240 PRESENT AND FUTURE OF AMERICA. 



China is not wonderful. Say the population of the world 

 to-day is 



Europe, V- 250,000,000 



Asia, - _&quot; - 612,000,000 



America, 55,000,000 



Total, - 917,000,000 



There are, of that population, only the Chinese who 

 have their tea at a fair value. 30,000,000 of English 

 and Irish consume 50,000,000 Ibs., with a heavy duty 

 of 55 cents per lb. on it, and of a spurious kind. If they 

 could get good tea at a fair price, there would be in Great 

 Britain and Ireland a consumption of 150,000,000 Ibs. ; 

 therefore, if thirty millions would consume that amount, 

 250,000,000 of Europeans would consume 600,000,000 

 Ibs. This can be produced in America for a feiv cents a 

 pound. 



The United States consume of coffee 145,000,000 Ibs. 

 Surely the Government and the people ought to do some 

 thing to encourage the introduction of the plant, and con 

 sider the immense importance of these two simple plants, 

 that do not require annual cultivation. They would not 

 only become an export trade in themselves, greater in 

 amount than all the exports now of America, but would 

 have the political effect of extending the influence of the 

 United States over the bordering States, and over the 

 whole world. 



There cannot be the least doubt of indigo becoming 

 one of American staples ; and for this plant and the tea 

 plant, I can assure my readers that there can be no 

 doubt of their flourishing in America ; and, as I have had 



