SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



121 



years ti.»r which tHe import of the raw wool is given,* (1837-8-9,) it would 

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

 ply, this would giv(> $33,500,050 as tlie value o^ ihe fucfory-madc woolena 

 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 intormation. The United States Census, singularly enough 

 does not inchide this as a separate item. It strikes me, however, that Mr 

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

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

 woolens is, no df)ubt, annually decreasing, for reasons already stated ;t but 

 as far back as iSo9, it would perhaps be a fair estimate to set them down 

 as even. This would give $67,120,100 as the value of the woolens con- 

 sumed by a population of 17,069,453, 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 

 pie sum to offset against every pound of the raw material — it follows lh;.i 

 our whole population annually consume four pounds of wool ijer 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 fanner or la- 

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

 num :| the poorer one not far from 15 lbs. ; a boy of 8 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 

 lbs., 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 : 



1790, Population 3,929,827 



1800 5,305.941 



1810 7.239,814 



1820, Population 9,638,191 



1830 12,866,020 



1840 17,069,453 



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

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

 three per cent, to be the precise rate of increase — in 23 years 164 days. 



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

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

 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 Table 9. 



t Letter VII. 



t He will wear out, durins a year, 1 coat, 4 yards ; 1 pair pants, 3 yards; 1 vest, 1 ynrd ; 1 pair flannel 

 drawer!', 2 ysirds ; 1 flannel shirt. 2A yards ; 4 pair hose, mittens, &c , 1^ lbs., which, calling a yard a ponnd 

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

 ovsrcoat, 6 yards, 4 years— making the annual consumi)tion of both, 3 1-6 yards. Two flannel shirts, 10 

 varde, will last two persons say 3 years, making the annual consumption of one, 1 1-9 yards. No account la 

 here made of coverlids, wool hats, carpets, still used by many, and the latter, more or less of it, to be found in 

 the houses of nfaHy b.11 farmers in " comfortable circumstances." It will be seen that 20 lbs. of wool per 

 head is a miKler«tfc estimate. The above enumeration would not equal to exceed two-third.=, and in some 

 cases half the clothing annually coDi'imed by the emartly dressing young men who have labored on mj 



