The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-07-05
EBENSBURG, PA THURSDAY, JULY ). 1860.

unable to execute such draining and |
whereas it is expedient, as well for the |
more abundant production Of food as for |
increased employment of farming labor
ers, and the extended investment Of -capi- |
tai in the permanent Improvement of the |
soil, that such proprietors should be re-
lieved from this disability, &c, be it enac-
tee" &c.
The system, thus begun, was continued |
by various subsequent acts, looking to its |
perfection. And because, in the language
Of that of lst August, 1849, it was ode
sirable that the works of drainage should
continue to be encouraged ii order to pro-
mote the increased productiveness of land"
it was provided that loans should be made
from the Treasury to accomplish the pur-
pose. Now, sir, let US see how our agri-
culturists, who set their hopes on the
English market for the sale OK their pro
duce are affected and will continue to be
affected by this reform alone. From a
/ table presented to the Society Of Arts. by
/ Mr.. Denton, in December, 1898, and pub
! lished in 1858, in the 9TH vol. Of looks
History, it appears that of the $685., GOO
acres OF land in Great Britain, 43, ,9J1 geo
acres are cultivated and cultivable land
and of this area, there are -, 100000
acres wet land, requiring drainage. And
from the returns then received OF the op-
Grafton Of the drainage laws, there had
been drained 1865, 900 acres, leaving
2l,525 600 acres vet undrained-ncarly
one-half Of the cultivable land of the
/ Kingdom. These returns further show,
that III some instances there has been an
increased yield Of one-fourth over that Of
the same drainage, and in no instance did
it fall below four bushels 10 the acre
Thus, if you take the lowest increase on
any one acre as the standard, the yield Of
their agriculture would be increased
S6,O00,000 bushels per annum; and If we
regard other improvements in cultivation
adopted by the British farmers Of all clas-
ses, and the increased productions of Ire
land from the same causes, can there be a
doubt of their capacity to supply a far
: greater population than is there at pres
: ent, and Of the ultimate success in these
en- ieayors to accomplish it ? | believe
that these facts sufficiently show that
Great Britain, instead Of suffering from
over-population, will yet demonstrate, by
a judieious Investment Of capital in agrI-
culture, that she can afford the means of
subsistence to twice her population. Is it
not, then, sir, the part of wisdom in our
farmers to encourage whatever has ten
? dency to build up home market for their
productions, and lessen their dependence
on foreign market which at best is fuc-
tuating and uncertain, and from which,
by every indication, they will be ultimate
ly excluded ? If it were even otherwise,
however, it is not well that we should
continue to send our raw produce to the
workshops Of foreigners, bu;dened with
charges for freight and commissions, to be
worked up into bars of iron or webs OF
cloth, when thousands at home are anx-
d, ious to do the work. [ observed in the
market quotations, some time ago, the
: price Of corn in Western town, at forty
cents per bushel, and in the same paper
the price at Liverpool was one dol
lar per bushel The producer must
then pay sixty bushels out of every hun.
ired to get that corn to this foreign mar
, ket, to be exchanged for goods to be i'm
, ported home. If he wants a ton of rail
road iron, and had his corn in Liverpool
he would give say forty bushels for it al
} forty dollars per ton; but, to do this, ht
must send one hundred bushels to be toltec
= bv freights. commissions, and other char
: ges. which every producer who Is Obliged
V to send his produce to commission mer
: chant for sale fully understands, as h
f complains Of the meagre balance on the
: account Of sales rendered. IT We made
t these articles, and all others which w
f have the means of making, but do no
5 make, the home market for agriculture
/ produce would be just as good as the for
= eirn. and ton of iron, even at a prlc
t twelve or fifteen dollars higher than th
G foreign iron, would still be the cheape
Il article of the two. a
J. The advantages of having our manufac
/ lures at home, instead of abroad, are jus
i as palpable and appreciabie as are the ad
" yantages of the farmer who can go to hi
e market town frequently during the day
It and return, over one who lives SO tar ava
e that he must spend day in travelling
IF the same place. 1t is a marvel that a
o intelligent people will tamely submit
Is such exacting demands upon their industry
IS But, sir, we send something more tha
5. our products in exchange for these good.
ie After exporting our raw materials, tn
product OF the land, the forest, and tn
d sea, and what little manufactured gooc
a. other people buy from US, we have bee
ID obliged to send out, in the last ten year
of about four hundred millions Of dollars, !
RS gold and silver, over our imports OF ii
e same metals aud what should occasic