1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



573 



manufacturers throughout the state, agree that, 

 were this want supplied, they have nothing more 

 to ask anil nothing to fear from the entire repeal of 

 all protective duties ; and still less from any com- 

 petition with our northern brethren. 



The northern manufacturers owing to their libe- 

 ral system of credits, are enabled to sell their goods 

 on a credit of 8 months, and immediately to have 

 the paper cashed for which they were sold; and thus 

 the southern merchant, who must necessarily sell 

 on a long credit at home, is tempted to buy at the 

 north even at higher prices, andcertamly in larger 

 quantities. 



The manufacturers of the south having been 

 enabled to succeed thus far, are not the less to ex- 

 pect all the cwmtenance and support from the 

 people and the legislature which can be granted 

 without detriment lo, and indeed in common with, 

 the other great interests of the commonwealth. 



All that is asked, is to enable them to cash their 

 sales made at 6 lo 8 months' time. This granted, 

 and their march is onward ; instead of 20 per cent, 

 per annum upon thousands, they would make like 

 dividends upon millions, and the wealth thus cre- 

 ated would presently become a ready and power- 

 ful auxiliary to internal improvements, and to all 

 the great interests of the commonwealth. 



Your committee conclude this very hasty and 

 imperfect report by a single resolution as follows: 



Resolved, as the opinion of this convention that 

 an increase of banking capital upon principles so 

 liberal as to attract capital from abroad as well as 

 at home is necessary and indispensable to aid our 

 manufacturers in granting to the southern mer- 

 chants the same credits that are granted else- 

 where, and without which extended credits all the 

 natural and local advantages, which enable us to 

 be eminently successful in competition with our 

 northern brethren, are either neutralized or mate- 

 rially impaired. 



jiddenda. 



Statistics of the cotton manufactories of Peters- 

 burg. 



Petersburg Manufacturing Company, incorpo- 

 rated in 1828, capital $120,000; operates 4000 

 spindles and 106 looms ; consumes about 1600 

 bales cotton annually, when in full operation, 

 450,000 lbs. of which is sold in the form of yarns, 

 and the balance wove into cloth ; employs 200 

 hands, whose wages amount to more than ^25,000 

 annually. 



Last dividend for six months 10 per cent. 



Merchant's Manufacturing Company, incorpo- 

 rated in 1832 capital S 15,000, operates 4000 spin- 

 dles and 112 looms; consumes about 1400 bales 

 cotton annually, which produces about 800,000 

 yards of heavy cloth, besides about 70,000 lbs. 

 sold as yarns ; employs about 200 hands, pays 

 more than S25,000 per annum wages. 



Last dividend for six months 13 per cent. 



Matoaca Manufacturing Company, incorporated 

 in 1835, capital $150,000; operates 4000 spindles 

 and 152 looms ; consumes about 800 bales cotton 

 annually, which produces about 850,000 yards 

 cloth ; employs 200 hands. 



Last dividend for six months 10 per cent. 



This company also have a paper mill, capital 

 S75,000 ; employing at present 30 hands and will 

 very soon employ 30 more. 



Ettrick Manufiicturing Company, incorporated 

 in 1838, capital $152,000; operates 4000 spindles 

 and 146 looms; consumes about 1,000 bales cot- 

 ton annually, which produces about 1,000,000 

 yards cloth ; employs 200 hands. But lately 

 gone into operation, and have not yet declared a 

 dividend. 



{Mechanics' Manufacturing Company, incorpo- 

 rated in 1838, capital $125,000; operates 4000 

 spindles and 154 looms ; will consume when in full 

 operation about 700 bales cotton annually, which 

 will produce 1,000,000 yards cloth ; employs 180 

 hands. But lately gone into operation and has 

 not declared a dividend. 



Recapitulation: the whole amount of capital ia 

 $772,000; operates 20,000 spindles and 670 looms, 

 consumes 5,500 bales cotton annually, which pro- 

 duce about 3,950,000 yards of cloth and 530,000 

 lbs. of yarns ; employs 1000 hands, whose wages 

 exceeed $130,000. Consumes for machinery and 

 lights, about 5,000 gallons of oil and 1000 barrels 

 flour lor sizing. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 PKESERVATION OF THE POTATO. 



One can form something of an estimate how ex- 

 tensively the potato enters into use as an article of 

 food among the American people, from the com- 

 plaints we hear from all parts of the country, or at 

 least with very few exceptions, of the partial fail- 

 ure of that crop the present season. We frequently 

 hear people when instituting a comparison between 

 that root and bread, declare they would sooner 

 part with their wheat bread, than with their potato; 

 and these are not the poorer classes, but respecta- 

 ble wealthy people. Now, though we do not car- 

 ry our affection to this esculent as far as this, yet 

 we are "free to acknowledge'' that a good potato is 

 a good thing, and an inferior one, the worst of 

 bad things. An unripe or defective potato, is one 

 of the most indigestible and unwholesome kinds 

 of aliments that can betaken into the stomach, if 

 indeed there is any aliment about it at all ; and 

 from the specimens we have seen at numerous ta- 

 bles this year, we have no doubt that many of the 

 cases of illness that have been charged upon hot 

 weather, bad water, malaria, and a variety of 

 other things, are justly due to the swallowing pota- 

 toes as hard and as heavy, as well as about the 

 size of ounce balls. 



The potato, in its original uncultivated state, 

 is decidedly poisonous ; and whenever it is used in 

 an imperfect or unripe state, the result is not wide- 

 ly different now. Owing most likely to the hot 

 dry weather, potatoes, this year, are generally of 

 an inferior quality, and hence more pains and care 

 should be taken in selecting those intended for 

 food, and greater attention paid to preserving 

 them, than in years like the last, when among 

 thousands of bushels there was scarcely a defec- 

 tive one. Ireland, on the other side of the Atlan- 

 tic, and Nova Scotia on this side, are the most ce- 

 lebrated lor the excellence of their potatoes, and 

 both have a temperature comparatively low, and an 

 atmosphere moist and humid. If such a climate 

 and temperature is required for the perfection of 

 this root, will not the hot weather we have had 

 the present year, account most satisfactorily for its 



