AGRICULTURE. 



crops of oats are large. The great wheat- 

 growing states are Ohio, Pennsylvania, New 

 York and Virginia, as appears by the following 

 table, which has reference to the crops of 1839. 

 These are probably still the greatest in this 

 respect, though it is known they have been 

 greatly gained on the past two years by Illinois 

 and Michigan. The table, as it stands, is an 

 interesting one to all persons, but especially 

 so to farmers. It will be seen that Tennessee 

 is the banner state in corn ; Ohio in wheat, 

 and New York in oats ; while in the aggregate 

 of these three principal grains, Ohio is the 

 banner state of the Union Pennsylvania 

 rating No. 5 in the list. New England stands 

 very low in the scale, in both corn and wheat, 

 and not very high up in oats. Massachusetts 

 and Connecticut are both below little Dela- 

 ware in their product of wheat and corn. The 

 following table shows the product of each 

 state in 1839, and the aggregate bushels of the 

 different kinds, excepting rice, buckwheat and 

 barley their culture being not very extensive 

 the entire yield of rice being but eighteen 

 and a half millions of bushels ; buckwheat 

 seven and a quarter millions, and barley four 

 and one-eighth millions. 



AGROSTIS. 



! which are but partially enumerated above, and 

 which, too, have hardly begun to develope 

 themselves." (Philadelphia Ledger.} 



In the official reports made to the Secretary 

 of the Treasury of the value of certain manu- 

 factured products for that year, we find the 

 following items of intelligence. 



" The above, it will be remembered, is the re- 

 turn for the year 1839. The crops of the pre- 

 sent year it is estimated have exceeded those 

 enumerated above, at least one-third. It is not 

 immoderate to set the yield of 1842 down at 

 800,000,000 bushels, the whole of which in 

 price would average about the average selling 

 price of corn, or forty cents per bushel ; which 

 gives the enormous aggregate of three hundred 

 and twenty millions of dollars, as the worth of, 

 the present year's grain crops, exclusive of 

 rj ^, buckwheat, and barley which, according 

 to the same calculation, is worth about sixteen j 

 millions dollars more, giving a grand total ofj 

 three hundred and thirty-six millions ! ! This 

 is indeed a great country, and in nothing j 

 greater than in its agricultural resources, - 

 52 



Silk. 



Number of pounds reeled, thrown, or other 

 silk made ...... 



Value of the same - .... 



Number of males employed ... 



females and children 



Capital invested ..... 



Flax. 



Value of manufactures of flax - 

 Number of persons employed - 

 Capital invested ..... 



- 15,744 



- $119,814 



246 

 521 



- $274,374 



- $322,205 



1,628 



- $208,087 



Wool. 



No. of fulling mills - 

 Woollen manufactories 

 Value of manufactured goods - 

 No. of persons employed - 

 Capital invested ... 



2,585 

 1,420 



Cotton. 



No. of cotton manufactories 

 Spindles - .... 

 Dyeing and printing establishments 

 Value of manufactured articles 

 No. of persons employed - 

 Capital invested - 



21,342 

 $15,765,124 



1,240 



2,284,631 



129 



$46,350,453 



72,119 



$51,102,359 



[AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, CONSUMP- 

 TION OF. To one who examines statements of 

 the agricultural products of various kinds 

 every year yielded in such immense quantities, 

 it seems, at first glance, difficult to imagine 

 how these can ,all be consumed, before fresh 

 crops would glut the markets and do away, for 

 a time, with the labours and profits of the hus- 

 bandman. It is, however, only necessary for 

 one to inquire into the consumption of the pro- 

 ducts of the soil constantly going on in some 

 of the most populous countries and cities, to 

 give him courage to persevere in his produc- 

 tive efforts, even with renewed ardour. It has, 

 for example, been estimated that the daily con- 

 sumption of corn in England and Ireland, is, 

 1,238,096 bushels of wheat and barley ; besides 

 annually, 100,000 bags of rice, and 450,000,000 

 Ibs. of sugar. The immediate products of the 

 grasses, which, consumed by animals, forms 

 the food of man, constitutes an amount almost 

 inconceivable. In London alone there is an- 

 nually consumed 155,000,000 Ibs. of butcher's 

 meat. Of cheese, another production of grass, 

 11,500 tons are annually introduced into Lon- 

 don, from Cheshire, about 20,000 tons from 

 Warwickshire, besides that imported from 

 many other countries. Of butter, the annual 

 consumption is about 50,000,000 Ibs. the pro- 

 duce of 300,000 cows ; and in London, between 

 9 and 10,000 cows are kept for the supply of 

 milk to the inhabitants, which produce annu- 

 ally about 30,000 millions of quarts. (John- 

 son's Lectures on Botany.}] 



AGROSTIS. The bent grass. An extensive 

 genus of grasses, which, from the marshy soil 

 on which they flourish best, are of compara- 

 tively small value to the farmer. 



Agrostis alba, or white bent, in England 

 flowers in the first week in August, and the 



