8ti 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



The Wheat Interrsts. 



The nnme of our paper hns become almost oynony- 

 moua witli tcUeat growing; and tbis being the lead- 

 ing bueiiieas of ai least nine-icnlbs of our readers, we 

 feel assured ibat no apology ie necessary for the epnce 

 all 'Wed tbe following document. 



Tbis inemorial, witb its accompanying staiislicB, 

 was prepared, with greot labor, by Joshi'a Leavitt, 

 Editor of the N. Y. Emancipator, who, to say nothing 

 e: his zealous labors lor the abolition of slavery, de- 

 serves tbe tbanke of the farming commumiy for his 

 valuable etibrts to promote the interests of agriculture. 

 The Senate deemed this memorial worthy of being 

 printed for public distribution; and unless we greatly 

 misjudge, it will do more to open the eyes of tbe na- 

 tion on tbie grcatsnbject, than any o:her paper that baa 

 appeared. The complete document is for sole by the 

 author, at the low price ol $1 per hundred; and we 

 hopj all of our readers who feel interested in the sub- 

 ject, will not only se-ure a copy lor themselves, but 

 distribute somt to their fiicnds. 



We regret ihot our space does not allow us to pub- 

 liali 4t.cojiiplete. 



ME.nOlilAIi 



OF 



JOSHUA LEAVITT, 



Fraying the adiptioii of measures to secure an equita- 

 iiU ujtd udtijutUe inarhclfor American wheat. 



In' Senate, Feiikuart27, 1841. 

 ReferreJ to iJie Com. ua a °, .-intl ordered to be printed. 



To tlie iionoriible Senate and House of Represrnlutires 

 of die Unitetl Utalts in Congress conicned : 



The undersigned, a citizen ol New Jersey, respect- 

 fully solicits the attention of Congress to the following 

 memoir, presenting a few considerations connected 

 with the whiiat prodm-t of tbe northwest. 



The six northwestern states, (including, ns such, 

 the two territorial governments, soon to be admitted 

 as states,) of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, VVis- 

 konjin.ond Iowa, spread over a surface of 2:iG,2 11 

 8i]uare mile?, not inckiding the portions of Wiekonsin 

 and Iowa, still held by the Indians. Being .-ituated in 

 ■ temperate and healthful climaie, with The greatest 

 natural facilities for communicntion abroad, with a soil 

 of amnzng fertility, they constitute a region of coun- 

 try OS well adopted to the residence, support, improve- 

 ment, and hnp|)inesi of man, as any equal portion ot 

 the globe. Their present population is 2,969,(i96, be- 

 ing only 12 6 to a square mile. (* I, 3.) Of the 

 17d,fil)ti,672 acres of land in those states, (e.xclndincr 

 Indian lands, as above,; T2,C!13,-11-1 acres, or 40 peT 

 cent., have already passed into piivute ownoiship, by 

 sales, grants, or reserves; leaving 105,923,258 acres 

 in the hands of the Federal Government. In the set- 

 tlement and value of this land, the national treasury 

 has a deep interest, as may be seen in the fact that it has 

 already rece.vnd the sum of .$72,214,932 from the ac- 

 tual sale of52,166,.n4 acres in thefe states, (2 ) The 

 land in private ownership gives 24 5 acres to each in- 

 habitant, and is more by 11,771,414 acres than all the 

 lands 111 Great Britain and Ireland that is copoble of 

 ciiltivntion. (3, 5.) The land actually sold by the 

 Government may be regarded as all bought for cultiva- 

 tion, and exceeds by more than five millions the quan- 

 tity n iw under cultivation in the United Kingdom.— 

 The sales in the last eight years are 31,75t;.6(j(j acres, 

 bein,' only two and a quarter millions less thon the 

 Inndj now cultivated in the island of Great Britain. 

