The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-09-21
Hay vs.. COTTON.

The fact that three fourths of the cotton crop
is exported to Europe, and the remaining fourth
to the North, has given it q oonsequenoe.in the
eyes of the public far beyond its real worth.
Almost every pound produced, figures in the
tables of foreign or domestic exports, and thus
makes a noise in the world whilo hundreds of
millions of dollars worth of other articles, of
greater value, are consumed at home, and are
never heard Of Ii is for tho same reason that
the States which produce cotton, tobacco,
sugar, and rice, have been called the producing
States while other States, which produce the
homely articles of hay and grain, are left out
of view, as of secondary account in estimating
the agricultural resources of the country. This
fsllacious mode of speaking and reasoning re-
ceived dignity and consequence from the state
ly dogmatism of Mr. Calhoun and although
the error which it involves has often been
pointed out, it is still repeated. We proceed,
therefore, to state precisely the quantities and
values of cotton and hay, respectively, accord
ing to the Census of 1850, which is the last
return We have of the hay crop. The returns
in both GASES are for the year lS49.
According to the Census Report, the cotton
crop for the year ending jane Ist, ls5O-in
other words, the crop of 1S49-smounted TO
2,466, SOB bales, of 400 lbs each. The averaoe
price per pound was perhaps something under
ten cents; but, allowing ten cents, we have
forty dollars per bale of 400 lbs At this rate,
the 2,466,603 bales will come to SOS, 664, 100.
The hay crop, according to the Census, for
the year ending june 1st, 1s50-we presume
it must mean the crop of 1S49-was 3 sac 295
tons. Of this immense crop, the slaveholding
States, including Delaware, produced 1, 1877 81 3
tons-leaving 1851, 1892 tons for the produc,
of the free States. But as our object is to in
stitute comparison between the products of
the two sections of the Union, we will deduct
from the Northern crop an amount equal to
that of the South, and show the value OF the
excess, In comparison with cotton. This excess
of the Northern hay crop over that of the
South amounts to ,553,46 tons; which, at
twenty dollars per ton, will come to the round
sum Of 1921, O69,3sO, which is considerably
more than twice the value Of the cotton crop.
We have probably rated the value of hay, as
well as of cotton, at something above the ordi-
nary selling price; but we believe that hay Oft
ener reaches twenty dollars per ton than cotton
zen cents per pound
Hay is consumed at home, or in domestic
markets, and consequently makes little noise
in the commercial world; but ID is not the less
valuable for that reason. In fact, when an
article is consumed at home, its full value Is
realized, since all the expense of transportation
and the profits of merchants are saved.
We have shown that the excess of the hav
crop Of the North over that of tho South is
worth nearly two and half times the value Of
the cotton crop. We now proceed to state
from the Census, the value of the tobacco and
4 sugar crops.
The tobacco crop Of the South, for the yeal
1919, according to the Census Report, wa
1874, s93, s07 lbs. which, OF seven cents per ID.
comes to sl2, s4s,57a4e.
The sugar crop for the same year wa
247oi5 hogsheads, of 1000 lbs each, o.
247,o45,O00 lbs. At five cents per lb., it vii
come to $l2, s52, $50.