Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-18

aor.l 70 the wheat crop of the whole world
| The returns for 1850 and 1860 show that corn
was raised in every State and territory of the
Union. The whole crop for 1850 was 592, OIL ,lO4
bushels for 1860, S9s, 1872, 74O. The principal
corn growing States rank for ls6Oin the follow
ing order; Illinois, l /; Ohio, 2 Missouri );
Indiana, 4 Kentucky, 5 Tennessee, 6; Iowa.
Z; Virginia, s.; Alabama, g; Georgia, lO
North Carolina, Il Mississippi, ~ Pennsyl-
vania. ls. New York, IA. In 1910, Tennessee
was the greatest corn growing State; in 1850,
Ohio. and in 1860, Illinois. Iowa hasincreased
its production more than any other State,
having, in twenty years, extended it from less
than one million and half bushels to over
orty-two millions bushels. The proportion of
corn as compared with wheat and potatoes, to
the whole number of inhabitants, is as follows
Potatoes to each inhabitant. 2l0 lbs.
Wheat .....-...... 33O
Corn ............l,o9O
also
An aggregate from three staples of more
than two thousand pounds offood to every man,
The following is an apprOximationtoth the aver
age Weld per acre and the number of acres in
corn for the last two decades: In 1860 the
number of acres in corn was 25, 1861, aver
aging SO bushels per acre. In 1850 the num-
Der of acres in corn was 2S,6S2, S44, averaging
25 bushels per acre. Increase 1,7S5,ll7 acres,
and s bushels average increase.
The money value of the corn crop for 1860,
including the slower, is thus stated;
TAO bushels of grain at s503 2756 GA
40 OOO0 900 tons stalks at 5c........... 2OOOOOOOO
s7Os276, GA
The estimated value of the corn crop for
1870, including grain and slower, at the same
rates per bushel as the above is set down, at
sl,O54 ,9lS, 466.
How and where is all this corn consumed p
The export of corn is small compared with that
Of wheat, and out of all proportion to its pro-
duction. The total experts of corn and wheat
for the last six years, and the average per year,
are as follows:
Corn, 1885, S7 bushels average ,
per year.................... 6,Sl5S72 bushels.
Wheat, ll2 1855, 693 bushels aver
age per year. ............... lS.S2S lilo bushels.
Thus the ratio of corn exported is less than
one per cent. of the whole crop, while that of
wheat is very nearly II per cent, without in
Guiding the shipment of -four, which, during
the same period, averages 1867 ,S42 bushels
per year. Adding this flour to the grain sent
abroad, the ratio of wheat exported will reach
Is per cent. of the entire crop. But more
cheerful view presents itself when we consider
that although but an incOnSiderable portion of
the grain itself is exported-less than one
bushel in a hundred-a much larger proper
ton is indirectly exported in various forms
more remunerative to the farmer and more
profitable to the country. Indian corn enters
largely into nearly all the beef, pork, mutton,
butter, cheese and lard produced by the en-
tire farming community. In the last three
years millions upon millions of pounds of beef,
pork, butter, cheese and lard have been
shipped from the port of New York alone.
The great consumption of Indian corn is by
our own people. The home demand is con-
stantly increasing. When not consumed in
kind it is fed to animals that are consumed.
The city of New York alone consumed, in the
year 1865, l,76l, 1875 beeves, veals, sheep,
lambs and swine. This will afford some con-
ception of the amount of meat required and of
corn used in producing it for population of
over thirty millions. The total amount of but
ter and cheese made in 1860 was about five
hundred and seventy million pounds. Corn is
extensively used in the production of these ar
ticleS.
In every sense may Indian corn be desig
mated the great American staple. We have
seen that the average of production reached is
thirty-three bushels to the acre. If this can
be exceeded it ought to be. 1t doubtless can
be, and considerably. Many farmers have
averaged fifty not few hundred and over.
One in Columbia, South Carolina, DR.. J. W.
PARKER, is shown to have produced two hum
bred bushels and twelve quarts to the acre
We may safely conclude that the limit to the
production of Indian corn has not yet been
reached. There is a possible yield greater
than any yet accomplished. 1t is the perfec-
ton of husbandry to derive from the soil cul-
tivated the largest amount of product of
which it is capable, at the lowest rate of ex-
pense. When this shall be attained, in repects
to Indian corn, an amount of national and in
dividual wealth will result that is scarcely cal
culable. Under the present average price the
corn crop of 1870 is estimated at over one
thousand millions of dollars. The grain, ac
cording to that estimate, will be sufficient to
feed not only'our own population, but half the
population of Europe in addition, for more than
twelve months while the money value of such
annual crops, would, in the course of three
years, suffice to ertiRgiiSh the National debt of
the United States, and lsaUs a balance in the
Treasury.
May we not, in view of these facts, which
will doubtless be new and surprising to our
readers, make our obeisance to that rich leg
acy of the red MAMMALIAN cornl
This article has been inspired and most OF
its facts and statistics have been drawn from
a new volume, published by D. APPLETON &
Company, entitled-IRdiaR Corn, its Value,
Culture and Uses, by EDWARD ENFIELD-and
destined, we think, to be one of the most use
full as it is one ofthe most interesting books of
this age. We commend it to every farmer and
to every reader. Until we read it, we had not
anything approaching just conception of the
greatness and value of this American staple.
A New MAGAZINE-"T The GALAXY."-We
find among our exchanges a new illustrated
Magazine with the title of The GALAXY. 1t is
published in New York, and will be issued re-
gularly on the first and fifteenth of each
month. The number before us is a handsome