44 AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL 



years, and placing the prices of the first 7 years in jux- 

 taposition with the last 7, the result would be as follows : 



Prices from 1835 to '41, 7 years averaged $3 30 to 3 88 pr. tierce. 

 " 1842 to '48, " " 2 94 to 3 57 " 



Showing a falling off in price of 10 per cent. Or if 

 if the two last years be taken, the prices of which I ob- 

 tained after making out the above table, it would be as 

 follows compared with prices from '34 to '41 inclusive : 



Prices from 1835 to '41 averaged yearly $3 30 to 3 88 per tierce. 



" 1849 to '50 " " 2 83 to 3 31 



or nearly 15 per cent. or, taking the last nine years compared 

 with the preceding 7, viz: 



Prices from 1835 to '41, 7 years averaged $3 30 to 3 88 pr. tierce- 

 " ' : 1842 to '50, 9 " " 2 88 to 3 44 " 



Showing a decline on the nine years of 12ir to 13 

 per cent, in prices. This decline concerns South Caro- 

 lina most ; Georgia grows but ? as much as S. Carolina, 

 and North Carolina only produces about 7,500 tierces 

 yearly. 



The rice planters for the latter portion of the last nine 

 years, had the most favorable opportunity to obtain a high 

 price, compared with former years. The general failure 

 of the potatoe crop over Europe for a series of years, and a 

 short crop of grain on the Continent of Europe ; famine 

 among eight millions of people, and great scarcity in the 

 highlands of Scotland ; all, have not been sufficient to 

 keep up the prices of American rice. 



There must be a cause for this falling off. Scarcity 

 must be supplied. Indian corn had been shipped to Ire- 



