Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-05-09
Fpm shs Boron Pot.
OF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURE.

reading these ngures, Will De SURPRISED that inc
southern states, they more agricultural than
the northern, and IS they are fifteen against six
teen, do not produce more in value annually. But
il must be considered, that while the entire popula-
ton Of the country in 1850, o. 49, 876 the large
proportion Of Ia. 484922 we're Of the free states,
and Ouly g 756,954 Of the slave states. And if We
c5hot the g. 204,3l2 slaves from the entire pOpu-
laden Of the south at that time, there we're only
g. $50 64l freemen left, or not half as many as in
the north Some writer's, who seemed to be filed
With a single idsa attribute every unfavorable ap-
pearauce at the south, as compared with what may
be founded in the north, and would account for the
smaller products of thesOuth and for al similar facts
from the existence Of slavery in the southern
ton of our Union. But this begging the question,
until the southern slaveholders who profess TO be
acting from a sense of their own interests, as we'll
for the good Of the slave subscribe to the doc
trine, aud until 1t shall be proved that the disparity
between the population Of the north aud south, or
the exhausted condition Of the southern soil by an
inappropriate tillage the debilitating influence
OF the climate may not satisfactorily account for
many facts and figures that are adlucel to show
the unproftabeness of slave labor.
In the amount Of improved land Virginia ranks
second in the UniOn. having 10, $50 l35 acres. New
York is first with her y 408 964 In the amount Of
unimproEed laud Georgia Tauks first with her l6,-
442, 800 acres, and Virginia. North Carolina and
Tennessee rank next with nearly as many acres
each Indeed, the souLh has the great proportion
D
In the cash value Of farms New York Pennsylvania
and Ohio rank first, second and third and then
comes Virginia with farms valued at S2l640 543,
OF at not half she value Of those ia New York Ia
respect to horses, Ohio had in 1850 land these
the statistics Of the last census) than any other
state, 1853 397 Kentucky, of ali the above slave
states comes nearest to Ohio, having 3l0, 6S2
horses. All the southern states have good supply
Of horses, quite many the free, in proper
ton 10 their population. She south has most Of
the asses and mules Tennessee ranks first with
IS $685.; while several Of the northern etates have
scarcely any, and the one which has the greater
number, Illinois, count up but 1873
The south has fully its shares of mich COWS; Vir-
ginia takes the fourth rank, numbering 3lS, 6l9
That section has good supply Of working oxen,
and we are surprised to find Missouri with liz I68
and second only to New York. In cattle generally
the south has more than its proportion and its En-
pire State Of Georgia is only third ia those cattle not
already mentioned to the Empire State of the north
New York. The southern states have a fair share
Ofsheep, Ohio having the larger number, and Vir-
! ginia taking the fourth rank. Of the 30,35l,2l3
swine in the country, the south has many than
its due proportion. Tennessee ranks first in this
department, and its neigbbor, Kentucky, occupies
the second rank. As We should expect, the north
| much eXcels the south In the production of Irish
potatoes; but the southerner with their mider skies
carry off the palm entirely in raising sWeet potatoes
But in the production of barley the north beats the
/ SCUM uauQsOm6lYs II producing DuCkWueaLy Too
the north has the field The same is true in respect
to orchards. In the production Of wine, again, the
aorth stands first California furnishing the largest
number Of gallons, while North Carolina ranks as
fifth in the list Though every state produces from
few gallons Of wine up TO IS 055 annually ths
product Of the entire country is very small compared
to what it may become
The products of the market gardens Of the south
fair though there are several states in the north
that raak before Kentucky, the best in the south.
In the article Of butter the north is far in advance
ofthe south. New York leading all the states with
! her 49, 766094 pounds produced annually, and all
these figures refer to annual products As we should
! expect the same section of our common country
ranks first in cheese making, and eat New York
is here the greatest The north Is the great prOlu
hay the other hand the other section yields
fully its share of wheat Virginia ranking fourth in
| this department The south is behind in the pro-
iuction Ofrye but her Indian corn crop far eXcels
that in the other section. Il is true that Ohio is
little before Kentucky, the best southern producer
Of this important cereal. bit them after mentioning
Indiana aud Illinois that produce largely this golden
CROP the eight states of Missouri Tennessee Georgia
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia and North
Carolina excel any of the northern states. and
generally very much excel them. The south has
about its share Of oats Virginia, the first southern
state, occupying the fourth rank.
We now come to four agricultural crops and very
important crops, too, if we except tobacco THAT
!
which the north has little to boast Of the 2l5 3d.,
497 pounds Of rice raised, every pound of it is
rpened southern soil, and il is q striking fact
that more than tWO-thirds of the entire crop, or
l59, $50 6l3 pounds were produced in 1850 in the
single state of South Carolina The south too
yields entirely that important staple, cotton
single free state Indiana one year yielded IA pounds
The annual production is commonly about 469 093
bales Of 400 pounds each. Alabama Yields 564 429
bales, or more than any other state. Georgia is
about equal to her. and Mississippi is next in rank
The cane sugar, too is all product of the south.
which amounted in 1850 TO 247, 577, hhds upwards
Of niue-tenths Of which was produced in Louisiana.
The same state yields ten tWelfths of the annual
molasses product which is some H. 600 900 Of hhds
yearly. The south, too, is the main field for tobacco
The yield is 1873, 752 sos pounds Of which Yirginib
produced st. 6O3 22I lbs, and Kentucky nearly the
same amount; while Ohio gives 10 asa 449, or about
three times much as all the northern states Con-
necticut yields million and quarter of paunds
yearly, more than any other free state except
Ohio Maple sugar is produced to the amount Of
3l,253, 436 pounds. This Of course, is mainly
northern product. Virginia, the greatest southern
producer yields million and quarter of pounds.
So in WOOl-raisDg the north is MASTER yielding the
most of the product Of fftytWo and ahaf million Of
pounds. Virginia and Kentucky are the leading
southern producers of wool, and together furnish
upwards Of five million of pounds There are other
fine grazing states in the same section, such
Tennessee aud Texas. The north far Outstrips the
other section in producing hay, and yields fair
amounted fax, though Kentucky and Virginia are
before all of their sister states IN AK raising The
value of what are termed home made manufactures
in all the states is ST. 493 644 and the south is here
first, Tennessee Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina
aud others ranking higher than any Of their northern
neighbors. The SOUTH again, raises all the tropical
and semi tropical fruits produced in the United
States. The orange once furnished the leading
port of Florida Previous to the frost in 1885, as
TN-W.- Q
annually shipped from St. Augustine. They were
sometimes sold in the grove at $40 q thousand. An
average grove of common sized trees will produce
from 500 to $500 oranges per tree, and they are
worth from s. to S25 each tree One hundred trees
may be planted on an acre of land. Thus there is
large profit to the successful producer, though he
is liable to have his trees destroyed by frosts-
Other precious fruit trees such lemon, lime pine
apple, fig, cocoa, eitron, etc grow thickly in that
marvellous state on our extreme southern border.