Agriculturist

One versed in agriculture. Agriculture, n. [Fr. from Lat, ager, a field, and cul tura, cultivation.] The science which explains the mode of cultivating the ground, as to cause it to produce, in plenty and perfection, those vegetable products which are useful to man and to such animals as are reared by him for food or labor. It is the most ancient, the most Fig . 57. THE ROMAN PLOUGH. (Used in the days of Cincinnatus.) universal, and the most important of the arts. Since Cain, "the tiller of the ground," and Noe, "the husbandman," agriculture, the basis of all other arts, has ever been, in all countries, coeval with the first dawn of civilization. A complete history of Agriculture would be the true history of mankind. To give a connected and even imperfect account of the practice, statistics, and history of agriculture in all countries, would be inconsistent with the general plan of this work, and of little use to the reader. We shall, therefore, limit ourselves here to some general remarks on the state of agriculture in our country, which would not find place under other heads; pointing out the principal divisions, in which will be found all useful information on this subject. Agriculture of the United States . -The vast territory of the United States presents every variety of soil and climate. Its agriculture embraces all the products of European cultivation, together with some of the warmer countries, as cotton, sugar, and indigo. The agricultural implements are, in many respects, similar to those of Great Britain and France. But as a general rule, those of the U. S. exceed all others in their wonderful adaptation of machinery for all purposes of cultivation and harvesting of crops. So succe ful have been our farming implements in repeated contests on European soil, that their rapid introduction into foreign markets is only impeded by the greatly increasing demand at home. The disposition of the American to experiment, to test alleged improvements, and adopt labor-saving expedients, gives a great impulse to the genius of inventors, as may be seen by the number of agricultural patents granted, which was but 43 in 1847; while in 1866 they increased to 1778, and during the years ending with the last decade, have still more wonderfully increased. This mental activity of the American farmer, so much in contrast with the blind opposition of the European countrymen to any improvement, is owing, in great part, to the superior intelligence of the former. In Europe, land is dear and labor cheap; but in the United States the reverse is the case, hence the European cultivator is led, by a regard for his own interest, to endeavor to make the best of his land; while the American has the same inducement to reduce to the lowest po ible minimum the proportion of manual labor employed in its operations. Unhappily, this principle is too often carried to a disastrous extreme. A man, po e or of a large estate, with reduced means, believes it nece ary to scratch over the whole, when his a urance of succe would be to concentrate his labor upon a small area. Another cause of deterioration of soil, quoted as a warning in the reports to Congre , is the cheapne of Western lar.ls, the original price of which bears such insignificant proportions to their intrinsic value, that the owner, after having overtaxed the soil for immediate results, deems it cheaper to remove to new lands, than to sustain and increase the productive capacity of his present farm. One result of this error is the removal westward, year by year, of the centre of wheat production, thus adding transportation and other charges to its ultimate cost, threatening to render export next to impo ible. But the immediate consequence of this indifference for conservation or fertilization of soil is, that, with land generally richer than that of European countries, the average production in America remains far below that of any country in Europe. The average yield of wheat per acre in America was 13-75 for the year 1895; & lower average than that shown for the more carefully cultivated fields of the wheat-raising European countries, such as Germany, France, Belgium and Ireland. Table of Grain production in the United States in the census years 1850 to 1890, and in 1895: IMG:content-0091.png:[blocks in formation] The total wheat crop of the world in 1895 was estimated at 2,552,677,000 bushels. The hay crop of the United States in 1895 was estimated at 47,078,000 tons; the potato crop at 297,237,000 bushels; the sugar crop in 1894 was: cane sugar, 611,186,922 lbs., beet sugar, 45,191,296 lbs., maple sugar, 7,633,036 lbs., sorghum sugar, 822,572 lbs. Of this the great bulk of the cane sugar was produced in Louisiana and of beet sugar in California. The cotton crop has increased in the following proportions, the estimate being in bales: 1830, 976,845; 1840, 2,177,835; 1850, 2,096,706; 1870, 3,154,946; 1880, 5,757,397; 1890, 7,313,726; 1894 (the highest yet known), 7,527,211; 1896, 7,162,473. If we now consider the product of American fields as compared with those of Europe, we will find a general decrease in quantity per acre cultivated; which seems plainly