226 PRELIMINARY REMARKS ON CULTURE. 



worthless, and those originally brought from other countries 

 were not superior in quality to many of the native kinds 

 found in our forests ; and the number of esteemed French 

 varieties, even as late as the year 1720, was far less than 

 we are already able to enumerate as the natural products 

 of our woods and prairies, the spontaneous gifts of nature, 

 unaided by the hand of man. Yet, at the present period, 

 that adopted country of the vine has nearly 4,000,000 of 

 acres devoted to its culture, which yield an annual product 

 of one thousand millions of gallons, of the average value of 

 more than $150,000,000. 



And what country ever presented a more eligible theatre for 

 agricultural pursuits than the United States ? The land pro- 

 prietors are not oppressed by feudal tenures, exorbitant taxes, 

 vexatious tithes, or exhausting poor rates. The land is both 

 fertile and cheap, and the great diversity of soil and climate 

 seem to invite the introduction of the varied products of other 

 climes. The country penetrated in every direction, even to 

 its remotest bounds, by navigable rivers, and intersected by 

 canals and artificial roads, offers every advantage for speedy 

 transmission of its productions. 



What a revolution has not the introduction of cotton already 

 effected ! What results does not the silk culture already pro^ 

 mise us as our reward at no distant day ! 



The Sugar Cane, for which France and the residue of Europe 

 are dependent on the Indies, already forms a most important 

 item among our productions, and promises ere long to be 

 ranked among our exports. 



The product of the vine in like manner will be ours, with 

 all its attendant advantages and blessings. The olive culture 

 is already extending in the south ; and the almond, the fig, the 

 date, the orange, lemon, lime, citron, filbert, maron, pomegra- 

 nate, guava, stone pine, and almost every other production 

 which has been heretofore enumerated among our importa- 

 tions, are destined hereafter to become the abundant pro- 

 ducts of our own fields, and articles of supply to other na- 

 tions. Such are the happy coincidences of country, of cli- 