 Of this quantity, 10.068,999 acres, or 31 percent., 

 were sold in the lost four years, since the season of 

 •peculation was over; which fact, token in connection 

 With the vast influ.x of emigration during the prece. 

 ding four years, coriel us vely proves that a much smal- 

 ler pr.poition of the land soles of that remarkable pe- 

 riod, in these states, were taken for speculation than is 

 generally supposed. At the rate of a-ilcs of the whole 

 eight years, the londs in these states would be entirely 

 disposed of Ml less than twenty years; and at the late 

 ot the last four years, the whole would be sold in se- 

 verty-two years. (4.) 



The whole quantity o( land in the United Kingdom 

 •l^O reat Britain a nd Ireland is 77,394,433 acres: of 



I>eoi^*'r.nfh'r'"" P""!""-"!' 'efer to niiniericnl l„ble» np- 



which 46,922,970, or G0.6 per cent., is cultivated; 

 giving on average of but 1.88 acre to each inhabitant, 

 of tbe ;i7,704, 1 18 su;iposed to be the present popula- 

 tion of those islands. Fourteen millions, or 18 per 

 cent, more, are deemed capable ol cultivation; leaving 

 I5,»7I,463 acres, or 20.4 per cent of the whole, 

 worthless for human subsistence. (5.) At the same 

 rote of productiveness with the cultivated land in the 

 United Kingdom, the land already sold by the Govern- 

 ment should produce subcistence for near 30 millions 

 of people, while the vast quantity still unsi-ild admiis 

 of a nearly proportionate inerense. The lands being 

 all held in fee simple, in forms of sufficient size to in- 

 sure the greatest product with the least labor, nuincum- 

 bercd with rents, tithes, or poor-laws, and no part en 

 grosscti by noblemen's porks or rfiyal foie^ts. the pro 

 ducts UKy be expccied to reach tbis amount tar in ad- 

 vance of the pioportionoie increase of population, pro- 

 vided such a market sliall be found lor the surplus as 

 will furiii-^h the adequate motives and rewards to in- 

 dustry. It is to this point that the attention ol Con- 

 gress is particularly requested. 



The actual inccase of population in these states 

 ^hows that there is something in our land system, our 

 freedom from taxaticm, and the general character ol 

 free inaiiiiuions, as spread over this region by the be- 

 nign influence of the ordinance of 1787, eiiiiiienily 

 calculated to imparl a heathy vigor to a rising empire, 

 b.."yond any precedent in the history of the world. — 

 Forty years ago, the whole civilized population of this 

 district was but .50,240; now it is 2,970,096. The 

 ratio of increase during i ach decennial jieriod of this 

 century is 483 202,85, and 102 per cent. The nu 

 merical increase of ibe last ten years is 1,502,604, be 

 ing more in number than tbe whole increase of Eng 

 land and Wales during the first sixty years of the last 

 century. Tbe increase per cent, is greater than the 

 inccase per cent, of England and Wales during the 

 whole of that century. 



Of tbe actual growth of trade it is impossible to 

 speak with equal precision, although some valunble di - 

 la for an estimate may be found in tbe appended tables. 

 (7, 8, 9.) S.) great bus been the influx of einigrnnts, 

 that it is only wiihin three or four years that large por. 

 Lions of this district, the best adopted for w-heat, have 

 ceased to import bread stufi's, nnd it isbut just now that 

 the actual pressure ot a siiipliis of these products be- 

 gins to be felt upon the general market of the country, 

 b'lrely suggesting to the wisest forecast what is to be. 

