PROGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

I. THE NEW ENGLAND STATES.

BY MICHAEL G. MULHALL, F. S. S.

THE progress of the United States in the last fifty years so far surpasses that of any other nation in ancient or modern times, whether viewed in regard to population, or to industry and wealth, that the subject is one of extraordinary interest, not only to Americans, but to European spectators. In order more closely to study the subject we may consider the Union as composed of five great communities,* viz., New England, the Middle, the Southern, the Prairie, and the Pacific States. All have advanced, although not equally nor in the same direction, and all give promise of steady development in the future.

Beginning with the New England States, we have to consider the smallest of the communities in question, since the collective area of the six States hardly exceeds that of Florida. It is, however, in some respects the most interesting; its historical associations include Plymouth Rock and Bunker's Hill; its academic and literary glories shed a light over the whole Union, and its cities and towns have been the cradle of manufacturing industry in the New World.

Population-The population of New England has not quite doubled in the last half century, while that of the Union has more than trebled; but this is not surprising, since the room for expansion is less, the density of population being 75 persons to

New England comprises Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Middle States are New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The Southern include the two Virginias, the two Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Prairie States include Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, and two Dakotas; and the Pacific States, California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Washington, Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, and Wyoming.

the square mile, while it is only 23 for the whole Union. Progress since 1850 is shown thus:

We have the strongest evidence of the assimilating character of American institutions in the fact that New England is typical of the American people, although half the population is composed of immigrants and their children, the census of 1890 showing:

No less than 70 per cent. of foreign settlers (793,000) consisted of Canadians and Irish, two races that appear to coalesce with Americans more readily than any others. Meantime the character of the New England people has undergone a remarkable change since 1850, the increase of manufactures having been attended with a decline of agriculture, and hence urban population (that is of all towns over 10,000 population) has more than doubled since 1870 while rural has stood still, viz.:

The rapid growth of towns has coincided with a great influx of immigrants from Europe, and thus it has come to pass that the American population has declined from 66 per cent. of the total in 1870 to 53 per cent. in 1890. In other words, the census re

turns show that in 20 years the number of Americans had increased very little, viz. :

If we seek to ascertain the cause why the American population does not increase in New England as it does in other parts of the Union, we are almost forced to conclude that Jonathan prefers agriculture to manufactures, and that in the last 25 years some thousands of New Englanders have gone West, and given over their old farms to Canadians, whose number has increased so much that in 1890 they formed 8 per cent. of the whole population.

Agriculture. This branch of industry has considerably lost ground in New England since 1850, owing to the opening up of the Western States, the cultivated area having declined, and the production of food diminished as follows:

So limited is now the production of breadstuffs that the total grain crop of New England would hardly suffice to feed the population of Connecticut; and as to meat the quantity produced yearly is less than what is consumed in four months. In fact, agriculture is an industry of secondary importance, the cultivated area not exceeding one-fourth of New England, and a large number of the rural population, especially in Maine, preferring to occupy themselve in felling timber. If it were not for the Western States the people of New England would find themselves, as regards food-supply, in the same position as the inhabitants of Great Britain, who mainly depend on foreign countries for grain and meat. Comparing the official returns of 1890 with those of 1850 we find that in New England the size of farms has diminished, viz.:

This is apparently due to an increase of dairy-farms, for we observe that although horned cattle declined by 60,000 head, the number of milch-cows rose from 608,000 to 821,000, an increase of 35 per cent. Nevertheless, the number is still insufficient to supply the population with milk and butter, as there should be at least one milch-cow for every five inhabitants, say 1,040,000. If we sum up the value of all farm products in the six New England States, we find approximately as follows:

The gross result gives an average of $800 to each farm, equal to $14 per acre, the average for the whole Union being $850 per farm and only $11 per acre, from which it appears that the smaller the farm the greater product per acre, the average size of American farms being 78 acres, that is 40 per cent. more than in New England. Coincident with the diminution of New England farms there has been a remarkable rise in the value of land, the census of 1890 showing an increase of 150 million dollars in farming capital since 1850. The following table gives the total value of farms and live-stock in each State, as well as the average of land per acre :

Millions dollars.

Dollars per acre.

The increase of dairy farming has, therefore, greatly enhanced the value of land, to the benefit of the farmers, each farm now representing a capital value of $3,070, against $2,510 in 1850.

Manufactures.-This is by far the most important of all New England industries, and shows a rapid increase in each decennial period, the value of output having quintupled since 1850, viz. :

1850. 1890...

-Millions dollars.Product. Wages.

283 1,499

77

415

The magnitude of this industry is such that, relatively to population, no European country rivals New England in manufactures, as the following table* shows:

The ratio that corresponds to New England is three times that of Great Britain, four times that of France, five times that of Germany. The relative progress, moreover, has been much greater in New England than in Great Britain, viz.:

British manufactures have done little more than keep pace with population, while those of New England show a ratio per inhabitant three times as great as in 1850. Massachusetts stands for 60 per cent. of the total, and Connecticut comes second, but with reference to population Rhode Island shows a higher ratio of manufactures per inhabitant than either of the preceding States, viz.:

Textiles constitute one-fourth of the total, cottons and woollens being almost equal, and other fibers insignificant. Boot-making is also carried on, to a degree that eclipses all European nations. These two industries compare with the same in Europe thus:

*For amount of manufactures in European countries, see Industries and Wealth of Nations, 1896 (Longmans & Co., London and New York).