138 



&l)c Jfarmcr's JHontljto llisitor. 



From the Richmond Enquirer. 



Mr. Burke's Report— —Agricultural Products 



of the United States for 1847. 



Mr. Burke deserves great credit for the ability, 

 industry and research which he has evinced in 

 preparing this document. Its contents are in- 

 teresting lo all who feel any concern for the ad- 

 vancement of agriculture and the mechanic arts 

 in our country. No one can peruse this report 

 without feelings of exultation at seeing such evi- 

 dence of the immense and varied agricultural 

 products of the Union, and so many proofs of 

 the genius, enterprise and skill of our fellow 

 citizens. 



During 1847 there were 1,531 applications for 

 patents. 1 shall refer to only a lew of those 

 granted. Nearly twenty patents were granted 

 for improvements in machinery, belonging lo 

 mills, &c. ; among which is one for a saw mill, 

 represented as " possessing great perfection of 

 parts and versatility of action;" about thirty 

 patents were granted for improvements belong- 

 ing to lumber and machinery for working there- 

 in ; upwards of thirty for improvements connec- 

 ted with carriages, wheels and railroad cars; up- 

 wards of twenty for improvements in civil en- 

 gineering and architecture ; several for improve- 

 ments in steam engines; others for improve- 

 ments in the manufacture of metals, tools, &c. 

 The ladies will, perhaps, be glad to learn that a 

 patent has been granted for a locking chair, to 

 which a fan is so attached, that the rocking of 

 the chair vibrates the fan. 



To enable him to make his estimate of the 

 crops of the United States for 1847, Mr. Burke 

 sought information from a variety of sources, 

 and as he possessed admirable opportunies of 

 obtaining knowledge, his estimates ure entitled 

 to great respect. He does not pretend to abso- 

 lute accuracy, and this could not be expected by 

 any sane man. His estimates approximate ac- 

 curacy as nearly as circumstances would author- 

 ize ui to anticipate, and sufficiently to gratify a 

 liberal curiosity. The following is Mr. Burke's 

 estimate of the several crops of the United 

 States for 1847 : 



Corn, 539,350,000 bushels. 



Wheat, 144,000,000 bushele. 



Oats, 1674,000 000 bushels. 



Potatoes, 100,000,000 bushels. 



Rve, 29,000,000 bushels. 



Buckwheat, 114,000,000 bushels. 



Barley, 5,000,000 bushels. 



Cotton, 1,041,500,000 pounds. 



Tobacco, 220,1(34.000 pounds. 



Sugar, 324,940,500 pounds. 



Rice, 103,000.000 pounds. 



Hemp, 27,000 tons. 



Hay, 13,800,000 tons. 



Among the wheat producing States, Ohio 

 ranks as No. 1, and Virginia as No. 4. The 

 wheat crop of Ohio for 1847 amounted to 



10,800,000 bushels. 



New York, 14.500.000 bushels. 



Pennsylvania, 14,150,000 bushels. 



Virginia, 12,000,000 bushels. 



While Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania, 

 each, made a larger crop of wheat in 1847 than 

 Virginia, the wheat crop of Virginia, ill propor- 

 tion lo its population, was larger than the wheat 

 crop grown dining 1847 in either of those States, 

 in proportion to their respective population, as 

 estimated by Mr. Burke. Population, in 1847. of 



New York, 2,780,000 



Pennsylvania, 2,125,000 



Ohio, 1,850,000 



Virginia, 1,270,000 



Ni-xt to Virginia, as a wheat growing State, 

 comes Tennessee, with nearly as many millions 

 of bushels; Michigan, with her eight millions; 

 Indiana, seven one-half millions; Kentucky, six 

 millions; Maryland and Illinois, nearly five mil- 

 lions, &c, &c. 



In regard to the con crop of 1847, Tennessee 

 stands at the head of the list, with her 74 mil- 

 lions of bushels; thru Ohio, with her (ill mil- 

 lions of bushels; 34, Kentucky, with her 62 

 millions ; 4th, Indiana, with her 38 millions ; 5lb. 

 Virginia, with her 864 millions; (iilr, Illinois, 33 

 millions; 7lh, Alabama, 26 millions: Georgia 

 and .Missouri, each 25 millions. The corn crop 

 of New York and Peunsylvaniiiia, united, ditl 

 not equal the corn crop of Virginia for 1817. 



crop of Ohio was 264 millions of 

 bushels; of New York, 26 millions; of Penn- 

 sylvania, 16 millions; ami ol Virginia, 10 mil- 

 lions of bushels. 



