736 



UNITED STATES (PRODUCTIONS). 



game parallels being nearly the same on the east 

 and west sides of the Alleghany mountains. The 

 presence of the gleditsia monospenna, the catalpa, 

 and other vegetable productions, several degrees 

 farther to the north, in the basin of the Ohio, than 

 on the coast of the Atlantic, led, at one time, to 

 the supposition that there was a difference of tem- 

 perature amounting to three degrees; but Hum- 

 boldt has now clearly explained that the migration 

 of vegetables towards the north is favoured in the 

 basin of the Mississippi by the form and direction 

 of the valley, which opens from north to south ; 

 while, in the Atlantic states, the valleys are 

 transverse, and oppose great obstacles to the pas- 

 sage of plants from one valley to another. The 

 following is a comparison of the mean temperature 

 of an Atlantic city with that of one in the Missis- 

 sippi valley : 



Winter, 



Summer, 



Autumn, 



Cincinnati. Philadelphia. 



L*t. 36 6' N. 1*1. 89" W N. 



...329' 32 2' 



54 1 51 4 



72 9 73 9 



54 9 56 5 



Mean 53 7 53 5 



If the isothermal lines remain parallel, or neatly so, 

 to the equator, from the Atlantic shores to the 

 Rocky mountains, it cannot be doubted that they 

 rise again beyond the mountains, between 35 and 

 55 N. latitude. Through 122 4(K W. longitude, 

 the isothermal line of 50 of temperature appears 

 to pass, almost as in the Atlantic part of the 

 eastern, continent, at 50 of latitude. The western 

 coasts of the continents resemble one another to a 

 certain point. But these returns of the isothermal 

 line do not extend beyond 60. The distribution of 

 heat over different parts of the year, differs ex- 

 tremely in the same isothermal line on the two 

 continents. The whole of Europe, compared with 

 the eastern parts of America and Asia, has an in- 

 sular climate ; and upon the same isothermal line, 

 the summers become warmer, and the winters 

 colder, as we advance from the meridian of Mont 

 Blanc towards the east or west. Europe may be 

 considered as the western prolongation of the old 

 continent, and the western parts of all continents 

 are not only warmer at equal latitudes than the 

 eastern parts, but even in zones of equal annual 

 temperature, the winters are more rigorous, and 

 the summers hotter, on the eastern coast than upon 

 the western coasts of the two continents. The 

 northern part of China, like the Atlantic region of 

 the United States, exhibits seasons strongly con- 

 trasted ; while the coasts of New California and 

 the mouth of the Columbia have winters and sum- 

 mers almost equally temperate. The meteorologi- 

 cal constitution of these countries in the north- 

 west resembles that of Europe as far as 50 or 52 

 N. latitude. In comparing the two systems of 

 climates, we find at New York the summer of Rome 

 and the winter of Copenhagen ; at Quebec, the 

 summer of Paris and the winter of Petersburg. At 

 Pekin, China, the scorching heats of summer are 

 greater than at Cairo, and the winters as rigorous 

 as at Upsal. It appears, according to the observa- 

 tions of Darby, that the mean annual fall of rain in 

 the United States amounts to about 37 inches, 

 while in north-western Europe it amounts to about 

 31-2 faches; but that the number of rainy days in 

 the latter region is much greater than in the former. 

 This is explained by the fact, that rains are much 



more heavy in the United States than in Europe. 

 See Climate, Temperature, and Winds. 



Productions. The vegetable productions of the 

 United States are exceedingly various; there are 

 some, however, common to every section of the 

 Union. Maize, or Indian corn, an indigenous 

 American plant, is cultivated from Maine to Loui- 

 siana, but succeeds best in the Western and Mid- 

 dle States. It is adapted to a greater variety of 

 soils and situations than wheat, and yields generally 

 double the produce: land of the first qualit\ 

 been known to give 100 bushels to an acre. Wheat 

 is also cultivated from one extremity of the Union 

 to the other, but of superior quality in the Middle 

 and Western States. 



Inspection of Wheat and Rye Flour, and Indian Corn 

 Meal, during ten Years. 



Hi r Floor. 



1621 

 Is.'.! 

 1823 

 lbS4 

 1625 



MM 



1827 



UH 



1829 

 1630 



1,7117.850 



I.M7.7M 



1,714.410 

 I,bk2,6ll 



2,031.553 

 2,061,559 



8,855.132 

 2,831,876 



43.974 

 S9.S63 



!.\6iO 

 t . 

 67,419 

 ^.^' i 

 31,1 7 

 55,239 

 77,945 

 41,351 



17,449 

 15,157 

 I4.70J 

 17,192 

 14,781 

 18,619 

 16,t69 

 19,178 

 17.691 

 18,372 



Biirrtll. 



MJN 



JZ.X74 



; ..,,-. 



70,415 

 M.2W 

 M.97I 



78,958 

 51,766 



35,071) 



The cultivation of tobacco begins in Maryland, 

 about the parallel of 39 or 40, and continues 

 through all the Southern States, and partially in 

 the Western States south of the Ohio. It forms 

 the staple of Maryland and Virginia, where it is 

 raised to a greater extent than in any other part of 

 the Union. (See Tobacco.') The soil and climate 

 favourable for cotton is not found beyond 37, 

 though it can be raised as far north as 39 on both 

 sides of the Alleghanies. It was first cultivated 

 for exportation in 1791, and is raised from the 

 Roanoke to the Sabine, forming the staple of the 

 Southern and South-western States. (See Cotton.} 

 The rice crops require great heat and a marshy soil, 

 commence about the same parallel with the cotton, 

 and have nearly the same geographical range. Rice 

 is cultivated to a great extent in the Carolinas, 

 Georgia, &c., Louisiana, and as high as St Louis in 

 Missouri. The sugar-cane grovvs in low and warm 

 situations as high as the latitude of 33 ; but the 

 climate favourable for its production does not ex- 

 tend beyond 31 30'. It is now cultivated to a 

 great extent in Louisiana: in 1829, there were 691 

 plantations in that state, producing 81,000 hogs- 

 heads of 1000 pounds each. Oats, rye and barley 

 are raised in all the Northern and in the upper 

 districts of the Southern States. Hemp, flax 

 and hops are produced of an excellent quality. 

 Hemp grows naturally in the Western States, and 

 hops in the Western and Middle States. The vine 

 has been successfully cultivated in various parts of 

 the Union, and the mulberry-tree grows spontan- 

 eously, and has been extensively planted of late 

 years. Fruits of all kinds of the temperate and 

 tropical climates, and the culinary vegetables 

 which have been introduced from Europe, thrive 

 here. The forest contains a great variety of useful 

 trees, some of which are of great size and height. 

 Among the forest trees are numerous species of oak, 

 ash, beech, pine, magnolia, elm, maple, &c., afford- 

 ing an unbounded supply of excellent wood for 

 ship-building, carpentry, cabinet work, &c., naval 

 stores, sugar (see Maple), &c. The domestic ani- 

 mals are the same as those of Europe, and they are 

 found to thrive remarkably well. Among the wild 

 animals there are many which bear the same name 



