New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-17

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friend, for our action would release he
from Cuba in . very short time, and thi
would be the kindest act we could do Il
Amadeus
THE TRUE SOURCE OF WEALTH.
It should always be the aim of the pub
Lie journalist to write upon subjects o
most interest to the people; and as tn
true source of wealth is one of the mos
interesting subjects that can be known
we shall have something to say upon tina
subject at this time. Our object is *
show the people of this country where
their true interest lies, and if possible in
duce them to pursue it. The true source
of wealth is the cultivation of the earth
The products of the earth form the great
basis of the worlds commerce, and the
greater the products of country the
greater the prosperity and happiness Of
it's people. In this country the people
need not complain of hard times. Il
they find it difficult to make living in
cities and towns at the various mechanical
and other callings at which they are &C.
customed to work, they have only to go
into the country and settle down on fifty
} acres of land, determined to make iv-
ing, and they can soon be independent.
We may give something of an idea what
the United States are capable of produc-
ing by showing what has been done by
the farmers of this country, and compar-
ing their products with the products of
France. 1t must be borne in mind that
France has an area of only 49,, 600, 900
acres; that she is not territorially as large
as the State of Texas. Yet the published
statistics Of the products of the United
States and France show that our country
is far behind France in almost everything
that is produced by the cultivators Of the
soil.
France, in 1863, produced $50, 900
bushels of wheat, while the United States,
for the same year, produced but 240, OO0,-
600 bushels. In 1867, the United States
exported 50, OOO,O worth of wheat to
England, and France for the same year
exported s11, OOO,OOO worth of butter to
the same country, which exceeded by ST.
100000 the value of all our wheat crop
sent to England. In the same year
France produced $50, OOO,O 900 bushels of
oats, against 10, 900 for the United
States; 10000, 600 bushels of rye, against
our 20, 600, 600; 60, ZOO, 900 bushels of bar
leN against our II, 600, 600, and 81, 600, 600
bushels of buckwheat, against our IL, OOO,.
600. Though the grazing area Of France
is so limited in comparison with the
United States, she had in 1867, 1000, 900
horses and mules, against our 1880, 600;
II, 900, 900 of cattle to our 5000, 600, and
100000 sheep to our 24,OOO,OOO. In
this country the smaller industries par
ticularly in the South-have been re-
garded as of little value. This is a great
mistake. In 1866, France exported to
England alone as much in value of eggs
as we did of bacon and ham to all the
world. Texas has 100000 of acres
more land than France, and is capable of
sustaining, in a prosperous condition, the
present population Of the United States.
France, if her territory was equally
divided, could not give more than three
and half acres to each inhabitant, while
our country divided up would give more
than fifty acres to each inhabitant.
Yet France not only beats us in agri-
cultural pursuits, with the exception of
cotton and sugar, but she excels us in all
other industries. In 1868 her imports
were s679, ZOO, 600, and her exports $751;
DOO, 900; while for the same year the inn
ports of the United States were 1881, OOO.-
BOO, and the exports SAL, 900, 600, of
which s72,OO0,0OO were gold and silver,
md S163, 100000 cotton; and as France
neither of these articles, there
we're really but s2O6, 900, 900 left to repre-
sent the whole product of our agricultural
md manufacturing industry for export,
Igainst 1851, 100000 which represents
he exports of France. This prosperity
# France previous to her late, war was |
wing to the minute subdivision of the
and, which gives so many freeholds to
he people and makes the once vast idle
states Of the mobiles and clergy forever
impossible. The law rigidly divides all
'atrimonies equally among children, so
hat there are now over 5000, 900 farms in
rance Of ten acres and less in size. It
) these small farms, we'll cultivated, that
ave proved the true source of wealth to
rance. Industrially considered, she is
low the first nation of Europe, and this
rises from the fact that more than two
birds OF her people own the houses they
We in. and two-thirds of her entire area
under yearly cultivation. The people
France are very differently situated
ON those of England, where the whole
lnded estate is owned by thirty thousand
ersons.
In this country it is within the power
every man, who is willing to make the
tort, to have farm Of one hundred or
lore acres. A small farm we'll cultivated
more profitable than large one in
attended to. It is better to till
n acres we'll than fifty badly. And