Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-04-24
THE GAZETTE.
SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL % 1855
UNITED STATES PRODUCTS.

UNllED 81 a ES fhOpCSiS 10
Agriculture is doubtless one of tue rich
ast resources of a nations wealth and
greatness. II has been 40 in allagcs, for the
products of agriculture are the eeuents OF
art and manufacture. We have perused
with Measure an able paper recently read
before the Geogra pbicai Statistical Society
of New York City, By John Jay. esq, in
which that gentleman enters extensively In
to the subject. He describes Agriculture as
the largest Of our patioual interests, em.
ployiug forty-four per cent. OF the male
population, while Commerce, Manufactures,
Trade, the Mechanic Arts aud Mining, en-
ploy but thirty per cent. 1t represents
about fve-sixths of the capital Of the coun-
try, and its products amount to some SIX
teen hundred millions of dollars a year
10 New York, notwithstanding the wealth
of the Metropolis, the agricultural interest
rays three. fourths of the taxes. As MT.
Webster remarked, Agriculture, Commerce
and Manufactures stand together as pill
ars in a cluster, the largest In the centre;
and that largest is Agriculture. AS re-
CARDS the grand Typographical features Of
the country, two-diths of the national ter
ritory are drained by the Mississippi and
It's tributaries; one-iourth of its area be-
longs to the Pacific; one-sixtb to the Atlantic
proper, one twenty sixth to the Lakes; one
ninth to the Gulf, or one.thiId to the Atlantic
including the Lakes and Gulf. There is
total main shore Of $4,000 miles, and the
Rivers entered to the bead of tide water
give total shore line Of SO 600 miles. The
general character of the suil from the Allan
tic to the 9Sth meridian, and Of tho belt on
the Pacific, is of great natural fertility. The
number of acres occupied is some oUOOOo-
about onc-sixth of the national area. These
are distributed among forty States and Ter
Iitores, with l.6O0 county divisions. The
number of farms and plantations is about l.
100000. with ll3, 900 600 of improved acres
and $50 100000 of unimproved. The farms
average 200 acres each. of the average value
of S2,25O, and az average of 500 worth OF
agricultural implements to each The farms
generally are the largest 10 the Southern
States, South Carolina having, among 9,O0O
farms. / 200 of over 1000 acres each, and TO
of over 10 900 acres each. The smallest aver
age is in Maine-about 81 acres-raDging to
about 100 10 New York, New Jersey, New
Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Ohio; rising to
upward of 200 in Maryland, Kentucky aud
Tennessee; 300 in Virginia, North Carolina,
Mississippi and Louisiana; 400 in Georgia,
500 in South Carolina, 900 in Texas, and 4,
400 in California The last two averages
are probably apparent rather than real The
census taken for 1850 shows Indian Corp,
our native grain, to be the great staple OF
the country, yielding at that time SIX bun
dred millions of bushels, valued at three
hundred millions of dollars--more than the
combined value of the three next staples,
Wheat, Cotton and Hay. The crop is grown
from our Northern to our Southern limit,
and affords better test than any other, OF the
advance Of American tillage. 10 no State
has it refrigerated. Its increase from 1910
to 1850 was Sc per cent, while the increase Ut
population was only SO per cent. The crop for
1856 was estimated at eight hundred millions
OF bushels-nearly double the crop OF 1910.
The Wheat crop from 1910 to 1850 increased
oply Is per cent. In New Eugland, the cul-
tiya,ion during that time declined 90 per
cent. Ii languishes in New York. is nearly
stationary in the Middle States. but is in
creasing largely in the Northwestern States.
Chicago, which about twenty years ago i'm
ported -four and meal for her OVID consump-
ton, is now the greatest primary grain mar
ket in the world. rivaliug Odessa and Galatz.
Dantzic and St. Petersburg, and her brands
of -four are recognized throughout Europe
OF our exports OF breadstufs, Wheat Is the
principal item. 10 1850, the proportion was
$4,000. 900 worth of Wheat to only 81 ,Ooo,
900 of Indian Corn. Our exports OF bread
s,uffs, according to Mr.. Jay. have OF late
years siugularly varied. In 1871, owing to
the Irish Famine. they rose to S6o ,OOO, OOO.
They fell in lS49 to S37 900 900 and 10 1872
to $25 OOO 900. rising again in 1854 to 500
100000; sinking the next year to 300 wv
900, and again rising in 1857 to SH,ooo'-
O00.-BdH amer.