 Let the estimate of tbe future be formed in view ol 

 tbe tables, and of the facie, that the soil is as fertile as 

 any other, with a smaller proportion of waste land, 

 from r^cks, mountains, or swamps, than in any region 

 of equal extent; that there are no barrens; that boih 

 s lil and climate are favorable to the production of pro. 

 visions of all kinds, while at least two-thirds ol the 

 whole is eminently odapted to the culture of wheat: 

 that the population is almost exclusively agricultural, 

 wiih the advantage of owning every man his farm in 

 tee — purchnsed, too, al so low a rate that no probiible 

 reduction of prices can bring their lands down to ibc 

 original cost, while cultivation is constantly increasing 

 their value, instead of turning them to waste as in 

 some regions; that the character of tbe people, for in- 

 dustry, skill, education, general intelligence, order, 

 and regard for low, is surpassed by few other sections 

 of the world — affording assurance that they will al 

 ways raise as much produce as they can, if there isa 

 market lor it, ond will always require as much of tbe 

 products of other region-, in manufoctured goods ond 

 other comforts, as they con poy for, while their gciicrol 

 integrity and the reign of just laws aft;)rd a suoraniy 

 that they will not run in debt to buy what they cannot 

 fee a way to pay for by the products of their labor. — 

 The trndc ol such a country will be limited only by 

 tbe physical ability of the people, stimulated to the 

 highest industry by the wants of^ the most civilized 

 slate of society, unless it is clogged by obstructions 

 interposed by the policy of our own or other Govern- 

 ments. 



Until the year 1805, wheat ch'efly in the form of 

 llonr, was the leadiiiL' article of export from this to 

 foreign couniries. Tbe average value for the five 

 vears preceding the one nonied, was $8,205,000. flO.) 

 Ill that year, cotton reached the value of ,'{(9,445,500, 

 ond took the precedence of wheal which it has since 

 maintained. The increase since, in the value of do- 

 mestic products exported yearly, isoboutfifty-iwo mil- 

 lions of dollars, the who'e of which is in cotton: 

 while the value of wheat ond flour has sunk to the 

 fourth place in the columns of exports. The settle- 

 ment ol the wheat region of the northwest, to such 

 on extent as to begin to furnsh o surplus, olready in 

 creases the export of tbis product: while ihe prospect 

 for the future «vills upon tho philosophic staiesmBn and 



mcrchsnt to look upon this growing iuit-rist with the 

 deepest concern. 



Wheat flour — from its value, its lightness of freight, 

 capabiliiy ol preservation, and adopttdm ss to the wants 

 ofdiflereni countries, 88 well as ihe naiiirol indicoiiona 

 of the soil and the abundance uf water power, eiihcr 

 in tbatcouiuiy or along the lines of comniunicotion 

 with the seaboard;— wheat flour must be the princi|ial 

 reliance of tbe northweet for fbieign export, tnd lor 

 the means of paying for articles of neceesity or comfort 

 brought fioin obrood. Tiie more extended introduc- 

 tion of this staple into our foreign troile would not on 

 ly increose the actual commerce and revenue to that 

 extent, but would tend to lelievc our teoeral moneta- 

 ry interests from the eeveriiy of the fluctuations ari- 

 sing from the prei-cni aliuusi exclu:-ive reliance upon a 

 single staple. But the most advontogeous foreign 

 markets for wheat are giievoiisly obctruc cd, and ren- 

 dered so uncertain ond lliictualing. as to be ni arly 

 valueless to the American Farmer, by the com laws of 

 Great Britain and France. 



TheBrili^h corn law, as settled in 1828, by the act 

 of 9 Geo. IV, c. 611, is one of the most ingeniously 

 contrived schemes ihal con well be imagineti, colciile. 

 ted to injure the grain-growing inierecla olnther conn- 

 IriiB, and the grain-consuming portions of its owr 

 people, wiihoul, it is believed, a corresponding advan 

 tage to the agricultural imprest, for whose benefit i 

 wasintendcd. The variable scale of diiiics, rising ai 

 the price of grain falls, and falling as the price rises 

 is but little understood in this country The •* gene 

 ral average," as it is called, is declared every Thure 

 day, at the exchequer; anil is obtained by firft find n 

 the overage ofall ihe grains so d during the week end 

 ing on the precid iig isotuidoy. ot 150 ol the prmcipr li 

 towns and markets, and then tokingon averoye of ih 'k. 

 with tbe five lost preceding general averagi s: and th ■ - 

 lost is tbe declored or genciol averoge for that wtel 

 When the declared ave age of wheot is 73s. or U) 

 words per quorter of 8 bushels, the duty is Is.; oi 

 when the price is .52s. or under, tbe duty ie 34s. Sd \ 

 ihe intermediate duties being graduated liy a scnle 

 laiifl'. (11,12.) Wheal and flour may be stored u 

 der bond for any length of time, without paying d 

 lies, and re-exported at pleasure. 



