The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-31
WARRINGTON ITExA
MASONIC.


The Grand Lodge Of Masons or this ju-
r;>3iction have just completed their annual
,;>itations TO the subordinate lodges, and
iii shortly hold their annual meeting.
Notwithstanding the fact that large num-
NV If Masons who were sojourning here
S,r;nc and after The close Of the war hare
,r;,bdrawn, total membership 10 about
no same as last year, and the lodges are
I'll in a hourshing condition.-Ndtiond
Jatcl'gncer, SON. =,
GOVERNMENT DEP0sIrARY.
The Exchange National Bank at Nor.
H,k, Va, has been designated As 4 Co
yernmeni depository. 81. ,&t
FERTILITY or TIE SOIL OF texas.
We have been shown one section Of a
cotton stalk which had grown TO the height
4 fitccn feet, and the cotton bolls taken
rom the plant were Of unusual size, aud
contained cotton Of long fibre and superior
ouajty.-Cironicle.
-grr.x on CANNED MEATS AND VEGETABLES.
OFFICE OF INTERNAL REvENuE,
WASHINGTON, October n, 1866.
By the amendatory act of July Is, 1856,
stamp duty is imposed upon "cvery can,
bottle, or other single package containing
meats, fish, shell fish, fruits, vegetables,
sauces, syrupS, prepared mustard, jams. or
irlicS contained therein, and packed or
sealed. made, prepared, and sold, or offered
for sale, or removed for consumption, in
the United States, on or after the lst day
# October, 1850.
While it is believed that il was the pur-
pose and intent of Congress to impose q
stamp tax upon the above named articles
il sold or offered for sale or removed for
consumption in the United States on OF
after October |, 1866, regardless Of the
time of their manufacture or production,
that intent is SO impcrfectly expressed as
10 render it doubtful whether, under a
proper construction of the language Of the
raiutc, such tax can he collected.
Internal revenue officers are therefore
instructed not to interfere with the posses
sion of snch articles Of domestic manutac-
trrs or production when satisfactory evil
dcuce is furnished that they were prepared
and passed ont Of the possession of the
producer prior to the LIST day Of October.
OYSTERS and other shell fish are often re.
moved from the shell, and, without under
going any process for their preservation,
are placed, in a raw state, in tin or other
vessels, for the sole purpose Of transporta-
ton in ice. When put up in this manner,
and for this purpose only, they are not re-
carded as CaRnei within the meaning and
intent of the law, and no stamps will be
rcquired upon them.
Articles named in schedule c, when i'm
ported orot foreign manufacture, are liable
10 the stamp tax in addition to the import
duties thereon. When, however, such i'm
ported articles, except playing cards, luci-
fer or friction matches, cigar lights, and
wan tapcrs, are sold in the original and un-
broken packages in which the bottles or
other enclosures were packed by the manu-
facturer, the person so selling them is not
subject to any penalty on account OF the
want Of a proper stamp; but when such
packages are opened, the articles should
not, under any circumstances, be offered
or exposed for sale until they have been
appropriately stamped.
+. 4. ROLLINS, Commissioner.
MONTHLY REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, }
WASHINGTON, d. c., October, 1866.
The returns of local correspondents up
10 tie first day Of October verify in all
y,,cntial particulars the statements re-
>pcctiug the crops contained in previous
monthly exhibits.
The condition Of corn has suffered some
deterioration from early frosts and exces-
size rains, but the quantity of the crop is
larger than the largest ever previously
chroniclcd in the country. A final sum-
mary Of its amount and quality will be
given in the next report.
In the production of wheat, next to corn
our most important cereal, our agriculture
has been unfortunate for the past three
seasons. The crops of 1862 and 1868 in
The North were good, and exhibited q
gratifying increase as compared with the
crop of 1859. The year 1864 witnessed a
slightly diminished product, followed by q
further diminution in 1865 in quantity as
we'll as in quality. Lest misapprehensions
Of the extent of this decreased supply
should prevail, the returns and estimates
Of these years should be viewed in group.
Bushels.
In lSi9.. .................1 1872 1884, 1872
In le64.... ........... ...... l60 $685.
In lSGj...... $3.50. l4S ,522 ,S29
The estimate for the present year, now
nearly complete, will not vary much from
li5,00O,0 900 bushels, showing percentage
Of decrease which is fully compensated by
the comparatively superior quality of the
gram, as was predicted in a preceding num-
her. This is l0,000, 900 of bushels more than
the crop OF 1859, and is within 100000 of
apFodUct in proportion to the Increased
population. ....
The diminution in the South is more ap-
parent. The estimates point to less than
i,,o0O,ONO of bushels in the eleven States
hitherto unreported-a fraction less than
h'e-tcntlis OF the crop Of 1859.
II IS worthy Of remark, in connection
with the diminution of the three past sea-
sons, mat the wheat crop of England has
been likewise deficient since 1864. Il ~
lie California wheat harvest, of which
MILE mention has been publicly made in
CONNECTION with the present crop, is ex-
CcesSlve. In 1860 the product of this young
State was nearly 100000 of bushels.
Now ii is seriously claimed by leading
california agriculturists that the surplus for
export will be nearly double that quantity.
u Is evident that the entire wheat crop
VIII exceed by several millions that Of 1889,
"nch the yield was reported at l73, l04 1924
bushels. Then there were five and half
0uHhelS to each individual; in 1866, the
q TO. n A l.