The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-24
Southern Resources.

In view of the fact that the question of
the possibility of starving out the South is
being revived, and the manifestation of a
general disposition to underrate the power
of the seeded States, the following brief
statistics Of their resources in food and
other means of self-support, taken from
the census of 1860, are interesting and
pertinent:
The total production of wheat in the
United States in 1859, was 10, 1902
bushels; of which the eleven seeded
States produced 32,366,S94 bushels, a
quantity averaging 81 bushels to each in
habitant
The total production of corn was 827,-
694, 521 bushels, of which the same eleven
States produced 27O, $685. bushels, be-
ing an average of 225 bushels to each in
habitant, horse, mule and work oxen
The total production of Irish potatoes
was 110,023,139 bushels, of which the
eleven States raised 6,57S, 1913 bushels, to
which may be added their production of
sweet potatoes-37, 709, $50 bushels, max
ing a total of 1868, 1874 bushels, an av-
erage of 81 bushels to each inhabitant.
The total number of neat cattle raised
was 17,9O4,196 the eleven States pro-
ducing 1852, PAT, very nearly one for each
inhabtant.
Of mich cows, the eleven States had
1851 ,495, out of total of 1868, 265; of
sheep, 5,9S4, 1888, out of total of $780,
467; Of hogs, 16,7SO,293, out of total of
35,950,591; of work cattle-oxen, $780,
645, out of a total of 2, 1873, 154 of horses,
1,9S9,9O1, out of total of 1868, 297; and
of mules, 1887, 1913, out of total of
1,272,S41.
The figures show the respective agricul-
tural resources of the South in 1859.
Since then they have been largely devel-
oped by the war, and the production has
increased in proportion. The cotton crop
of 1859 was 5,192,749 bales, and at least
half the labor employed in it's production
is now engaged in producing grain.
The total population of the eleven sece-
ded States is 9,1O3,S73, including Indians,
of which 5,449.425 are whites, 3,521,11O
slaves, and 1872, $40 free negroes. The to-
tai number Of white males is 2,79S,437.
There were 1873 establishments for man.
ufacturing cotton goods in the eleven Sc
coded States in 1853, employing 1852
spindles, and 4, 113 looms, and consuming
40,209,O00 pounds of raw material. At
the same time there were 21S wooden fac
tories, employing -, 494 spindles and POI
looms, and consuming 4,395,O0O pounds
of wool.
These figures show the resources of the
South before the war, and convey an idea
of their extent now after being developed
by the necessities of two years block
ade. They explode all hope of starving
out the rebels, and, in fact, the detailed
resources Of each State prove that any one
of them can support itself if cut off from
the rest, and that the Gulf States are able
to supply themselves with food without
the aid of the border and trans-Mississippi
States
The number OF white males in the sece-
ded States 2,79S,437 proves that
great error has been committed in estima-
ting the number of men they can devote
to the war. One million has been the
highest number ever allowed in any esti-
mate on our side, and it has been put down
as low as seven hundred thousand but
supposing one-haif their white males can
bear arms, they can bring into the field
100000 men. All the armies of the
rebels have so far, drawn but 7OO,O 900 from
this number, which leaves reserve of at
least 100000.