886 AGRICULTURE. 



lute consequence than the poor fugitive king, denied and driver, 

 out by his subjects. 



The CULTIVATORS OF THE SOIL constitute the great industrial 

 class in this country. They may well be called its "bone and 

 sinew ;" for, at this moment they do not only feed all other classes, 

 but also no insignificant portion of needy Europe, furnish the raw 

 material for manufactures, and raise the great staples which figure 

 so largely in the accounts of the merchant, the ship owner and man- 

 ufacturer, in every village, town, and sea-port in the Union. 



The sovereign people has a better right to look over its " rent 

 roll" to examine the annual sum total of the products of its indus- 

 try, than any other sovereign whatever ; and it has accordingly em- 

 ployed Mr. Burke, the excellent commissioner of patents, to collect 

 statistical facts, and publish them in the annual report of his office. 



An examination of the condition of this country, as exhibited in 

 Mr. Burke's report of its industrial resources, will, we think, afibrd 

 the best proof ever exhibited of the value of the American Union, 

 and the extraordinary wealth of our territory. The total value of 

 the products of the soil, alone, for the past year, he estimates at 

 more than one thousand five hundred millions of dollars.* 



The value of the grain crops and great agricultural staples of the 

 country, for 1847, amounts to $815,863,688. 



The value of all horticultural products (gardens, orchards, and 

 nurseries), is estimated at $459,577,533. 



The value of the live stock, wool, and dairy products, amounts 

 to $246,054,579. 



The value of the products of the woods and forests, amounts to 

 $59,099,628. 



It is also estimated that there were produced lat year 224,384,502 

 bushels of surplus grains of various kinds, over and above what was 

 amply sufficient for home consumption. This is much more than 

 enough to meet the ordinary demand of all the corn-buying coun- 

 tries of Europe. 



Over one thousand five hundred millions of dollars, in the pro- 

 ducts of the soil, for a single year ! Does not this fully justify us in 



* $1,579,595,428. 



