Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/268

 258 PENNSYLVANIA liamsport is the emporium of this trade. An equally extensive forest of hemlock covers Clearfield, Cambria, and parts of Somerset, Fayette, and Indiana cos. A forest of beech woods, traversed by laurel thickets, and broken by steppes of huckleberry bushes, covers the country of the upper Lehigh, and still bears the name of the "Shades of Death." The botanist Michaux has made famous the varie- ty of species of oaks of Pennsylvania. Very large groves of cherry and black walnut still exist. The sugar maple is abundant. Other species of maple cover all the mountains in the state. The American poplar or white- wood, the gum, elm, persimmon, and other trees abound. Maize is universally grown be- tween the Alleghany mountains and the Del- aware river. Tobacco is successfully culti- vated in Lancaster co. Wheat and rye cover the surface of every valley. Peaches, grapes, and orchard fruits are abundant. Grape cul- ture is highly successful around Pittsburgh. The climate of Pennsylvania is hot in sum- mer in the south and east, and very cold on the Alleghany, central, and northern uplands, where snow 6 ft. deep has been known to lie throughout the winter. The summer heat is prolonged in S. E. Pennsylvania far into the autumn. On the highlands no month passes without frost, and the temperature sometimes sinks to 25 below zero. Along the Delaware, from the middle of June to the middle of Sep- tember, the temperature often ranges between 90 and 100. The wide deep gorges of the Susquehanna and its branches have a climate which might make them continuous lines of vineyard, rivalling those of the Ehine and the Ehone. The average fall of rain and snow varies in different parts of the state from 36 to 45 inches. The climate is highly favorable to health. The malarious fevers of the prin- cipal river valleys are much less dreaded than those of the Mississippi valley. Vegetation is about a week earlier than in New York. Pennsylvania holds a high rank as an agri- cultural state. According to the federal cen- sus of 1870, it ranked after Illinois, New York, and Ohio in the extent of improved land in farms and the total value of all fdrm produc- tions, next to New York and Ohio in the cash value of farms, and next to New York in the value of .farming implements and machinery. The total number of farms was 174,041, and the average size 103 acres. There were 10,028 containing from 3 to 10 acres, 15,905 from 10 to 20, 48,151 from 20 to 50, 61,268 from 50 to 100, 38,273 from 100 to 500, 76 from 500 to 1,000, and 76 having over 1,000 acres. There were 11,515,965 acres of improved land in farms, 5,740,864 woodland, and 737,371 other unimproved land. The cash value of farms was $1,043,481,582 ; of farming implements and ma- chinery, $35,658,196 ; total amount of wages paid during the year, including value of board, $23,181,944; total estimated value of all farm productions, including betterments and addi- tions to stock, $183,946,027 ; orchard products, $4,208,094; produce of market gardens, $1,810,- 016; of forests, $2,670,370; value of home manufactures, $1,503,754; of animals slaugh- tered or sold for slaughter, $28,412,903. The chief agricultural productions, with the num- ber of live stock, and the relative rank of this with other states, were as follows : ARTICLES. Quantities produced. Relative rank. Wheat, bush. 19 6T2 967 g Eye, bush 3^577'641 1 Indian corn bush 84 702 206 3 Oats, bush 36,478 585 2 Barley, bush 529*562 9 Buckwheat, bush. . 2,582 173 2 Peas and beans, bush 39 574 23 Potatoes, bush 12 889 367 2 Clover seed, bush 200 679 1 Flax seed, bush 15'624 3 Grass seed, bush 50642 5 Tobacco, Ibs 3 467 539 12 Wool, Ibs... 6 561 722 Butter, Ibs 60'834^644 2 Cheese, farm, Ibs. 1 145 209 9 " factory, Ibs 1^647 1 467 3 Hops, Ibs 90688 12 Flax, Ibs 815906 4 Maple sugar Ibs. 1 545'917 Honey, Ibs 7.96 989 6 Beeswax Ibs. 27033 f Hay, tons 2,849219 2 Hemp, tons 571 4 Wine galls 97165 5 Milk sold, galls 14 411 729 4 Molasses, sorghum, galls . . . 213,373 14 maple, galls 39385 5 Horses on farms 460 339 g u not on farms 151 149 4 Mules and asses 18009 16 Milch cows 706437 2 Working oxen . . 80'048 19 Other cattle 608066 3 Neat cattle not on farms 16l'846 5 Sheep 1 794 801 5 Swine 867 548 11 Value of live stock on farms $115,647,075 4 The agricultural productions in 1873 have been reported by the national department of agri- culture as follows : ARTICLES. Quantities produced. No. of acres in each crop. Average yield per acre. Total value. Indian corn, bu Wheat, bush.. Eye, bush 86,929,000 15,548,000 3,283,000 1,052,108 1,094,929 226,414 85-1 14-2 14-5 $22,157,400 23,322,000 2,659,230 Oats, bush Barley, bush.. Buckwheat, bu 31,229,000 898,000 2,022,000 1,034,073 19,220 103.692 80-2 20-6 19-5 13,428,470 417,900 1,698,480 Potatoes, bush. Tobacco, Ibs. . . Hay, tons 10,602,000 15,000,000 2,446,400 110,437 12,640 2,127,304 96 1,186 1-15 6,891,300 1,845,000 48,545,920 Total. 5 780 917 $115 965 700 The number and value of farm animals in Jan- uary, 1874, were reported as follows by the same authority : ANIMALS. Number. Value. Horses 557 000 $55 382 510 Mnles 24900 3164292 Oxen and other cattle 722 600 19 141 674 Milch cows ... 812'600 27 018 950 Sheep 1 674 000 5 356 800 Hogs 1 034 400 6 847 728