to indicate a wastefulne and want of system in the practice of a majority of American farmers. Another suggestive fact concerning the wheat-growing States is, that the yield per acre in each is very nearly in inverse ratio to the time that has elapsed since the settlement of the State. Thus, in the statistical report for the year 1867, the states of California, Nebraska, and Kansas present the highest results. (See PRODUCTS, under the name of every State.) - It is incontestable that the unfavorable average yield of farm crops in America is mostly caused by the facility of new settlements in the Western States and Territories, and this cause may probably weigh for many years on their statistics, if we consider the relative unimportance of improved land in the United States, as shown by the following table; but the increasing interest of the American people in the advancement of agricultural science, and their growing inclination to employ in agriculture capital, busine energy and active enterprise will soon counterbalance the causes of apparent inferiority. "Already there are evidences that among American husbandmen more stable views and more systematic practices are beginning to prevail. In the central settlements of the West, farm animals, the basis of systematic practices, are held in higher esteem than formerly, and a preparation at least is made for some simple rotation of crops. There is a disposition in the South to produce their own bread and meat, and hold their cotton as a surplus. These and other signs of thoughtfulne and growing wisdom are apparent." Table showing the cereal production of the United States in 1895, arranged by States: States and Territories. characterized by having only nine rays in the pectoral fins. They inhabit the Pacific. Agrippa, CAMILLO, a celebrated architect of Milan in the 16th century, who, under the pontificate of Gregory XIII. accomplished the removal of a vast obelisk to St. Peter's Square. Agrippa, HENRY CORNEL I US, B. at Cologne, 1486, author of two treatises on the Vanity of the Sciences, and on Occult Philosophy ; printed at Lyons, 1550. Agrippa Herod. See HEROD. Agrippa, MARCUS VIPSANIUS. The celebrated friend and general of August us Cæsar, B. about 63 в. с. Не commanded the fleet of August us, in the victory of Mylæ; and afterward in that more decisive contest which annihilated the power of Sextus Pompeius, and gave to August us the full po e ion of Sicily. In the naval victory of Actium, A. was again the admiral of the succe ful fleet. In reward for these services he shared with Mæcenas the full confidence of August us, who gave him in marriage his own niece, the sister of the young Mar cell us. A. was previously married with the daughter of Atticus, by whom he had a daughter, Vipsania, after- ward the wife of Tiberius; but he probably divorced her. His rivalry with Mar cell us caused him to be sent in an honorable exile, but he was recalled after the death of his rival. In 18 B. c., he shared with August us the tribunitian power for five years, and was looked upon as the undoubted succe or of the Emperor, when he died, в. с. 12. 6,679,048 Agrip'pa, MENENIUS, consul of Rome, 503 в. с. He is celebrated for having appeased a commotion among the Romans, by the political fable of the belly and the members. D. at an advanced age, very poor, but universally esteemed for his wisdom and integrity. 30,075,992 13,252,458 Agrippi'na, the Elder, daughter of Vipsanius Agrippa 575,745 5,551,484 2,320,010 and of Julia, the daughter of August us, B. about 12 B. C. She married Cæsar Germanic us, whom she accompanied in his military expeditions. On the death of the latter at Antioch, A. D. 19, she returned to Rome. Tiberius, jealous of the affection of the people for A. , banished her to a small island, where she D. of hunger, in 35. 30,547,699 A GRIP PIN A, the younger, daughter of the foregoing, 2,076,812 IMG:content-0092.png:[blocks in formation] Oats. Bushels. IMG:content-0093.png:[blocks in formation] 5,210,172 IMG:content-0094.png:[blocks in formation] 8,306,486 IMG:content-0095.png:[blocks in formation] 40,097,798 1.690,046 Colorado, 3,690,976 IMG:content-0096.png:[blocks in formation] Connecticut, IMG:content-0097.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0098.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0099.png:[blocks in formation] Florida, IMG:content-0100.png:[blocks in formation] Georgia, IMG:content-0101.png:[blocks in formation] Idaho, IMG:content-0102.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0103.png:[blocks in formation] and mother of Nero, was at once cruel and licentious. After losing two husbands, she married her uncle, the emperor Claudius, whom she poisoned in 54, to make way for her son Nero, who caused her to be a a inated, and exhibited to the senate a list of all the crimes of which she had been guilty. 19,067.914 Agronom'ic, AGRONOMICAL, a . Relating to agronomy. 31,404,493 Agronomy, n. [Fr. agronomie, from Gr. agros, a field, and nomos, a rule.] The science or theory of agriculture. 7,240.982 36,536,311 Agros'teæ, n . pl . [Gr. agros , a field.] ( Bot . ) A tribe 121,986 4,390,322 of plants, ord. Gram in acer.