﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  1G5 
  

  

  and 
  all 
  the 
  merit 
  which 
  this 
  discovery 
  can 
  assume, 
  is 
  

   that 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  expeditious 
  mode 
  of 
  attaching 
  the 
  tooth 
  

   to 
  the 
  cylinder." 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  merit 
  of 
  the 
  invention, 
  Judge 
  Johnson, 
  at 
  that 
  

   early 
  day, 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  opinion, 
  uses 
  the 
  following 
  em- 
  

   phatic 
  language 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  "We 
  cannot 
  express 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  obligation 
  

   which 
  the 
  country 
  owes 
  to 
  this 
  invention. 
  The 
  extent 
  

   of 
  it 
  cannot 
  now 
  be 
  seen. 
  Some 
  faint 
  presentiment 
  may 
  

   be 
  formed 
  from 
  the 
  reflection 
  that 
  cotton 
  is 
  rapidly 
  sup- 
  

   planting 
  wool, 
  flax, 
  silk, 
  and 
  even 
  furs 
  in 
  manufactures, 
  

   and 
  may 
  one 
  day 
  profitably 
  supply 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  specie 
  in 
  

   our 
  East 
  India 
  trade. 
  Our 
  sister 
  States 
  also 
  participate 
  

   in 
  the 
  benefits 
  of 
  this 
  invention 
  ; 
  for, 
  besides 
  affording 
  

   the 
  raw 
  material 
  for 
  their 
  manufacturers, 
  the 
  bulkiness 
  

   and 
  quantity 
  of 
  the 
  article 
  afibrd 
  a 
  valuable 
  employ- 
  

   ment 
  for 
  their 
  shipping." 
  

  

  By 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  this 
  gin 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  cotton 
  

   crop 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  was 
  increased, 
  in 
  the 
  short 
  

   period 
  of 
  ten 
  years, 
  from 
  about 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  fifty 
  

   thousand 
  dollars 
  to 
  at 
  least 
  eight 
  millions. 
  And 
  what 
  

   estimate 
  shall 
  we 
  place 
  upon 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  invention 
  

   when 
  we 
  view 
  the 
  present 
  production 
  of 
  cotton 
  ? 
  

  

  Constituting 
  considerably 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  

   the 
  whole 
  domestic 
  exports 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  it 
  has 
  

   become 
  so 
  identified 
  with 
  the 
  wants 
  of 
  mankind 
  ; 
  is 
  so 
  

   essential 
  to 
  the 
  industry 
  and 
  capital 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  that 
  

   to 
  withhold 
  the 
  produce 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  crop 
  from 
  our 
  princi- 
  

   pal 
  customer, 
  Great 
  Britain, 
  would 
  involve 
  her 
  manufac- 
  

   tories 
  in 
  ruin, 
  reduce 
  her 
  operatives 
  to 
  pauperism, 
  and 
  

   seriously 
  derange 
  all 
  her 
  commercial 
  interests 
  and 
  rela- 
  

   tions.'^' 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  lives 
  of 
  nearly 
  two 
  millions 
  of 
  our 
  countrymen 
  are 
  dependent 
  

   upon 
  the 
  cotton 
  crops 
  of 
  America 
  ; 
  their 
  destiny 
  may 
  be 
  said, 
  without 
  

  

  