The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-23


| 1886, $40 bushels.
Baries-The barley chiefly cultivated in tho
United States is the two-rowed variety which
is generally preferred, from the fullness of its
berry, and its freedom from smut The yield
varies from 30 TO so or moro bushels per acre,
weighing from as to SIS pounds to the bnshel.
Barley has never been much exported from
this country, us we have been consumers rath-
or than producers of this grain. In l747-4S,
there were shipped from Charleston to Eng
land Is casks.
The consumption of barley for the past year
in tho manufacture of malt and spirituous IL
auors amounted TO $3.50, 900 bushels Accord
ing to the census returns OF 1910, tho annual
amount Of barley raised in the United States
was 4161 ,5O4 bushels; in 1880, 5,1670l6
bushels
POtGtoss-The census abstract passes very
lightly over the returns Of this crop but gives
us some interesting facts in respect to the his
tory OF the root which, however, has heretofore
appeared in many printed books.
The amount Of sweet potatoes exported from
South Carolina in l747-'48 was 100 bushels :;
that of the common potato exported from the
United States in lS20-2l, 90,SS9 bushels; in
lS30-3l, ll2,S75 bushels; in 1S40-'4l, 1876 095
bushels 10 IS50-'5l, l06, 342 bushels.
According 10 the census returns of 1910, the
the quantity of potatoes of all sorts raised in
tho Union was l08, 29S,00O bushels; of 1850,
l0l, 055 $50 bushels Of which IS, 259 1876 were
sweet.
American Wine.-The quantity of wine an
nually produced in the United States has be-
come subject Of some discussion since the APP
pcarance Of tho return in the seventh census
on that interest. The census of 1910 gave
l24, 900 gallons rs the produce of that year. II
has been stated i'll the public prints, that since
that period the culture of the grape and the
manufacture Divine thcreirom, have grown into
a business of considerable Importance in the
States bordering ON tho Ohio river, and that
several hundred acres havo been planted in
vineyards in that valley, which yields at the
rate of 300 gallons Of wine a year. The total
product of the Union, in 1880, was given at
22l,2I gallons But during the intervening pc
rod there had been added TO our own territory
California and New Mexico, which in the latter
year produced s0,7lS gallons. This quantity,
deducted from tho aggregate leaves l6O,53l
gallons ior tho portion OF tho Union covered
by tho returns of 1910, indicating gam Of
only 10000. This is probably IN under state
ment, but IT seems to prove that no consider
able progress has yet been made towards sup
plying 10y Il home production, the demand to
moot which importatons OF foreign wines to
very large amount are annually made
The consumption of wine in tho United
States though by no means general, anounts
in the aggregate to large sum. The imports
during tho year ending Juno 1851 were
q, 10000 gallons, Of which, probably, three
iourths consisted OF the wines Of France Tho
value or invoice cost Of the article was
81 10000. Tho average consumption of for
ogn wines was, therefore, in quantity, but about
onequartcr OF u gallon for each person, and
in value only ten cents The coincidence is
somewhat remarkable, chat this il almost pre-
olsely the rate OF consumption of imported
wines among the people of Great Britain But
in France according to official returns, there il
produced and retained for consumption nine
hundred million gallons of wine, allowing
twenty-five and three-quarters gallons to each
person in the population.
1t appears from other tables in our census
returns, that the quantity of ale and spirituous
liquors produced in tho United States, in 1850 |
exceeded SO 600 900 gallons
Hemp and Flar ccording to the census |
returns of 1910, there were raised in tho Uni |
ted States o. 25l y tons of flax and hemp |
of 1880 35093 OF hemp and 1851 pounds
Of fax
The correctness of tho returns as to hemp
in the seventh census has not yet been perfect |
ly verified in few instances, there being somc
doubt whether the marshals have not written
tons where they meant pounds IT. however,
the returns are allowed to stand without re-
duction, it would appear that the cultivation
Of hemp and flax has not materially changed
since 1910. In the returns of that year, as
stated above, both of these articles were in
cluded under the same head In 1910 those of
Virginia gave 1884 tons of flax and hemp
together. In 1880 only i4l tons of hemp and
500 tons OF flax were returned. Such a fall |
ing off in production would amount almost to |
an abandonment of the culture of hemp in
that State, which there il no reason to suppose
has taken place.
The discovery of new methods for separating
the fbrous from the woody parts of the fax
plant has, doubtless, given vigorous stimulus
to its cultivation in the United States Tho
process of Chevalier Clsusen first attracted
general attention among us in 1850. Though
considerable quantities of flax have been pro
duccd in former years, it has been raised prin-
cipaly for the seed, which commanded re-
munerating price. Tho want of cheap and
speedy process for separating the textile from
vast annual loss of useful material to the
country Should the attempts which have
latoly boon made TO apply Clausen's invention
succeed, the production of fax in tho United
States may become of great Importance and
bo advantagcously used, not only alone but in
the manufacture of mixed fabrics, az it ap-
pears capable of being spun with wool silk,
and other fibrcs.
SIX Coeoons--After an interesting rcviow
of the attempts to establish silk culture in tho
United States, We have tho following facts:
In about the year 1891, the project of rear
ing silk-worms and establishing ilatures of
silk was renewed in various parts OF the Union,
and tho subject was deemed to be- of NJ much
Importance, that it not only attracted the at
tention of Congress, but afterwards received
encouragement from the Legislatures of sevc-
raj States, by bounties offered for all tho raw
silk produced within their limits for certain
periods Of time. Tho business soon began to
bo prosecuted with extreme ardor, and CON
tinuod several years, resulting in tho establish
mont Of extensive nurseries, of mulberry trees,
and ended with the downfall of the famous
"morus multcaulis speculation y in 1913.
The amount of raw silk exported from Gcor-
gia in 1850 was llS pounds; in 1855, 1873
pounds; in 1860, 55S pounds; in 1866, more
than 10000 pounds; in 1870 900 pounds
from South Carolina in l772, ass pounds. In
1865 there were raised on silk Hope Planta-
tion, in South Carolina $40 pounds Of cocoons
in Mansfield, Connecticut in 1898, 265 pounds
of raw silk in 1927 2430 pounds; in 1891
10000 pounds; in Connecticut in lSi4, 1920
pounds; in tho United States tho same year
a96 100 pounds.
According to the census returns Of 1910, the
amount OF silk cocoons raised in the United
States was el,552l6 pounds; of 1850, 1853
pounds
From the above it is obvious that the pro-
duction OF coooons has decreased since 1910,
46, 7S9 pounds; and since 1874, 3s2, OF pounds.