Kentucky made the largest crop of tobacco, 

 the amount being estimated at 65 millions of 

 pounds; Virginia, 50 millions of pounds; Ten- 

 nessee, 35 millions; Maryland, 25 millions; N. 

 Carolina, 14 millions; Missouri, 14 millions; 

 Ohio, 9 millions, and the oilier States still small- 

 er quantities. 



New York made nearly one-fourth part of the 

 potato crop of the Union for 1847, her product 

 being 24 millions of bushels. 



Pennsylvania made nearly one-half of the ag- 

 gregate amount of rye raised in the United 

 States during the past year. 



Mississippi made the largest crop of cotton, 

 her crop being estimated at 250 millions ol 

 pounds; Georgia, Louisiana anil Alabama being 

 the next largest cotton producing States, in the 

 order named. 



The sugar crop of Louisiana is put down at 

 275 millions of pounds. 



Of the 114 millions of bushels of wheat pro- 

 duced last year, Mr. Burke supposes that 114 

 were required for seed. The population of the 

 United States is, at present, estimated at 20,700,- 

 000, including bond and free. Allowing for do- 

 mestic consumption an average of 3 bushels for 

 the entire population, we consumed upwards of 

 C>2 millions, which would still leave a surplus 

 for export of 40 millions of bushels. Our slave 

 population numbers about 24 millions. They, 

 as well as many poor of the tree population, cat 

 India. i corn instead of wheat. Taking this into 

 consideration, Mr. Burke's estimate is probably 

 correct, or nearly so. Of the corn crop of 1847, 

 after deducting seed, the amount consumed by 

 the human family, Ivy horses, hogs, &c, he puts 

 the surplus left for export at 173 millions of bu- 

 shels. This estimate appears extravagant, but, if 

 we make large deductions, the amount of wheal 

 and corn left for export will be immense. 



The exports of corn from the United States 

 for the year ending 1st September, 1847, exceed- 

 ed 20 millions of bushels, and ihe exports of 

 wheat amounted to nearly twenty millions of 

 bushels. The quantity of grain imported into 

 Great Britain in 1847, was nearly II millions of 

 quarters, or 864 millions of bushels. This how- 

 ever was a much larger importation than usual, 

 and is attributable to circumstances loo well 

 known to require explanation. The ordinary an- 

 nual demand for wheat in the principal corn 

 importing countries of the world, is understood 

 to be about 33 millions of bushels. Extraordi- 

 nary causes will, of course, augment or diminish 

 the quantity here stated. 



Mr. S. Beniz of Boomsboro, Maryland, has 

 discovered a mode of hulling wheat and other 

 grains, so as entirely lo remove the outer skin, 

 by which a pure white, flour is made, unmixed 

 with the usual bran. The advantages claimed 

 for it, are that a saving in time of grinding is 

 effected of from 25 lo 50 per cent, and of from 

 40 to 52 pounds of wheat in each barrel, and 

 that the flour is capable of enduring the heat of 

 hot climrtes. The method is represented as 

 having received high commendation from those 

 qualified lo judge of its merits. Mr. Burke's 

 predecessor, Mr. Ellsworth, who is now engaged 

 in agricultural pursuits in Indiana, speaks favor- 

 ably of Mr. Bentz's discovery. Mr. E. says, he 

 tried it on buckwheat, and in five minutes oh 

 tained a beautiful ;u tide, the grain being per- 

 fectly hulled. 



Among the varieties of wheat, the Oregon 

 wheat is highly extolled. The experiments 

 made with it by Mr. R. W. Baylor of Virginia, 

 and others, have been very successful. 



It has not been long since the Multicole rye 

 was introduced here. This grain is strongly re- 

 commended by an estimable countryman, Mr, 

 Robert Shaw, Sr. In a late communication in 

 the Southern Planter, by Mr. William Massie of 

 Nelson, he furnishes evidence of the great pro- 

 ductiveness of this variety. 



Mr. Burke estimates the number ol' horses 

 and mules in the U.S. at 5 millions; the number 

 of cattle at 18 million.-, and of sheep at 234 mil- 

 lions. In 1839, the number of hogs in the whole 

 of Europe was estimated by Mr. McGregor at 

 26 millions, which was below the estimate for 

 the U. S. in 1840, according to the census returns. 



