212 



Hogs and their trade in the United States and Europe. Vol. X 



grain to an outport to be shipped for con- 

 sumption in Europe or elsewhere] The 

 present small amount of the American ex- 

 ports of these commodities would appear to 

 prove that the home market is preferable to 

 the foreign one, or at least, that the latter 

 is so encumbered with duties that the bene- 

 fit of a keener demand is counterbalanced 

 by a vast addition to the prime cost of the 

 article before it can reach the foreis^n con- 

 sumer. The prime cost of a carcfo of Indian 

 corn delivered at Liverpool, would probably 

 not exceed 20s. a quarter; we are even as- 

 sured that it could be sold there for 16s.; 

 but this is probably an exaggeration, for the 

 average price in New York in 1842, was 

 55 cents a bushel, though in New Orleans 

 it was 35 cents, and the freight would be 

 about 10(1. per bushel. But the duty im- 

 posed on this g-rain by the existing Corn 

 Laws of England, is the same as the duty 

 on barley — that is to say, lis. per quarter, 

 when the price is below 26s., and so on di- 

 minishing by the usual scale till the price is 

 37.S-. and the duty Is. This amounts in re- 

 ality to a fixed duty of lis., since no such 

 grain is likely to be imported at all at a 

 price above 26s. 



"We are persuaded that the abolition of 

 this duty, most absurdly assimilating Indian 

 corn to barley, would be attended with no 

 direct injury to any class in this country 

 but with lasting advantage to the communi- 

 ty. Even in the United States we have 

 seen that the enormous supply of Indian 

 corn does not prevent the rapid extension of 

 wheat-farming; and in this country it would 

 be long before that grain prevailed as a sub- 

 stitute for any portion of our domestic pro- 

 duce, or as a great article of human food. 

 The immediate consequence of its introduc- 

 tion at a low price, would be its application 

 to the fattening of animals, and hence it 

 would confer a direct benefit on the agricul- 

 turist ; but we have no doubt that it will 

 hereafter be acknowledged to be one of the 

 most valuable productions of the earth, and 

 preferable in several respects to the custom- 

 ary food of many of the people of Europe at 

 the present time. Do we require the hard 

 les.son of public scarcity to conquer the irre- 

 solution of a Government, and to correct the 

 prejudices of the people 1" — BicknelVs Re- 

 porter. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Hogs and their trade in the United 

 States and Europe. 



To THE Editor, — Tt is not a little inte- 

 resting to the political economist to watch 

 the progress, not only of the population in 

 our growing country, but also the rapidly 



increased means of subsistence. The theory 

 has been sometimes held up, that the popu- 

 lation of the world would keep pace with 

 the means of living. I am not about to ex- 

 amine this broad assertion — but it would 

 seem impossible for us to multiply in this 

 country with such rapidity as at all to keep 

 up with the unlimited means which its pro- 

 ductiveness throws before us. Truly, when 

 we glance at these ^means — at the steam- 

 power that is and may be brought into ac- 

 tion in our manufactories — at the facilities 

 of transportation on our rail-ways and ca- 

 nal.^ — at every variety of soil, and almost of 

 climate, which we embrace, and the excel- 

 lency of our civil institutions, we must ac- 

 knowledge that there is ground for the ap- 

 prehension, that the destinies of our country 

 are such as history has yet never recorded. 

 I subjoin the following article, taken from 

 the Cincinnati Chronicle, supposing it will 

 be acceptable to the readers of the Cabinet. 



N. C. 



The immense production of hogs in the 

 United States, and the heavy trade in them 

 at Cincinnati, demand something more than 

 a mere superficial view of the transactions, 

 at one point, in order to understand the mag- 

 nitude and relations of the trade. We can 

 furnish the commercial reader with some 

 statistical facts, which will serve as land- 

 marks in taking a broad view of the subject. 



In the year 1839, there were in the United 

 States, in all, 26,301,293 hogs. Of this 

 number more than one half Cf the whole 

 were m eiffht States, viz : 



Tennessee had 



Kentucky 



Ohio 



Indiana 



Illinois 



JMissouri 



Mississippi 



Alabama 



Total, 



2,926,607 

 2,310,533 

 2,099,746 

 1,623,608 

 1,494,2.54 

 1,271,161 

 1,001,201 

 1,423,873 



14,150,983 



The States of "Virginia, New York and 

 North Carolina, each have jnore hogs than 

 Illinois and Mis.^ouri; but we have taken 

 the States of the West and the South West 

 together to show the result. 



Now, we want to draw two or three in- 

 ferences from the number of hogs in the 

 several States, before we compare the pro- 

 duction with that of Europe. 



1. In the first place, iiogs are fatted and 

 nearly supported on maize and Indian corn. 

 Tiiey exist, tlierefore, in the several States 

 just in proportion to the production of Indian 

 corn. Now, Tennessee has the most, and 



