20 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



mons, as quoted in a pamphlet on the factory 

 question, by Rev. R. H. Gregg, published in 

 JLondon, in 1837, (he cost ol' steam power in Eng- 

 land is stated to be £ 12 10s., (or t$60) per horse 

 power. If this be a correct statement, and iC we 

 offset the cost and repairs of the engine against 

 the cost and maintenance ol' the water wheel, we 

 have the cost of steam power in England, equal 

 to five times that of water power, at one of the 

 principal manufacturing towns in this country. 

 This diffierence however in the cost of power is 

 reduced to the proportion of about two to one, if 

 the author's estimate be correct, of the greater 

 amount of power required in the American mills 

 in consequence of the exclusive use of the throstle 

 spindle. The cost of power thus estimated, which 

 should be added to the author's computation ol 

 the cost of manufacture ol a yard of cloth, is 

 equal to 1-14 of a cent in the American mil! and 

 1-6 in the British mill ; the difference of power 

 being about 1-11 of a cent in the cost of each 

 yard of cloth, if the machinery in the American 

 mill were of the same kind as that in the English 

 mill, the difference in the cost of power would be 

 about 1-8 of a cent. This difference, although it 

 Beems insignificant in the cost of a single yard of 

 cloth, is an item of some importance in the expenses 

 of a year, and amounts to about 1 per cent, on 

 the whole cost ol" manufacture, including that of 

 the raw material. If the author's estimate of the 

 ditTerence in the cost of manufacture be correct, 

 the addition of this advantage swells that differ- 

 ence to 4 per cent. 



It will be observed that these computations 

 apply only to those branches of the cotton manu- 

 facture, to which the advantages of mechanical 

 power can be applied with the greatest effect, and 

 which the experience of our countrymen has 

 enabled them to prosecute most successfully, and 

 not at all to the finer and more complicated manu- 

 factures, which require the application of a greater 

 amount of manual labor, and of skill which is the 

 result of continued experience. Yet this result 

 presents a most encouraging view of the prospects 

 of this important manuliicture in this country. It 

 shows that in the manufacture of those descrip- 

 tions of cloth for which there is much the greatest 

 demand, (he mills of this country are at this 

 moment able to sustain a competition with the 

 most favorably situated establishments of Great 

 Britain, and to supply the articles produced at 

 equal prices in markets foreign to both countries. 

 But this is not all. The whole comparison shows 

 that those items in the computation which pro- 

 duce a result in our favor, are of a permanent 

 character, secured to us by our national position, 

 and of which we cannot be deprived; while a 

 portion of those, in which we labor under a disad- 

 vantage, will change in process of time, and ren- 

 der the general result of the comparison still more 

 favorable to us. This remark will apply particu- 

 larly to deficiencies in economical management, 

 deficiencies in certain portions of the machinery 

 and the want of equal experience and skill in a 

 portion of the hands employed. 



These considerations must relieve those who 

 are interested in the American cotton manufac- 

 ture, from any serious apprehensions of perma- 

 nent decline of this branch of industry in this coun- 

 try. An ample pledge (or the continuance of a 

 demand for the products of this manufacture, is 



to be found in the universal want of the civilized 

 world, of a material which can be in no other way 

 so cheaply supplied. If this material could be 

 furnished by foreign laborers on better terms than 

 by our own, the American manulticturer might 

 well feel, that he held his command over the mar- 

 ket, even of his own country, by an uncertain te- 

 nure. But if it be proved that the advantages of 

 his position are such, that notwithstanding the 

 materially higher cost of labor in this country than 

 in Europe, he can still furnish his products at a 

 price at which he cannot be underbid, even in a 

 ibreign market, by the manufacturers of any other 

 country, his position is as safe and independent, as 

 in the nature of things the emoluments of any 

 occupation can be. 



ANSWERS TO GENERAL QUERIES** ON MARL- 

 ING, IN REGARD TO GREEN-SAND MARL, 

 USED ON THE PAMUNKEV RIVER LANDS. 



(Continued from p. 639, vol. 8.) 



V. Answers of Edmund F. fVickham in regard to 

 the use of marl, on his South fFales farm, Ha- 

 nover county. 



Answers to Isf. Query.— \ commenced the use 

 of marl in 1824. 



Id. — It was my property, and in a general way 

 under the management of an overseer then 

 and now. He ibilows my directions with suf- 

 ficient exactness. 



3(/. — In 1824 there were about 545 acres of clear- 

 ed land, exclusive of some open land in the 

 forest. 



Ath. — I have cleared about 40 acres since, of land 

 somewhat similar, but inferior to the rest of the 

 farm, making in all 585 acres, between the pub- 

 lic road and the river. To this part of the iarm 

 my marl and manure have been exclusively 

 applied. I do not include a clearing of about 

 225 acres of forest land, which is used for a 

 standing pasture, &c., and which will not be 

 embraced in my answers. 



5lh. — In the early part of my operations my pro- 

 gress in marling was slow. For the last ten 

 years I have been thoroughly satisfied of the 

 great importance of this work, and my overseer 

 knows that I am well pleased to hear he is ac- 

 tively engaged with all the force he can spare 

 in hauling marl. I have marled to this time 

 not less than 425 acres. This winter I am en- 

 gaged in marling a second time the land which 

 1 first marled in 1824. 



Qlh. — The marl I use is taken from the pits of my 

 brother William F, Wickham. He estimates 

 the quantity of carbonate of lime at 45 per cen- 

 tum. My South Wales farm is situated on the 

 South Anna river just at the junction of the 

 North and South Anna rivers, [which form the 

 Pamunkey.] 1 have repeatedly dug and bored 

 for marl on my land, without finding it. At 

 several points on the river side where the plant 

 you term the "marl indicator" is found grow- 

 ing with great luxuriance in the water, which 

 oozes out of the bank, I have sunk deep pits, 

 and made diligent search, hoping to discover 



* The queries are repeated on page 24 of this No. 



