The Valley of the Shadow

Franklin and Augusta: 1860 Agricultural Production, by Percentages



Franklin farms devoted almost exactly the same proportion of their total grain production on average to wheat as they did to corn, but in Augusta farmers devoted twice as much production to corn on average. Farms of higher value and size in both Franklin and Augusta invested more heavily in wheat production than in corn.
Augusta Franklin
Wheat (percent of Total Grain production) Number of cases Mean Median Number of cases Mean Median
County Average 400 23% 21% 1028 37% 36%
nonslaveholders 231 22% 20%
Slaveholders 169 25% 23%
Best Soil 329 24% 21% 485 41% 40%
Medium Soil 42 27% 24% 510 35% 33%
Worst Soil 29 15% 13% 33 27% 24%
Lowest Farm Value Quintile 66 15% 10% 171 32% 28%
Low-Medium Farm Value Quintile 88 19% 17% 225 34% 32%
Medium Farm Value Quintile 85 26% 25% 206 38% 38%
Medium-High Farm Value Quintile 79 26% 23% 202 39% 38%
High Farm Value Quintile 82 29% 27% 224 43% 42%
Smallest Farm Size Quintile 66 19% 17% 278 38% 34%
Small-Medium Farm Size Quintile 202 25% 23% 637 37% 37%
Medium Farm Size Quintile 72 23% 21% 91 37% 36%
Medium-Large Farm Size Quintile 46 24% 23% 20 37% 36%
Largest Farm Size Quintile 14 21% 21% 2 34% 34%


Corn (percent of Total Grain production) Number of Cases Mean Median Number of Cases Mean Median
County Average 400 57% 57% 1026 34% 32%
nonslaveholders 231 58% 57%
Slaveholders 169 56% 57%
Best Soil 329 57% 57% 484 34% 33%
Medium Soil 42 56% 56% 509 34% 31%
Worst Soil 29 62% 59% 33 44% 43%
Lowest Farm Value Quintile 66 61% 65% 175 40% 36%
Low-Medium Farm Value Quintile 88 59% 57% 223 37% 34%
Medium Farm Value Quintile 85 58% 57% 207 32% 30%
Medium-High Farm Value Quintile 79 55% 57% 197 32% 30%
High Farm Value Quintile 82 54% 56% 224 32% 31%
Smallest Farm Size Quintile 66 61% 66% 278 39% 35%
Small-Medium Farm Size Quintile 202 56% 56% 635 33% 31%
Medium Farm Size Quintile 72 56% 57% 91 33% 31%
Medium-Large Farm Size Quintile 46 58% 61% 20 30% 27%
Largest Farm Size Quintile 14 56% 59% 2 27% 27%


Rye (percent of Total Grain production) Number of Cases Mean Median Number of Cases Mean Median
County Average 400 5% 2% 1055 7% 3%
nonslaveholders 231 6% 2%
Slaveholders 169 4% 2%
Best Soil 329 5% 2% 488 5% 2%
Medium Soil 42 4% 1% 531 9% 5%
Worst Soil 29 9% 4% 36 17% 12%
Lowest Farm Value Quintile 66 9% 1% 186 12% 9%
Low-Medium Farm Value Quintile 88 7% 3% 235 8% 5%
Medium Farm Value Quintile 85 5% 3% 208 7% 3%
Medium-High Farm Value Quintile 79 4% 2% 202 5% 3%
High Farm Value Quintile 82 2% 5% 224 5% 2%
Smallest Farm Size Quintile 66 5% 5% 296 9% 3%
Small-Medium Farm Size Quintile 202 6% 3% 644 7% 4%
Medium Farm Size Quintile 72 6% 3% 93 8% 4%
Medium-Large Farm Size Quintile 46 3% 2% 20 4% 2%
Largest Farm Size Quintile 14 2% 5% 2 12% 12%


Oats (percent of Total Grain production) Number of Cases Mean Median Number of Cases Mean Median
County Average 400 14% 12% 1055 23% 24%
nonslaveholders 231 13% 10%
Slaveholders 169 15% 13%
Best Soil 329 5% 2% 488 21% 21%
Medium Soil 42 4% 1% 531 25% 26%
Worst Soil 29 9% 4% 36 18% 17%
Lowest Farm Value Quintile 66 16% 9% 186 20% 23%
Low-Medium Farm Value Quintile 88 15% 13% 235 24% 24%
Medium Farm Value Quintile 85 11% 9% 208 24% 25%
Medium-High Farm Value Quintile 79 15% 14% 202 25% 26%
High Farm Value Quintile 82 14% 12% 224 21% 21%
Smallest Farm Size Quintile 66 15% 9% 296 19% 19%
Small-Medium Farm Size Quintile 202 13% 10% 644 24% 25%
Medium Farm Size Quintile 72 15% 14% 93 24% 23%
Medium-Large Farm Size Quintile 46 15% 13% 20 29% 30%
Largest Farm Size Quintile 14 22% 22% 2 27% 27%


Augusta Franklin
Cows (percentage of Total Animals) Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 11% 10% 17% 14%
nonslaveholders 12% 10%
Slaveholders 11% 8%
Swine Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 44% 43% 42% 42%
nonslaveholders 48% 47%
Slaveholders 39% 37%
Cattle Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 17% 14% 20% 19%
nonslaveholders 14% 12%
Slaveholders 20% 17%
Sheep Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 13% 5% 9% 0%
nonslaveholders 12% 0%
Slaveholders 15% 12%
Horse Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 15% 13% 15% 14%
nonslaveholders 15% 13%
Slaveholders 15% 12%
Mules Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 2% 0% 1% 0%
nonslaveholders 7% 0%
Slaveholders 4% 0%
Oxen Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 3% 0% 2% 0%
nonslaveholders 2% 0%
Slaveholders 5% 0%

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