SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 141 



years for which the import of the raw wool is given,* (1837-S-9,) it would 

 reach but §12,863,051. If we suppose the consumption to equal the sup- 

 ply, this would give So3,o60,050 as the value o? ihe facfory-7iiade woolens 

 consumed in the United States in 1839. I confess I have no data other than 

 conjectural ones, to determine the amount of the home-made manufactures 

 for that or any other year ; nor do I know that any other person has, or can, 

 have such information. The United States Census, singularly enough 

 does not include this as a separate item. It strikes mc, however, that Mr. 

 Mallary's estimate is too high, and that of the Report of the " Friends of 

 Domestic Industry " too low. The- proportion of home-made to factory 

 woolens is, no doubt, annually decreasing, for reasons already stated ;t but 

 as far back as 1S39, it would perhaps be a fair estimate to set them down. 

 as even. This would give .':s(j7,120,100 as the value of the woolens con- 

 sumed by a populati(jn of 17,009,453, or nearly $4 per head. Allowing 

 that every dollar in the manufactured article would represent one pound 

 of stock, or raw wool — and taking slave-cloths, blankets, carpets, coarse 

 home-made fabrics, factory plains, etc., all into account, a dollar is an am- 

 ple sum to oftset against every pound of the raw material — it follows that 

 our whole population annually consume four jiounds of wool per head. 

 Judge Beatty of Kentucky, in an estimate published originally in the 

 American Agriculturist, which has been much quoted, sets down the con- 

 sumption as about 6 lbs. per head. An ordinary Northern fai'mer or la- 

 borer, in comfortable circumstances, will consume about 20 lbs. per an- 

 num 4 the poorer one not far from 15 lbs. ; a boy of S years old,, full 4 lbs. ; 

 a girl of that age (in the country, where females are dressed in woolens,) 

 something more than half of that amount. In the cities and villages there is 

 a large class whose consumption for dress ranges from 30 to 40 and even 50 

 Ihs., and, including carpets, much more. A Southern slave consumes from 

 8 to 10 lbs. Four pounds, therefore, would not seem to be a high es- 

 timate, per head, for our whole population. 



Let us now take a glance at the increase of population in the United 

 States. The six different Censuses give the following results : 



TABLE 12. 



171)0, Population 3,i)i9,827 



1800, 5,.305,941 



1810 7,239,814 



1S20, Population 9,638,191 



1830, 12,866,020 



1810. 17.069,453 



It will thus be seen that our population increases at a compound ratio 

 of about three per cent, per annum, which would double it — assuming 

 three per cent, to be the precise rate of increase — in 23 years 1C4 days. 



Cheap and abundant provisions — a supply of fertile lands for all who 

 choose to occupy them, &:c. — the causes which have conspired to give so 

 rapid an increase, hitherto, still operate to as great an extent as ever, and 

 will continue to, at all events, for half a century, after the Census of 1840. 

 Suppose the rate of increase, then, decreases to two per cent., which would 

 double the population, reckoning as before, once in about 38 years, and 



-• In Tal)le 9. t I.ctter VII. 



J lie will wear out, durina a yonr, 1 cost, 4 ynrds ; 1 pair pnnts. 3 ynnis; 1 vcBt, 1 ynrd ; 1 pair flannel 

 dniwfrf, 2 yards ; 1 ttnnnci phirt, 2* yards ; 4 pair hoso. mitti'ti8, &v , It lbs., which, calling a yard a pound 

 of wool, all round, would amount to 14 lbs. His extra or holirltiy suit. 8 yards, will last 3 years, and his 

 overcoat, yards, 4 years— makin;,' the annual ronsumption of holh, 3 1-6 yards. Two flannel shirts, 10 

 ynrds, will last two persons sny3 years, making the anntial consumption of one, 1 1-9 yards. No account is 

 kcre made of coverlids, wool hats, eari)ets, still >ised by many, and the latter, more or less of it, to be found in 

 the houses of nearly all farmers in "comfortable circumstances." It will be seen that 20 Iba. of wool per 

 head is a moderate estimate. The rJaove enumeration would not equal to exceed two-thirds, and in some 

 cases half the clothing annually consumed by the smartly dressing young men who have labored on my 

 farm! 



(283) 



