A SUBSCRIBER LOST. THE COTTON TRADE. 239 



A SUBSCKIBER LOST. 



A SOURCE of very particular satisfaction to every true spirited conductor of a 

 periodical, must be the belief that its patrons take it for the sake of reading it 

 — and yet more, that the more they read it the more interested they become ia 

 the pursuit it is intended to illustrate and improve. Deeply should we regret to 

 think that The Farmers' Library was valued only for the money it may enable a 

 subscriber to make, by a practical application of some useful recipe, or of some new 

 machine or manure. We have been fondly persuading ourselves that those who 

 take it entertain more enlarged views of their profession, and feel the obligation 

 to become acquainted, not only with the properties and culture of the staples of 

 their own farm, but, that as cultivated men, proud of their calling, they would 

 like to be informed in all the branches of it— both in its practice and its literature : 

 that every gentleman farmer would like, for instance, to have a general ac- 

 quaintance, at least, with the productions of all the States of his own country, 

 and the nature of the fertilizers and other means employed in their cultivation. 

 How, for example, would any father like to have his son, if asked in Europe 

 what the agricultural staples of South Carolina, or of Maine, or Vermont, an- 

 swer *' I don't know ! My business has been raising cattle, and I have never 

 known or inquired whether rice will flourish on uplands, or sheep get the rot on 

 low lands !" Would it follow, because a gentleman cultivates land of virgin and 

 inexhaustible fertility, that therefore he should be content to be ignorant of the 

 action, composition, and tfTects of poicdrelte or of bone manure ? We confess to 

 not much pleasure in laboring for the amusement or benefit of men of such con- 

 tracted views. True, every honest man must work for his bread, but we take 

 pride in working, with more heart, for higher objects ; and while it is highly 

 gratifying to know that with a steadily increasing list of subscrih":rs, very few 

 have withdrawn ; yet we can hardly hope to retam those who may be so easily 

 lost as the writer of what follows — most respectfully be it said: 



" I have read the numbers with some care, and am satisfied that thoy do not, for nianj 

 reasons suit the farming interest of South Alabama ; we have too much good tcood land here 

 which can be purchased for $1 25 per acre, to cave much about what virtue there is in 

 bone manure,''^ &c. 



According to the above, we might infer that they only wish to be informed 

 about the best mode of clearing and grubbing new land ! 



ANNUAL STATEMENT OF THE COTTON TRADE. 



CROP. 1846. 1847. 



New-Oi-leans 1,037, 141 705,!)7a 



Mobile 421,9G6 323,462 



Florida 141,184 127,852 



Texas 27,008 8,317 



Georgia 194,911 242,789 



South Carolina 251,405 350,200 



North Carolina 10,637 6,061 



CROP. 1846. 1S47. 



Virginia i;!,282 13,991 



Received overland 3,000 



Total 2,100,537 1,778,651 



1,778,651 



Decrease this year 321, 



EXPORTS. 1846. 1847. 



To Great Britain 1,102,369 830.909 



.. ]?'i-ance 339,703 241,486 



.. Nonli of Europo 86,692 7.')'cS9 



-. Oilier foreiy;n ports 118,028 93,138 



Total 1,666,792 l,24fi222 



Showing a decreaso of 271,460 balee to Great Britain, 118,217 to France, 11,003 to North 

 (479) 



