76S 



FARMERS' R K G r S T E R 



[No. 12 



Evpnris. Juay I, 133S. Feb r'y 2'.), IS^id. 

 To G. Britain, 153,000 bales 425,000 



France, 62,000 125,000 



Oiher ports, 10,000 25,000 



225,000 

 Same dates in 1837, 276,000 



575,000 

 500,000 



An intelligent writer in the Phila(lcl|;hia Com- 

 mercial List, vvliose estimate oftlie iirain crops we 

 quoted last year, has pursued his invesiijations on 

 the subject, and arrives at the followinii; con<;lusion, 

 as respects the crop o(" wheat, from the premises 

 stated. 



"it has been ascertained wiih tolerable accuracy, 

 that the quantity of Hnur inlroduced into ilie New 

 England States and consumeii there, is about 800,- 

 000 bbls., and that ihe wheat (rrown in those 

 Stales would afford tor consumntion about 200,000 

 bbls. more, givinij five millions bushels lor a popu- 

 lation o!" 1,955,000, according to the census of 

 1830( beimr about 2-llihs of the white population 

 of the U. States at that time, which was 10.857- 

 000. The same ratio of consumption would re- 

 quire 27.500,000 bushels. 

 Exported in wheat and flour 9,500.000 

 Reserved lor seed &c. about 3,000^000 



would make the aggregate 



crop 40,000,000 bushels. 



"This conclusion is founded on the assumption, 

 'that the wheat flour used in New En<rland, af- 

 fords a fair criterion of iis use throughout the 

 United States." 



'•In the interior of New England the consump- 

 tion of rye flour is nmch more general than in the 

 sea-port towns. In New Jersey one half the bread 

 used is rye; and the best rye bread, perhaps in the 

 world, is made in that state. In the German dis- 

 tricts of Pennsylvania, rye and buck-wheat are 

 extensively consumed. As we proceed south, we 

 find Indian corn in various forms, on almost every 

 table, and such is also the case in the south-western 

 states. In the Carolinas and Georgia, rice is ex- 

 tensively substituted lor wheat bread." 



"The slaves consume scarcely any wheat. The 

 bread they use, is made of Indian corn meal, 

 which they prefer: no art is required in the pre- 

 paration, and it makes a wholesome and nutri- 

 tious bread. 



"Again, it appears that the quantity of flour in- 

 cluded in the inspection returns of 1831, was 3,117,- 

 125 barrels. As there was an unusual demand for 

 export to England that year, which swelled the 

 aggregate export to 1,805,205 barrels, we believe 

 that niore than a fair proportion of one crop was 

 brought to market and included in the inspection, 

 but shall not notice this difference. Of the wheat 

 grown in all the great wheat districts ol" the mid- 

 dle and western states, we believe full 3-5ths of 

 what remains, after deducting seed, is brought 

 to market, when prices are favorable. From the 

 Eastern and Western Shores of Maryland, and 

 from Virginia, where slaves are employed in its 

 cultivation, very little beyond the seed is kept 

 back. The small quantities raised in the eastern 

 states as well as south of Virginia, are consumed 

 at home, except some little imported from North 

 Carolina. Allowing, however, that one half of 

 the whole quantity raised in the wheat districts is 



brougiit to market on the sea-board, it would 

 make 6,234, 250 barrels, equal to 



31,171.250 bushels. 

 Add for seed, - - 3,128,750 



And for wheat raised in New 



England and oihf^r places 



that do not send to niar- 

 ' ket, - - 5,700,000 



And we again make the crop 40,000,000 bushels." 

 "In England, great attention is paid to ascer- 

 taining the growth and consumption of wheat and 

 oilier grain, and it is estimated that the consunip- 

 lion of wheat in Great Britain, is 12. 000, 000 quar- 

 ters, or 96,000,000 bushels, by a population taken in 

 round numbers, at sixteen million, making an ave- 

 rage of six bushels to each head. But in Great 

 Britain, the use of Indian corn is unknown; rye 

 is very moderately used lor culinary |)urposes, 

 and rice only as a luxur}'. The pro[)oriion of 

 wheat consumed, must be much greater than in 

 this country, we would say one-haltj calling it one- 

 third n renter; we have, by this analogy, flmr bushels 

 per head lor a population of 10,857^000^ say 43,- 

 428,000 bushels; and adding for seed and export 

 a total of al)out fifty-seven million bu.^hels for one 

 crop. If taken at the proportion of one-half, 

 about forty-five million bushels." 



"Such discussions we hope will bring the subject 

 to the attention of Congress; and in the law which 

 must ere long be passed to provide lor takin<j the 

 census of 1840, we hope to see provision made for 

 taking such an account of the agricultural and 

 manufacturiiifj pursuits of the country, as will 

 form a new era in our economical history." 



"The crop of Indian corn has been stated at 

 one hundred mdlion bushels; but we believe this 

 estimate is too low, and that it should be stated at 

 one hundred and twenty. K,>e, estimated at 

 twenty million bushels, is probably too high lor 

 the present state of cultivation; and barley at one 

 and a quarter million, is too low. But having no 

 data b}' which to make satisfactory estimates, we 

 must leave ihe further investigation to be made by 

 such a law as is above referred to ; the only way 

 in which it can be done satistiiclorily." 



Inspection of Flour. 



*From May 9 to Jan. 

 tQ.uantity assumed— no returns obtained. 

 IN. Orleans in 1831—360.8.50 bbl?. 



\S.About three millions bushels foreisn wheat was ornutid in 1837. 

 It should be observed that in N. York a large quantity of 

 southern flour is re -inspected. 



March 1, 1838. X. 



KRRATUM. 



In the articlp headed "Various soils of Alabama," in 

 No. 9. page 562. first column, second line from bottom, 

 for "feel" read "inches." 



