Ixvi INTRODUCTION. 



On the whole, the western States do not show as great an increase in the production of oats as of 

 Indian corn or wheat. The most remarkable decrease in the oat crop, however, is in the southern 

 States. This will be seen from the following table, showing the production of oats in the different 

 southern States in 18GO and 1850: 



I860. 1850. 



Alabama 682, 179 2, 065, 696 



Arkansas 475, 268 656, 183 



Florida 46, 899 66, 586 



Georgia 1,231,817 3,820,044 



Louisiana 89, 377 89, 637 



Mississippi 221, 235 1. 503, 288 



North Carolina 2, 781, 860 4, 052, 078 



South Carolina 936, 974 2, 322, 155 



Tennessee 2, 267, 814 7, 703, OS6 



Texas 985, 889 199, 017 



Virginia 10, 186, 720 10, 179, 144 



19, 906, 032 33, 566, 913 



With the exception of Texas and Virginia, the oat crop has fallen off in every southern State. 

 The crop in Alabama fell off from nearly three million bushels in 1850 to less than three-quarters of a 

 million in I860. Mississippi falls off from one and a half million to two hundred and twenty thousand, 

 and other States, as will be seen from the table, also fall off to an equal extent. 



This rapid decrease in the production of oats in the slave States is quite curious. In the table 

 showing the amount of oats raised in the western States it will be observed that Kentucky and Wis 

 consin showed a marked falling off in the production of oats. It is probable, however, that the system 

 of labor there adopted, has less to do with the fact than the nature of the climate. Oats are essentially 

 a northern crop; and, while they flourish well in the southwest, it is doubtless found that other crops 

 which do not thrive so well in a more northern latitude can be raised south with greater profit. 



The following table shows the production of oats in the Pacific States: 



18(50. 1850. 



California 1, 043, 006 



Oregon 885, 673 61, 214 



New Mexico 7, 246 5 



Washington 134, 334 



Utah 63,211 10,900 



2, 133, 420 72, 119 



California, which was unreported in 1850, produces over a million bushels in 1860. Oregon also 

 has increased to an almost equal extent. 



The following table shows the production of oats in the different sections of the country in 1850 

 and in 1860 in proportion to population: 



I860. 1850. 



New England States 3.43 2.95 



Middle States 8.65 8.20 



Western States 6.51 7.59 



Southern States 2.18 4.46 



Pacific States . . 4.00 0.40 



United States 5.49 6.32 



