The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-12-05
more Pleasant Figures to Read.

more Pleasant Figures to Read.
eve owe Thousand Million Dollars tx
foreign countries for money borrowed to car
ry on the war, to build railroads, and for ar
ticles imported for use and consumption
here" was the statement only three or foul
years ago, and the actual amount of indebt
edness was even greater. At least sixty
million dollars had to be sent abroad each
year, to pay the interest on this sum. What
more pleasant reading, than to learn that
while supporting ourselves, and even reduc.
ing the aggregate of home Indebtedness, in
dividual, municipal, and national, our peo-
pie are rapidly wiping out this foreign debt
by economy in luxuries and in the expenses
Of living, ETC., and by producing more and
more to send to other lands-by increased
effort, by developing the agricultural re.
sources Of our great country, and by the
blessing Of Providence in giving us magnifi-
cent crops. In the american Agr,culturist
for September, we showed that during the
year ending July LIST. our country exported
Of its products 1851 ,744 ,579 more than we
imported; in two years, an excess of $685.
2s4,59e and in five years, s657, 2lS, 4S5. In
our October number, we presented the fig
ures showing that from August 1866, to
August 1878, we had reduced our National
interest bearing debt, s57l ,S52, 1895 Tor from
s2,3s1, $50, 291, to s1,so9, 677, 9oo and our an
n inf in, fbo
from $3.50, 977, 6sS to 500, ISL, 0O7, an annual
saving of nearly $56, 900, 900; and our an
nual taxation from $46s, 274, 465, to $24O,-
753, 305, or more than half.
The good work still goes on; our former
figures were made up to June 80. We now
have the official statistics to October 1st.-
Exclusive of specie, the exports during Sep
TENDER were So, 1924, 1908, and the imports
only $751;, 1893, Sal, gain during the month
of over Twenty Millions Dollars ($2O, 25,-
267). The total exports from January LIST,
1878, were 1888, 729, lis; the imports during
the same time, were only 1924, 29s, 631,a gain
in 8 months of s2Os, so8, 527. At the same
time, the large products OF our gold and sill
yer mines are being retained in the country.
by so much not only increasing our solid
wealth, but adding to the reserve for resump-
ton of specie payments. The yield of the
mines for the last fiscal year was about $94,-
100000, or $40, 926, LOG of gold, and 1926
of silver. about s2,50O,00O of gold and 49,
600 of silvor are consumed in the arts and
manufactures. The total stock of gold and
silver in the country July l was estimated
at 1882 443 ,947 IAN increase of about 800, O0O,-
900 during the year, to which 5000, 900
was added from,th mines from July lst' to
October 1st.)
The unofficial reports show that the gain
is still going on, though temporarily lessen
ed little In October by the Scotch Bank
failure and consequent financial disturbance
in Great Britain, which, for the time being,
checked orders for breadstuffs. The bust
ness is reviying again now. Great Britain
has still large requirements for breadstuffs,
with extraordinary small supplies to come
Hungary, India and Australia. From Jan
uary to September ~, British India ex-
ported only 1,1S3,706 bushels of wheat
against 10, 49,, 15s bushels in the same time
last year. France is also a large buyer this
year, her imports of wheat during Septem-
Der alone being 2,339, 52o bushels this year.
The cotton crop is the largest ever produced
in this country, and despite the retardation
by yellow fever, which has now happily dis
appeared, the exports in ten weeks from
September l were this year 493,SS7 bales
against 341, FOL bales during the same period
liz 1877.
Surely there is hopeful outlook for all
classes. While very high prices for corn
and wheat cannot be expected, it is satisfac-
tory to learn that there will be demand at
some price, for all the Immense products of
the past two harvests, so that the country
will be cleared, and demand exist for the
next years harvest. Our agricultural read
ers can with hope and confidence lay out
their plans during these leisure winter days
for putting in a good area of spring crops.
Let them remember that the best paying
crops are those in which the largest yield is
obtained from the smallest area. We will
do our share in showing how this is be ac-
complished. Agriculturist.