FARMERS' REGISTER, 



635 



residence; and had no expeclalion of being com- 

 pelled also to become both publisher and printer, 

 and to carry on every branch of the mecha- 

 nical as well as of the intellectual part of the bu- 

 siness. All that he had counted on was to furnish 

 the matter, and to pay, at fair prices, for the print- 

 ing and issuing the work. But a short trial show- 

 ed the impossibility of having this done, properly 

 and punctually, by contract, or by the agency of 

 others. In the low condition of the publishing 

 business in Virginia and the more southern stales, 

 (owing altogether to want of sufficient employ- 

 ment and support,) no man can safely conduct 

 any periodical work, so as to comply with his ob- 

 ligations incurred to the public, without being his 

 own printer — and it was soon apparent that this 

 must be the resort for the Farmers' Register. 

 Through all the numerous difficulties of such an 

 undertaking, first in llie country, and since in town, 

 and with more causes of embarrassment and loss 

 than any persons not more experienced can con- 

 ceive, it was not until the present year, (which is 

 tiie seventh of the editor's apprenticeship,) that 

 the present stale of things was reached. This is, 

 a well fitted and supplied printing office, with 

 enough of good hands, (all of which save one were 

 first taught and trained in this office,) with every 

 material and facility necessary for the publication 

 of the Farmers' Register, or of any other work. 

 But this long sought condition of things is accom- 

 panied by another important disadvantage to the 

 interest of the property, that of the work of the of- 

 fice not being enough for the full and profitable 

 employment of the establishment which it has 

 been necessary to create, and which it is necessary 

 to maintain, even if not fully employed. In this 

 respect, then, it will require no more words to make 

 it clear that a great increase of merely mechanical 

 labor and business to the priming and publishing 

 department, will not only increase profits, but will 

 remove the greatest existing embarrassment and 

 difficulty that can attend any business— the defi- 

 ciency of full employment. 



Next as to intellectual labor. The greatest 

 source of perplexity and difficulty encountered in 

 editing the Farmers' Register, (and which must 

 apply to any agricultural periodical in this coun- 

 try,) is the scanty aid of contributors, and conse- 

 quent small supply of materials in original matter 

 — and, from the same general defect in all such 

 journals, the barren field irom which selections in 

 general are to be culled. If the supply of mate- 

 rials were as abundant as it is defective, the editor's 

 labor would be thereby diminished instead of be- 

 ing increased ; or rather, the sore feeling and dis- 

 couraging embarrassment, from his having, at 

 most times, nothing to do of proper editorial labor, 

 and yet being continually confined to his home 

 waiting for the expected but uncertain arrival of 

 the lew materials necessary to prevent the actual 



suspending of the printer's labors, would be ex- 

 changed for plenty of pleasant and useful employ- 

 ment, and the ability to prepare lor the press, in a 

 few days, what he has usually to wait for a month. 

 Now, even if there is no change to be hoped for 

 in this general and lamentable apathy of agricul- 

 turists in regard to their peculiar interests, and 

 even if these difficulties of the Farmers' Register 

 are to continue so long as it shall be published, 

 (which may Heaven forbid !) still the adding to the 

 editor's labors the publishing of a new work lor 

 which materials will be more abundant, because 

 drawn from diflerent and more abundant sources, 

 will serve to fill up the idle and therefore most 

 wearisome portion of his lime ; and even, after per- 

 forming both duties, release him from much of the 

 confinement now and heretofore caused by the mere 

 want of materials to work upon, and the conse- 

 quent risk of not furnishing regular employment 

 for the printing establishment. The better, there- 

 fore, that either of the two publications may be sus- 

 tained, the more beneficial will it be for the other. 

 It is proper to stale that the two publications 

 will not have the same proprietor, and therefore 

 that the pecuniary transactions will be kept en- 

 tirely separate. 



JVIOA'THLY COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



The business of the present month has been 

 more in the sale of goods, lor the supply of the 

 country generally, than in that of our own pro- 

 duce — the crops of cotton and tobacco (of 1839) 

 having been nearly all disposed of. 



An unusually large quantity of goods has been 

 sold to make up the deficiency of the previous 

 year or two. The prices of cotton, woollen and 

 other goods of American manufacture, are ex- 

 tremely low — too low generally, to remunerate the 

 manuldcturer. The low price, however, tends to 

 increase the consumption, and may thus react in 

 due time. 



The question of peace or war in Europe, aris- 

 ing from the differences between Turkey and 

 Egypt, in which the great European powers take 

 sides, remains undecided, and has of course an im- 

 portant influence on commercial arrangements and 

 prospective operations. 



Trade with China is suspended by the opiura 

 war, which Great Britain is waging against her. 

 It is reported that a British force had destroyed 

 the forts below Canton; and were about to make 

 an attack on that city. 



The crop of tobacco now beginning to arrive at 

 market, chiefly by wagon loads in bulk, is of good 

 quality, and in good condition, as the season has 

 been favorable for curing it. Such commands, 

 ig5 to ^6;^ for leaf and in proportion for lugs, and 

 in hogsheads higher prices, up to §8 or more. 

 Old leaf, $6 to $9^, &c. European markets are 

 brisk, and shipments of the last crop bid fiiir to 

 pay good profits, which will cause the present one 

 to sell well. 



The year's receipts at New Orleans were 44,000 

 hhds., and the exports 41,000, of which 25,000 to 



