columbus in 1903. The Portuguese
brought swine into Nova Scotia and New
foundland as early as 1853. The London
company imported swine into Virginia in
1902 These were introduced into the
Plymouth colony in 1924 by Governor Wins
York. in 1925 by the Dutch West India
Company.
The Transition Period.
Although the early white settlers i'm
mensely improved and expanded the agri-
culture Of the Indians, 1t Is nevertheless
turs Of the present time that of the pre-
vious century and Of the earlier half Of the
present century was crude, waSteful, I'M
economical. expensive, laborious and
scientific. The transition from the old to
the new was gradual but. having in mind
long periods of time, 1t is apparent that
American agriculture has had two distinct
periods with regard to the characterize
ton above specified. The change has been
rapid since the civil war. and the last
thirty years 50 stand out conspicuously
as belonging to a period OF development
and results. having little similarity to the
long preceding period, beginning with the
eighteenth century and approaching an end
about the middle Of the present one.
The principal opportunity for agriculture
expansion was the immense cultivable area
Of virgin soil primarily to be despoiled Of
its fertility, which was subsequently to be
partly restored and maintained by means
of fertilizers.
The necessity for this expansion was a
rapid and permanent growth Of sturdy
natural increase. but largely from an UNI
precedented immigration from the peasant
been unable to obtain the ownership Of
land in a country of primogeniture we'll
as people who had failed in other coun.
tries, where land values were beyond their
hunger" where they found millions of fer
tile acres awaiting their acquisition at
cheap price.
The City Markets.
Since the birth OF the nation there must
be taken into account also the great and
relative increase in the city population,
which must derive it's subsistence mainly
from the agriculture Of this country with
out contributing to agricultural production.
The population living in cities and towns
of 5000 or more was 1856 per cent Of the
total in 1870, II 40 in 1885, 22. 81 in 1880 % 20
in 1890. and perhaps is about 85 per cent at
the present time. more than one-third Of
the entire population,
These percentages do not include the in
habitants of villages, towns and the small
er cities not engaged In agriculture. who. If
included. would swell the percentage above
35. There has been a further marked in
crease in the non-agricultural elements of
the population. In 1870 the persons ten
years Of age and over who were engaged IN
manufacturing and mechanical Industries
were 1851 per cent Of the total number of
persons OF that age having gainful occupa-
lions. and this percentage had increased to
2.39 In 1890. 1t may easily be % per cent
at the present time.
The number of persons employed in trade
and transportation has increased from $50
per cent of the total number Of persons en-
ployed In all occupations In 1870 to 14G3
per cent in 1890. The percentage for per-
sons engaged in professional services has