Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1856-12-25
From the United States Economist, Dec. 9th.
Raw Products and Migration.


in the value of the productions Of the South
ern States. Cotton, tobacco and suger have
increased in volume and price TO an extent
which has on,run every other raw product ol
the Union. As this increase has taken
place, the value Of the hands has increased
in similar ratio and this value puts all
effective check on production. In the West
ern States, at every harvest the want Of
hands is felt severely, and frequently large
crops are lost through absolute inability TO
harvest them. Many fine crop Of grain
has been harvested by swine and cattle, be-
cause hands could not be procured to gath
er them. Notwithstanding the extraordinary
flood of emigrants which has poured over
the fertile plains of the West during the last
few years, the Increase Of products has not
sufficed TO meet the enhanced wants of com.
merce, and prices have been exorbitant.-
The invention of sowing, moving, reaping.
and other machines, has, TO very great
extent, supplied the want 0f manual labor,
but in proportion far less than the exigen-
cies require.
The emigrant, possessed Of little means,
enters tract of land capable of great pro-
! duction with sufficient hands; but the means
of entering land are so easy that nearly
every man has his own land, and his unas-
sisted labor does not suffice to produce from
! il much more than his own requirements
To the use of machines may be attributed
nearly all the SURPLUS that reaches market
from the new States. At the South the
same want, viz: the want of hands, is felt
more directly and severely, since the only
source for the supply Of labor is the pur-
chase Of slaves, and these can be had in
times of emergency only at very advanced
prices. In 1923 the sugar estates of Louis
lana numbered 30S, worked by, 2l,O0O
slaves, and the crop was S7,00O,000 lbs
In 1912 the number of estates was 66S, and
the number Of slaves 50,670; the crop was
100000 lbs. In lS45 the number cf
estates was 1852, worked by $4,000 slaves,
and the crop was lS6,000,0O0 lbs. The
number OF estates in 1855 was ,339 work
ed by 100000 slaves; and the product 346,-
635, ,0Q0 lbs., or TO recapituate, as follows:
No Estates. Slaves. Csks. & Hhds.
1S2S...... 3OS 2l,OO0 $4,000
lS42...,, 66S 90 $40 100000
I ls45....... 1862 $4,000 IS6,O0C
lS55...... 1888 100000 346,635
The vast development of theinaustry has
caused continued increase in the demand
for slaves. 1t is to be remembered that the
land fitted TO mature the cane is not fitted
for cotton, rice, or tobacco, Now the aver
age cost of slaves is S75 per head per all
mum. That is to say, on 100000, $780,
600. Thus the crop of 1855 realized as
| follows:
Sugar.. lb. 346,635,0OO 1881 $50
Moasses. glS. 23,ll3,G2O % 5,77S,2Ol
Sales of CROP. ............ $23 ,1o9,95l
Maintenance of slaves 100000
This sum is TO meet interest on say
| 300 100000 of capital, death of slaves,
SIC. In the last year the crop was only
23l ,427 900 lbs, but lis value was $lS,-
| 100000, and with molasses $2S 100000,
leaving still larger profit. III lS45, when
sold at 30 cents, and moasses at 2 cents,
the profit was still sufficient TO urge the in
crease of planting. At this moment sugar
is worth s cents and mo!asses so cents. A
crop like that of 1855 would therefore turn
out as follows:
| Sugar ......lb. 340.OO000O S S27 100000
Moasses .gls. 23,0OO,0O0 % IL l,5OO,GO0
Which would give profit of $l5,000000
clear over that of 1865. 1t is obvious from
these facts, how great the demand for slaves
must be from the sugar interest, which now
occupies one-eighth as many as the cotton
| interest.
Let us now look at the cotton interest
According to the official returns, the pro-
duct of hand on cotton estate in Louis-
Il
ana is l,600 lbs, ,of cotton, say bales. In
1874 the United States crop was 2 1874 600
bales, employing 100000 slaves, In 1854
it was 3,527,00 bales, requiring 100000
slaves. 1t is stated that the average cost Of
slave on cotton estate is $50 per annum,
instead of S75, as on sugar estates. The
value of the crops would be as follows:
1874 Bales.
Sales $500. 2,s9l,00O S25 500, 100000
Slayes.... 100000 30 lS,000,000
Surplus..,. ...... ........ S42,lOO,OOO
| 1856 Bales.
Sales. 1921 800 $40 Sal, ,ll2,O 900
Slaves ...,... 100000 80 27000,000
Surplus "... $ll4, 600
Thus the cotton demand for slaves at this