Tbe object of this complicated arronpement is, fir 

 10 protect the landholders against foreign compi iiiin 

 ond keep up the lent of land so as to sustain tbe lo 

 of taxation imposed by the public debt; secondly, 

 secure the people against the daitger of fonnio, 

 which, from the density of the population, and the u 

 certainly of tbe siosons, tl ey ale greatly exposed; r. 

 thiriliy, to prevent, o' far ks possible, greai fluettiaii. 

 in the price of grain. The attempt to overiule 

 greot ond irreversible lows of node, wb ch strike 

 bolonce between demond and supply — or, in oil ■ :a 

 words, to pieveni iluciiaiions in a niBikei wleie i uj 

 demond \\ as constant ond tbe supply voriobh — ci ' 1 t{.)i 

 not but fail. Tweniy jeors ago, it wos conside: I ^r,M 

 that a deficiency of ore tenth in tbe harvest wo I kj, 

 raise the price of wheat ihree-lentLs, and a ricficici ' j;in 

 of one-third would treble the price. This ibcrnion; • \;^, 

 ricol sensitiveness o* the market incieates, as the • t^, 

 crease of population ovefposees the increose of prod • j [, 

 lion. The yearly consumption of all kmds of grl ^j, 

 in Greot Briioin, is estnnoted ol 52 million quarn , ,.', 

 equal to 416 millions lA' bushels, or 15 bushels lo c I ,'.'' 

 inhobitont: of which 13 mill.ons of quoriers, or .1 ^'{'' 

 million bushels, being o;J bushels to each iuhabitoi jf 

 is wheot. The supj.ly of 4J millions, or neorl I .'^ 

 per cent., in 1839, was ot an average price of*. ' 

 which was 80 per cent, obote ihe piiee in 18^5, i] J '"' 

 nearly 50 per cent, above that of 1836. (14, 16.) 1 

 the ten years, 1829 lo 1838. the yearly range beiw n 

 the highest and lowest weekly overage, o\eroged 1 ■. * 

 id., equal to 30 per cent. The greatest flueluoin ;'*'' 

 »,is in 182S. ris ngfrom 52s. 4rf. to 78s. id., niakg ''"f 

 a range of 50 per cent. These fluctuations of « '!"" 

 market in England produce still more disastrous f i.'"?! 

 tuotions in the maikeie from which supplies oie 11 e 

 drown. In ihe ten yeors above named, the ye v 

 fliietiialions were 54 percent, on on average; ontn ■; 

 1838, the fluctuation wos 154 per cent. (13.) it ''inicl 



In those ten years, prices ronged from S6.f. to'f. ^•!.■'5 

 id — a range of 42s. 4rf., or lis per cent The of- -. 

 026 of the whole is about 5Cs. In 1828. the p» .].'''' 

 rose, between 28ih September and 24th October, fm . ,'*• 

 68s. 6(/. 10 ~Cts. Gd. — citdit shillings in fourwes. ; " 

 In 1829, it fell, between 6ih August ond 17ih SepiJ- . ,'' 

 her, from 71.-; 6^/. lo 55s. 4./. or 2s. ?d a weel- , ■"» 

 The general weekly avernpes, token year bv year, •• - ''* 

 ry. on an aviroge, Is. per week; and tbe wrekljt- , " 

 po-ti of a single market, (L'verpool, for iiisionO '■','' 

 flucttiat« up aid down, on an overage, oboui Is.i. '"'" 



■Mr, 



ij 



