No. 112.] 537 



most important and precious product — entering largely into our 

 exports as well as into home consumption, and afifording profitable 

 ' employment to navigation. But in money value the hay crop 

 greatly exceeds that of the cotton crop, while it is of more absolute 

 cessity to daily home life. 



The cotton crop, in the last census of the United States, is put 

 down at a little short of two and a half million bales for 1849-50. 

 Estimating the bales at 400 lbs. eacli,we shall have 1,000,000,000 

 lbs., which, at 7 cents per lb. — a high average— would produce 

 seventy millions of dollars. The same census returns give, as the 

 yield of hay in the United States for the same year, ('49-50,) 

 nearly thirteen millions of tons. Estimating these at eight dollars 

 per ton, (you are now selling your hay, I believe, for §20, or ■ 

 more, per ton,) we shall have, as the annual value of the yield of 

 the hay fields of the United States, the enormous amount uf out 

 hundred and four millions of dollars. Why, if we add to the cot- 

 ton the value of all the tobacco raised in the United States, (about 

 2,000,000,000 lbs.,) estimated at 8 cents per lb., a very high aver- 

 age, we shall have the sum of sixteen millions^ making eighty-six 

 millions as the aggregate value of cotton and tobacco, which is 

 still eighteen millions of dollars short of tlie value of the hay 

 crop. 



Let us add the other chief staple of Soutli Carolina, rice — of 

 which 215,000,000 lbs. are reported fur 1850, being an increase 

 of cig]it}-six millions pounds over the product of 1840. Valuing 

 the rice at $4 the 100 lbs., we shall have th*- sum of §8,600,000, 

 making the aggregate money value of cottun, tobacco and rice, 

 ninety-four millions six hundred thousand dollars^ still leaving the 

 value of the hay cro]) nearly 7iine millions and n half larger ; and 

 hay — I mention it in nu invidious sense, but as an interesting 

 fact — is almost exclusively the product of free labor ; and the 

 State of New-York produces more than one quarter of the wliole 

 crop. 



But garden products will be the chief staple next tn hay. 

 Aspar:\gus, peas, beans, caulillowers, sweet corn, cucumbers, 

 onions, carrots, cabbages, and beets, strawberries, rasi)Ijerries,and 



