12 



This table is most significant. It exhibits the capability of the British East 

 Indies to grow large quantities of cotton. Fortunately fur us, it is of an inferior 

 quality, our climate being superior to that of India for cotton production, as was 

 shown in the bi-monthly report for November and December, 1864. But it will 

 come into more active competition with our own in proportion as the price nj 

 our own may he enhanced by an internal lax or an export duty. The increased 

 importation from Egypt is most of all others significant. Whilst the dry trade- 

 wind summer climates cannot grow a cotton equal to that of the showery climate 

 of our southern States, yet Egypt, by its irrigation and its low rich soil, dues 

 grow a cotton in quality rivalling our own. Its success in cotton production 

 has been such as to revolutionize its agriculture. From an exporting nation of 

 breadstuff's it has become an importing one.' The Briti.-:h import of wheat from 

 Egypt in 1864 was 668.157 bushels; in 1865 it was but 3,784 ; but its im- 

 portation of cotton increased in the sam.' time 46,576,780 pounds. British capital 

 has largely passed into Egypt to aid its cotton agriculture, because the quality 

 is what Britain most needs to be independent of us. Cotton, therefore, cannot 

 now bear an export duty, as it might have done before the rebellion had taught 

 the nations of the earth their capacity in cotton jiroduction. 



Under the disguise of payment of ihe public debt, protectionists will be found 

 demanding export duties and internal taxes on these leading products of Amer- 

 ican agriculture, that their export may be annihilated, and the growers rendered 

 tributary to the manufacturing interests. But let us say, very plainly, that all 

 Buch legislation will but exhibit a vain attempt to assume a '-prerogative," which 

 never will be admitted. Thank God ! the agriculturists of this country are not 

 now as they were ten years ago, when the Canadian reciprocity treaty was 

 consummated. They are now, through the State, and county, and other asso- 

 ciations, an organized body, with power to protect themselves. We deprecate 

 any alienation between the grower of the raw material and the manufacturer, 

 but thie rights of the grower must be respected. 



And why this struggle? During the decade between 1850 and 1860 the 

 value of our domestic manufactures advanced from 81,019,106,616 to an aggre- 

 gate Vri $1,900,000,000, an increase of 86 per cent; and this, too, under low 

 tariff" duties, known as free trade. Now these duties are vastly iucrea.-=ed by 

 the necessities for revenue. Let this suffice. Export duties were most deter- 

 minately forbidden by the fram rs of the Constitution; let us abide by their 

 action. Extremes beget extremes. 



"He who of old would rend t^e oak 

 ■ Dieauied not of its rebuuud." 



THE WHEAT CROP OF MINNESOTA FOR 1865. 



The Winona Daily Repuhlican, Minnesota, of January 9, 1866, has the fol- 

 lowing editorial relative to the amount of the wheat crop of that State, as esti- 

 mated by this department : , 