The number of hogs in the U. S. for the year 

 mated at 32 millions. It is 

 slalt d, that during the past year, one and a half 

 million of hogs were slaughtered in the Valley 

 of the Mississippi. An interesting account is 

 given of the pork business of Cincinnati. Thirty 

 thousand hogs were slaughtered at one establish- 

 ment ; and as proof of the activity with which all 

 tbe details are conducted, it may be stated, that 

 in one of the packing houses, two men cut up 850 

 hogs in less than 13 hours, with the aid of two 

 other hands who placed the hogs on the blocks. 

 Eleven millions of pounds of lard were run into 

 lard oil. At one establishment, 6000 lbs. of star 

 candles are made daily. The star candles are 

 made of the stearine expressed from the lard in 

 the manufacture of lard oil. An immense 

 amount of soap is made fiom the grease — the 

 blood of the hogs is manufactured into prussian 

 blue, and glue is obtained from their hoofs. 

 From the hair and other offal, prussiate of pot- 

 ash is manufactured. This is sold and exten- 

 sively used in the print factories of New Eng- 

 land for coloring purposes. 



The report contains a long and sensible letter 

 of Mr. Longworlh of Ohio, upon the culture of 

 the grape and wine making. This gentleman 

 has imported a great number and variety of for- 

 eign vines with a view of making wine, but after 

 much experience and many trials with the for- 

 eign varieties, he gives the preference decidedly 

 to our native grapes. Mr. L. considers the Her- 

 beinot and Missouri the best for wine. Lord 

 Morpeth when in Ohio, drank wine made from 

 the Missouri grape, in comparison with a fine 

 Maderia, not knowing the former to be a domes- 

 tie wine, and gave it the preference. Whether 

 his Lordship is as good a judge of wine as he is 

 of diplomacy, we are not informed. Mr. L. 

 speaks in very flattering terms of the Catawba 

 grape as well adapter! for wine making. Dr. 

 Stewart of Texas speaks highly of the great 

 Mustang grape which grows luxuriantly in every 

 part of Texas. Wine lias been made from the 

 grape by an experienced French wine-maker, 

 who pronounces the Mustang to be Port wine 

 grape and of superior quality and yield. Ed- 

 wards, in his history of Texas, observes that 

 Texas excels all the countries he has ever seen 

 for producing the grape. Some persons ridicule 

 the idea of making good wine in the United 

 Slates. France now makes an immense quanti- 

 ty of sugar from beet. When Napoleon began 

 to foster this branch of industry many persons 

 ridiculed him as a madman and the scheme as 

 chimerical. The voice of ridicule has been hush 

 ed there, and in due time we shall hear no one 

 here denouncing the idea of making good wine 

 in the United States. Failure may discourage 

 the indolent, but success will crown the exer- 

 tions of the energetic and persevering. 



In May, 1847, at the meeting of the Royal Ag- 

 ricultural Society of England, a species of grass 

 was mentioned, which is called dlsihe Clover. It 

 is said to be indigenous in Sweden, where it has 

 been noticed add esteemed for the last 100 years. 

 It is also represented as capable of withstanding 

 the severest frosts and flourishing upon land 

 where few other grasses will grow. Those who 

 have cultivated it give it the preference to any 

 other clover. Mr. Burke will deserve the thanks 

 of the country for obtaining and distributing 

 some of the seed. This grass, as well as the 

 grass called "Capine," which flourishes in the 

 sandy soil and hot climate of Brazil, should be 

 introduced into the United States. Here we sow 

 very few seed of any kind except clover, timothy 

 and herdsgrass, while the agriculturists of Eu- 

 rope sow a great variety. We should imitate 

 their example in this respect. In an extensive 

 country like ours there is so great a diversity of 

 climate and soil that all the valuable grasses may 

 be introduced and soon rendered productive and 

 profitable. 



The dissemination of Liehig's views on agri- 

 cultural chemistry has been extensive in Great 

 Britain and the United States. While he has 

 many admirers in this country, it may not be 

 amiss to state that the best practical agricultur- 

 ists in Germany, as well as many in England, 

 have rontroverled his theories. LiebiL' under- 

 took to compound a manure, from which he an- 

 ticipated good results. The public curiosity was 

 aroused, but his attempt to reduce his theory to 

 practice ended in signal failure. His failure, 



