'2S4 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



MARCH 0, 184 



often thus tfi supply the deficiency in an earlier 

 crop, by <rrcater ntlenlion to a later one. There 

 was more buckwheat sown tlian is commonly the 

 case, niid the yield was such as to compensate for 

 the labor and cost of culture. 



Maize or Indian Corn. — Tciinessec, Kenluclty, 

 Ohio, Virginin, and Indiana, are, in their order, 

 the greatest producers of this, kind of crop. In 

 Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mis- 

 Bouri, Pennsylvania, Sonlh Carolina, New Vork, 

 Maryland, Arkiinsaa, and ihe N>w Kn^rlnnd States, 

 it appears to be a very favorite crop. In New 

 Kiii^iand, especially, the aggregate if greater than 

 in any of the grains except oats. More diversity 

 seems to have existed in this crop, indifTenvit parts 

 of Ihe country the past year, than with most of the 

 other products of the foil; and lience it is much 

 more dilTicult to form a satisfactory general esti- 

 mate. In some sections Ihe notices are very favo- 

 rable, and speak of " good crops," as in portions of 

 New England ; of "a more than average yield," as ' 

 in New Jersey ; of being " abundant," as in parts 

 of Georgia; »r, "on the whole, a good crop," as 

 in Missouri; "on the whole, a tolerable one,"- as 

 in Kentucky. In others, the language is of " a 

 short crop," as in Maryland; or " cut olT," as in 

 North Carolina; or "below un average," as in 

 Virginia. On the whole, however, from the best 

 estimate which can be made, it is believed to have 

 equalled, if it did not exceed, an average crop. 

 ■J he improvement continually making in the quali- 

 ty of the seed (and this remark is likewise applica- 

 ble, in various degrees, lo other products,) augurs 

 well for the productiveness of this indigenous crop, 

 as it has been found that new varieties are suscep- 

 tible of being used to great advantage. Consider- 

 ed as an article of food for man, and also for the 

 domestic animals, it takes a high rank. 



I'otatots. — The tabular view shows that in quite 

 a number of States the amount of potatoes raised 

 is very great. New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, 

 Vermont, New Hampshire, Ohio, Massachuselts, 

 and Connecticut, are the great potato-growing 

 States; more than two thirds of the whole crop 

 are raised by these States. 'I'wo kinds, the com- 

 mon Irish and the sweet potato, as they are called, 

 with the numerous varieties, are embraced in onr 

 agricultural statistics. When it is recollected 

 that this product of our soil forms a principal arti- 

 cle of vegetable food among so large a class of our 

 population, its value ^. iilat once be seen. The 

 best common or Irish olatoes, as an article of 

 food for the table, arc produced in Ihe higher 

 northern latitudes of our country, as they seem to 

 require a colder and moister soil than corn and the 

 grains generally. It is on their peculiar adapta- 

 tion in this respect, that Ireland, Nova Scotia, and 

 parts of Canada are so peculiarly successful in 

 the raising and perfecting of the common or Irish 

 potatoes. 



The crop of potatoes in 1841 sufTered considera- 

 bly in many parts of the country, and perhaps came 

 nearer to a failure than has been known for some 

 years. In portions of New England and New 

 York, this was particularly the case. In other 

 sections, however, if a correct judgment may be 

 formed from the notices of the crop, there appears 

 to have been a more than average increase. In 

 proportion to her population, Vermont may be con- 

 sidered foremost in the cultivation of potatoes. 



Un;/. — This product was remarkably successful 

 during the past year in particular sections of our 

 country — in others less so. In Maine, and in tho 



New England States generally, there was more 1 

 than an average yield. In New York, which ranks 

 highest in the tabular view, it was lighter than ] 

 usual. In New Jersey and the middle States gen- 

 erally, it was considered "good;" in the more 

 Southern and Southwestern one.'!, little, compara- 

 tively, is cultivated. In the Norlhwestern State.8 

 it appears to have been about an average crop. 



Flar and Hemp. — More difficulty has been found 

 in forming an estimate of these two articles than 

 any other embraced in the tabular view. They 

 are combined in the census statistics, and the 

 amount is sometimes given in tons, sometimes in 

 pounds, so that it is not ensy always to discriminate 

 between them. More than half of the whole com- 

 bined amount must probably be alotted to flax, as 

 but little hemp, comparatively, is known to be 

 raised. Flaxseed is used for the manufacture of 

 linseed oil, con.'iderable quantities of which are 

 annually imported into this country for various pur- 

 poses. The oil cake remaining after the oil is ex- 

 pressed, is a well known article in use, mingled 

 with the food of horses and other animals. In 

 these articles of flax and hemp comBincd, if the 

 recapitulation of the census statistics is correct, 

 Virginia is in advance of all the other Statrs. Ken- 

 tucky probably ranks the highest with respect to 

 tho production of hemp. Tho crop of 1810 was a 

 great failure, and that of the past year also suflTered 

 much from the dry weather. 



Tobacco. — The crop of J 839, in this article, on 

 I which the census statistics are founded, is deemed, 

 as appears from the notices on this subject, to have 

 I been a short one, and below the average. The 

 crop of the past year was much more favorable — 

 beyond an average ; indeed, it is described in 

 j some of the journals as " large." 



Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, 

 I and Maryland are the great tobacco-growing States. 

 I In Conncclicut, the attention devoted lo it has 

 ' been rewarded with much success : 100,000 pounds 

 I are noticed os the product of a single farm of not 

 I more than fifty acres. Considerable quantities, 

 I also, were raised in 1811 in Pennsylvania and Mas- 

 I sachusetts, where it may probably become an ob- 

 I ject of increased attention. The agriculturists of 

 ' these States, if they engage in the production of 

 j this crop, will do so with some peculiar advanta- 

 j ges. They are accustomed to vary their crops, 

 land to provide means for enriching their soils. To- 

 bacco, as it is well known, is an exhausting crop, 

 I especially so when it is raised successive years on 

 ' the same portions of soil. The extraordinary crops 

 of tobacco which have heretofore been obtained, 

 hiivc, indeed, enriched the former proprietors, but 

 I the present generation now find themselves, in too 

 , many instances, in the possession of vast fields, 

 [ once fertile, that are now almost or wholly barren, 

 i from an inattention to the rotation of crops. The 

 [ difficulty of cultivating a worn-out soil has indu- 

 ced, and will conlimie to induce, the emigration of 

 1 the most enterprising to new lands, where they 

 will bear in iniud tho lessons that dear-bought ex- 

 perience has taught them. It is a provision of 

 Nature herself, that there must be a suitable rota, 

 lion of crops ; and all history sanctions the conclu- 

 sion, that the continued cultivation of any specific 

 crop, without an adequate supply of the means of 

 restoration from year to year, must eventuolly nnd 

 inevitably terminate in impoverishing its posses- 

 sors, and entailing on them the necessity of remo- 

 val from their native homes, if they would not sink 

 in degradation. Had a variety and rotation of crops 



been resorted to on the lands now so left, the coi 

 tries sufi'ering by such a course had been far 

 rich and prosperous. 



The value of tobacco exported in different ft 

 in 18il), was 310,440,15.'), and the amountof 

 bacco exported in 1640, was about 144,i 

 pounds. The greater part of this goes to Eng] 

 Prance, Holland and Germany. 



Cotton. — This, it is well known, is the 

 staple product of several States, as well 

 great article of our exports, the price of wliicl 

 the foreign market, has been more relied on 

 any thing else lo influence favorably the cxchai 

 of this country with Great Britain and Europe 

 crally. Tho cotton crop of the United Slati 

 more than one half of the crop of the whole wi 

 In !8.'?4, the amount was but about 450,000,| 

 pound:! ; the annual average now may be eslji 

 ted at 100,000,000 pounds more; the value ol 

 for export at about *-62,000,000. 'I'he rise 

 progress of this crop since the invention of 

 ney's cotton gin, has been unexampled in the 

 tory of agricultural products. In the year V 

 eight bales of cotton were seized on board of 

 American brig, at the Liverpool custom-house, Im 

 cause it was not believed that so much col 

 could have been sent at one time from the Uni 

 States ! 



Rice. — This product is cultivated to com 

 lively a very little extent in the United States, 

 cept in South Carolina and Georgia. In the 

 mer of these, it is an object of no small attcntIS 

 and ranks second only to cotton. It forms a cot 

 siderahle article of export from this country to 

 rope. England, however, imports annually li 

 quantities of rice from India. The crop of rii 

 1841 is said to have been, on the whole, a 

 good one, equal, if not superior, to the usual 

 rage. 



Silk Cocoons Notwithstanding the disap 



nicnt of many who, siwce the year 163'J, cngagi 

 the culture of the morus mullicaulis nnd othei 

 rioties of the mulberry, and tho raising of 

 worms, there has been, on the whole, a stead 

 crease in the attention devoted to this bran( 

 industry. This may be, in part, attributed tol 

 ease of cultivation, both as to time and labor fl 

 quired, and in no small degree, also, to the 

 that, in twelve of the States, a special bounl 

 paid for the production of cocoons, or of the< 

 silk. Several of these promise much hcreafU 

 this product, if a reliance can be placed on th( 

 timates given in the various journals more part 

 larly devoted to Ihe record of the productio 

 silk. There seems, at least, no ground for al 

 doning the enterprise, so successfully begun, ofi 

 ing to supply our home consumption of this iil^ 

 tnnl article of our imports. The climate of 

 country, from its Southern border even up t I ^.j' 

 degrees of north latitude, is suited to the cultOI 

 silk. It needs only a rational and unflinchiaf 

 volion to this object, to place our country 

 among the greatest silk-producing countries ol 

 world. 



Sugar. — Louisiana is the greatest sugar dii 

 of our country. The crop of 1841 appears to 

 been injured by the early frosts; the 

 therefore, was not so great as that of 1839^! 

 nearly one third. 



The progress of the sugar manufacture and' 

 gain upon our imports has been rapid. In li 

 the import of sugars was l!t.5,2.'ll,i!7;l pounds, 

 expense of at leaet $10,000,000; in 1840, 



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